OREANDA-NEWS. Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) will introduce Boeing 717 aircraft on eight of the 15 daily flights between Los Angeles International and San Francisco International airports in June, offering 40 percent more seats on its hourly nonstop Delta Shuttle.

"Our Delta Shuttle on the West Coast is designed to connect Silicon Beach to Silicon Valley and make doing business between Los Angeles and San Francisco easier, more enjoyable and more productive," said Ranjan Goswami, Delta's vice president of Sales - West. "As we continue to grow in Los Angeles, upgrading to fuel-efficient 717s on a majority of our daily Shuttle flights is a logical next step in strengthening our position in this important market."

Delta launched its hourly nonstop Delta Shuttle product from Los Angeles to San Francisco in September 2013, adding a California perspective to its long relied-upon New York-based Shuttle. The mainline 717s seat 110 passengers and offer access to power from every seat. The remaining seven daily West Coast Shuttle flights will continue to be operated by Delta Connection partner Compass Airlines using 76-seat Embraer E175 aircraft. All Shuttle flights offer access to First Class and Economy Comfort seating and feature Wi-Fi service, as does nearly every domestic Delta flight out of Los Angeles.

In December, Delta introduced regional craft beers to bring local options to customers on domestic flights. Delta's West Coast Shuttle features beers from Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, Calif.) and Stone Brewing Company (Escondido, Calif.). Customers flying the Delta Shuttle between Los Angeles and San Francisco also enjoy:

Check-in as close as 30 minutes prior to departure

Dedicated check-in counters exclusively for Shuttle customers

Gates located near security

Complimentary newspapers

Complimentary onboard snacks provided by Luvo, a California-based lifestyle food brand, offering great-tasting, good-for-you food

Complimentary beverages in-flight, including craft beer and wine in all classes of service

The 717 upgrade on the West Coast Shuttle is the latest in a series of investments in Los Angeles by the airline. Last month, Delta announced plans to begin daily nonstop service to Shanghai in July. Pending foreign government approval, seasonal service from Los Angeles to Managua, Nicaragua, will also begin this summer. These new routes build on Delta's expansion in both international and domestic service from Los Angeles in recent months, including London-Heathrow in October; Dallas* and Austin, Texas* in November; and Vancouver, Canada* in December.

*Flight operated by Delta Connection carrier Compass Airlines

From Los Angeles, Delta currently operates 154 peak-day departures to 48 destinations. At the airport, travelers passing through Los Angeles continue to enjoy the benefits of the USD 229 million expansion and enhancement of Terminal 5 at LAX, scheduled for completion in May 2015. Once onboard, Delta supports and markets the music of emerging artists and short-form content creators through exclusive partnerships that provide in-flight content for customers, who can now enjoy free entertainment from every seat out of Los Angeles through the new Delta Studio product.