As a result, it came in!
Last month, Delta Airlines customers and employees had to vote on the carrier’s European destinations to be launched as the next destination.
The options offered by Delta are: Italy, Malta or Sardinia in Ibiza, which is part of the Balearic Islands in Spain.
After nearly 150,000 votes, two winners appeared.
Delta Skymiles members crowned Sardinia as the winner, but Malta received votes from Air Atlanta-based employees.
Verdict: Delta will launch services to both islands in the summer of 2026, both routes are introduced from the hub of John Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York.
Flights from Kennedy International Airport to Sardinia Island, Italy will be on May 20, 2026, a few days before Memorial Day weekend and a major upgrade for summer trips.
The Delta will operate its Sadinia route weekly through the Olbia Costa Smerelda Airport (SLB) located in the northeast of the island.
Flights to Malta, a Mediterranean island country south of Sicily, started on June 7, 2026 and operated three times a week, both inside and outside the Malta International Airport (MLA).
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Read more: How to redeemed Delta skymiles for maximum value
Bookings are available immediately on Tuesday and are used to pay for passengers on flights and members of Skymiles who wish to redeem miles.
Most Skymiles redemptions I find next summer start to 70,000 to 80,000 miles to and from Sardinia, although it’s a late summer choice of less than 70,000 miles (or over 200,000 miles of Delta One).
The Sadinia itinerary includes departure from Kennedy International Airport at 6:25 pm and arrives in Olbia at 9 am the next day. On the way home, you will depart at 11 p.m. Sadinia time and arrive at Kennedy International Airport after 2:30 p.m.
The Malta Awards space seems to be loading, but I did find a similar pricing setting for August round trip.
Itinerary for these flights: Kennedy arrives at MLA at 5 p.m. at 8:20 p.m. This is a late departure in the period of return, landing in New York before 3 p.m. ET.
Remember that qualified Delta Express credit card holders can save 15% on reward bookings.
Best welcome offer: Earn up to 125,000 miles with Delta Amex card
Delta let voters decide
Delta’s approach to its latest European expansion is a head shift for the airline, allowing loyalty members and employees to weigh where they send the plane; airlines usually make decisions on routes and destinations close to the vest.
“We can now say that our network is not only built for our most loyal customers, but is built by them,” said Paul Baldoni, senior vice president of network planning at Delta, in a statement announcing the news.
This is not the only reason Sadinia and Malta open up new destinations for travelers.
There are currently no airlines that connect the United States to Sardinia or Malta (as is the case with Ibiza).
Both should offer new options for travelers as flyers continue to flock to southern Europe with little ones (including nearby Italy’s Sicily), where Delta and top rival United Airlines launched uninterrupted services last summer.
We should also point out that Sadinia and Malta have some hotels that you can book with points including the brand new W Sadinia-Poltu Quatu, part of the Bonvoy Portfolio of Marriott.
Plans
Delta will configure these two routes with Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and its Boeing 767-300ER (especially its San Wood Oil 767) as Delta One and Premium Select Septembers.
Customers who book the airline’s Lie-Flat Delta will have access to the airline’s stylish Delta lounge and at Kennedy International Airport Terminal 4.
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