In the wake of the recent unrest in the Middle East, both Delta and United have suspended their Tel Aviv flights again and have begun offering travel waivers. Both airlines have gone back and forth in suspending and resuming flights over the past several months.
The current suspension for each airline is as follows:
- United: Suspended through June 30, 2025
- Delta: Suspended through August 31, 2025
Delta shared that impacted customers “…will receive notifications via the Fly Delta app and contact information listed in their reservation.” United passengers can expect the same.
United’s travel waiver is above. Passengers can either reschedule a United flight between 2 days before and after the original travel date with waived change fees and fare differences, or cancel for a full refund.
Remember that United currently only has flights suspended through June 30; passengers traveling after those days should stay alert for more information as the day gets closer.
Delta has flights cancelled until August 31, which makes things a bit more flexible. Passengers will have change fees waived as long as they reschedule their flights on or before November 15, 2025.
What Global Conflicts Look Like On Radar
Both United and Delta had Tel Aviv-bound flights over the Atlantic when Israel-Iran tensions escalated, prompting them to turn around and return back to the U.S.
The above photo is United flight UA84 from Newark to Tel Aviv. The flight spent over 10 hours in the air going halfway across the Atlantic and back. They landed in Newark in the very early morning hours after 2:00 EST on Friday.
Delta flight DL234 spent a little less time in the air, but was still a full 8 hours before it landed back in JFK. It was around 1:45 EST in the morning when they returned.
I have to wonder if United is looking at something more long-term with the suspension of these flights. I think August 31 kind of makes sense for Delta, but June 30 feels awfully close for United, considering tensions and aggressions in the region are only rising. After all, you want to be able to offer reliable operations not only for your customers, but for your crew as well.
Featured image by the author.
