Experts recommend that travelers book flights within two to three months of departure for domestic trips. For international trips, the recommendation is to book more than 90 days out.
This helps passengers get the best prices while ensuring they have a flight to their chosen destination.
For travelers booking their flights well in advance, it is important to pay careful attention when airlines announce flight cancellations and permanent schedule changes. These announcements can impact travel plans.
Just recently, for example, Delta Air Lines made an announcement that one of its longest-standing flights would end permanently beginning in January.
Many customers have already booked on this flight, and will now need to make changes after they thought their travel plans were set.
Image source: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Delta Air Lines permanently cancels flights starting in January
Airline Geeks made the announcement in September regarding the canceled Delta Air Lines flight. According to the report, Delta will cancel a nonstop flight between New York-JFK and Brussels in Belgium.
A spokesperson confirmed that the last flight to this destination would take place in January. Here is what a spokesperson had to say about the change:
“The final New York-JFK to Brussels flight will operate Jan. 5 from JFK and Jan. 6 from BRU.”
Delta Air Lines’ canceled flight is one of the carrier’s longest-standing routes
The cancellation of the nonstop flight is likely to come as a surprise to many travelers because it is one that Delta has flown for a very long time.
In fact, according to Airline Geeks, the Department of Transportation Data shows that the route began in 1991.
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After January, it will be the first time in over 34 years that Delta has not planned to offer this direct route between the two major airports.
However, it is worth noting that the New York-to-Brussels flights were temporarily paused between 2020 and 2022 during the Covid pandemic.
Thousands of travelers could be impacted by canceled Delta flight
Thousands of travelers could be impacted by the change, as Road Genius reports that 480,000 people from the United States visited Belgium in 2024.
Delta has expressed regret for the impact that this change could have on travelers. According to Airline Geeks, a spokesperson for the airline stated:
“Delta apologizes for any inconvenience this change causes.”
Customers on axed flight to Brussels will have options
It is unclear how many people had already booked one of the direct flights between New York and Brussels that the airline is canceling. However, Delta Air Lines will offer customers options.
A spokesperson for the airline made clear that the company would reach out, telling Airline Geeks: “Affected customers will be notified directly.”
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Flightsfrom.com reports that Brussels Airlines does service the JFK-to-Brussels route, but it is one of only two airlines that does.
Delta is the other, so Brussels Airlines is likely to be the only remaining option for nonstop travel from JFK to this destination.
Delta Air Lines is not abandoning Brussels
While Delta will no longer fly from JFK to Brussels, the airline is not abandoning the airport. Here’s what the airline’s spokesperson told Airline Geeks:
“Delta will transition its Brussels service to Atlanta beginning March 8, 2026, to better align with customer demand.”
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Delta Air Lines currently flies between Atlanta and Brussels three times weekly.
Travelers should be aware of this change and, if they were booked on the JFK-to-Brussels flight after January, make alternate travel plans to get to their destination.
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