Washington to Aberdeen Delta Flights

  About Washington

Washington DC, is the capital city of the United States of America. The city reflects the rich history of the United States with its neoclassical monuments and iconic locations. The place will keep you engaged with its compelling slew of tourist attractions. As the capital of the United States of America, Washington DC has many traditional attractions with important museums and monuments. Make sure to visit all the Smithsonian American museums as they shed light on various cultural and historical significance of America.

Best time to visit Washington DC

Washington DC's summers are the peak season for travel. However, to steer clear off all the touristy crowd and to engage in some real fun, it is best to opt for spring and autumn. Summers in Washington DC are from June to August when the city experiences sweltering heat and a tremendous tourist crowd. Some of the fun events and festivals hosted by the city during this period include Capital Pride Parade, National Mall Fourth of July Celebration and Summerfest DC. While they may seem like enjoyable activities to participate in, the exorbitant prices of surviving a trip might pull you back. Although many locals ring in summers in other parts of the US, tourists might find Washington DC to be a tad bit expensive during peak season. Even hotel rooms in Washington DC are expensive. The months leading up to summer, though, are quite pleasant and even easy on the pockets. Spring brings with it the season of blossoms as the month of March begins with the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Watching the cherry blossoms bloom is a trip and definitely worth experiencing. The city also witnesses the National Memorial Day Parade, another interesting festival to be a part of.

Maybe not summer but the season following summer in Washington DC is just as favourable for tourists. The autumn season is just next to perfection and definitely something all tourists would enjoy. The weather is exquisite and calm as the brisk winter air starts to slowly take over the city. Booking a hotel in Washington DC becomes cheap and affordable too as the summer crowd takes away the expensive tags. However, as many business travellers make their way into the city, the hotel deals might still be a hard snag unless you make prior hotel bookings in Washington DC. The city witnesses the H Street festival and Library of Congress National Book Festival during autumn. The cultural festivals with their historical significance only add to the experience one might take in during a trip to Washington DC. If you want to downscale your budget further, then winter is the best time to visit for you. The city streets freeze up while the temperature ranges between 5 degree Celsius to 7 degree Celsius. The perks, though, are the slash in hotel room prices, which is a sweet deal if you want to experience winter in the city.

Places to visit in Washington DC

The first thing to check out would undoubtedly be the Lincoln Memorial. The location would make quite a postcard-worthy click with Honest Abe's memorial in the background. Next, you can visit Vietnam Veterans and Korean War Veterans Memorials, popularly referred to as 'the Wall', which has names of all the Americans who succumbed to the Vietnam War. Just around the Lincoln Memorial is the beautiful Tidal Basin, a must-visit, especially during spring. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is a treasure trove which celebrates exquisite aircraft, including Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega 5B and Wilbur and Orville Wright's 1903 Wright Flyer, to name a few. It is a fascinating place and would certainly pique your interest. The city also has the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum which showcases the atrocities faced during the World War II. Do not miss the National Gallery of Art and The White House and the Washington Monument.

Things to do in Washington DC

Majority of the things that you can do in the city pertain to some of the sightseeing. Washington DC is recognised to be the city with a plethora of historical monuments and a haven for American history. The city offers a peek into the country's history as well as important events. Aside from indulging in the past of the country, one of the things you should definitely do is get tickets to a show at The John F Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts. You can explore the US Capitol's Library of Congress to get more understanding of the politics. A picture next to Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial also sounds like a good thing to do. You can also take a break from all the history lessons and head to 9:30 Club to relish some live music. The club has hosted many big bands, including RHCP and Nirvana.

Food and Restaurants in Washington DC

Washington DC's food culture is as diverse as the capital can get. There is an abundance of succulent eateries spread across the city. From piquant Spanish delicacies to oyster shots, there are many ethnic and global restaurants that will get your attention. Check out H Street Northeast, in the Atlas District to get some of the ethnic action as there are Belgian, Japanese and many more cultural kitchens. To get the sophisticated gourmet experience at an upscale restaurant, you can visit José Andrés' hotels such as Zaytinya and Oyamel Cocina Mexicana. Old Ebbitt grill and 1789 are also some lovely places where you will get the high-end fine dining experience. However, if you are on a budget, then opt for some eateries such as Ben's Chili Bowl and Good Stuff Eatery. These places have some signature dishes that you shouldn't miss at any cost. From lip-smacking burgers to rice bowls, the two joints offer an interesting palette of flavours in their meals that is worth all the money shelled out. Good Stuff Eatery's burgers are famous as they have been curated by chef Spike Mendelsohn.

Another major highlight to add to Washington DC's food culture are the farmer's markets in the city. Located in the District, a group of farmers huddle up to sell their fresh goods which come in all forms, colours and shapes. You'll find organic vegetables, healthy fruits and a colourful spread of goods at the market. It is a good place to get some of the fruity and healthy veggies action. Columbia Heights Farmers Market and FRESHFARM are two recognised markets that you should check out when in the city. Interestingly, the city also has lovely breweries and brewpubs, which came into existence in the recent past. However, the best way to enjoy the DC spirit would be to indulge in some brunch options. Tabard Inn, Kafe Leopold, Equinox, Cava Mezze, Juniper, Cafe Milano, to name a few, would be the best places to start your brunch rendezvous

How to reach Washington DC

Flight connectivity to Washington DC from India is quite decent but overpriced. There are no direct flights to Washington DC from India and layovers are the only way to reach the capital city. The demand for flights to Washington DC are not as much as for New York City or Chicago. Hence, the connectivity is also quite poor. There are only a handful of airlines that operate from India to Washington. Airlines such as United Airlines, Air Canada, Emirates, All Nippon Airways, to name a few, are the only ones that have flight services to Washington DC from India. There are no nonstop or flights to Washington DC from India, and usually, a layover or connecting flight is the only way to go. The United Airlines has flight connectivity to Washington DC from Newark. Many of the flights use the international route of Newark to reach Washington DC. Emirates is the only other airline that stops at Dubai for a layover before flying to Washington DC. Cathay Pacific also has flights to Washington DC from Delhi. Mostly, the connectivity is only from the Dubai and Newark international routes to reach Washington DC. The popular route to Washington DC often chosen by travellers is from Newark

Travellers require a transit visa to enter the USA and to reach Washington DC. Since the flights have connectivity from Newark, the non-immigrants are required to show a transit visa to let the authorities know that you are just taking a connecting flight to a different destination. A transit visa is a type 'C' visa where basically, you need to show at the Newark airport that you are just taking a connecting flight to Washington DC. To acquire these, you could apply for them at the American embassy, or you can do it online. The provisions are faster online and would be beneficial to you. The flight duration to Washington DC from India is approximately 17 hours, which is subject to change depending on the availability of flights. Do not expect cheap flight tickets to Washington DC. Not only is the capital expensive but even flight tickets to Washington DC is quite exorbitant. Even the accommodation is high-priced, and it would be best to make flight and hotel bookings to Washington DC well in advance to avoid expensive rates.

  About Aberdeen

Aberdeen is a port city located on the coast of the exquisite North Sea. The city is famed for its offshore petroleum industry. Interestingly, the city houses many international populations, including the Italians and Japanese. The city also connects the beautiful rivers, Dee and Don.

Best time to visit Aberdeen

Aberdeen's weather is extremely erratic and inconsistent. The weather continues to show varied sides without any warning. It might be rainy in the morning but turn sunny within the next minute. You simply can't determine what is going to happen next in terms of weather in Aberdeen. Hence, figuring out an ideal season or month to visit the city is quite pointless. However, you can follow the season that would best work for you. The spring season is from March through May with the temperatures ranging from 5 degree Celsius to 10 degree Celsius. You can imagine how cold the winters are if the spring temperatures do not go beyond 10 degree Celsius. While it doesn't seem like the best time to visit as the temperatures are still very less, it might be good if you wish to soak in all the brisk cold breeze. It is advised that you do carry proper parkas and other clothing as it would come in handy. Also, no matter what season, you should ensure to keep an umbrella with you as it can rain at any random time. It can get cloudy and terrible to deal with as the rains tend to affect the touristy plans.

Summer, on the other hand, is the best time to visit out of all the seasons. Aberdeen's summers are cold, irrespective. However, it is pleasant and would certainly be the fun winter vacation that you have been opting for. The temperatures during summers in Aberdeen range between 15 degree Celsius and 20 degree Celsius. June through August sees some warmth in the air. As it is on the coast, the breezy North Sea brings cold air in the city. The summer is actually quite pleasant with clear skies and lovely vibe. Even though it is cold, you would still feel happy as the air of Aberdeen is fresh and invigorating. The hotel prices during this season does see a slight spike. You might want to make your hotel bookings in Aberdeen in advance to ensure that you do get good deals. Winter is definitely not the best time to visit as the temperature does drop below negative. December through February is not the best time for you to venture to Aberdeen. Not to mention how it also rains out of the blue during the winters. It can get supremely cold and not favourable for tourist activities. You wouldn't be able to check out any of the famous attractions, and you cannot even take a stroll down the beaches. Hence, it would be best to avoid winters in Aberdeen. Do make a note of the fact that the hotel prices are lower than usual, making the accommodation extremely cheap. But, thanks to the bad weather, it doesn't work in your favour.

Places to visit in Aberdeen

The best way to get around Aberdeen would be to first visit the Aberdeen Maritime Museum. The museum is located close to the harbour and has quite the exemplary architecture. The Maritime Museum is a perfect way to start learning about the city's history and its relationship with the popular North Sea. As an art patron, you would be happy to witness some of the fabulous art exhibitions that the Aberdeen Art Gallery. The huge gallery has a melange of traditional and modern Scottish art. You will also find some artwork by international artists. These include works of Ivor Abrahams, Bruce McLean, Ken Currie, to name a few. Another major tourist attraction in Aberdeen is Craigievar Castle. The structure with its pink walls and authentic Scottish architecture is too beautiful. Another pristine castle that would definitely work perfectly in your postcards (if you plan to make any) would be the Balmoral Castle.

Things to do in Aberdeen

To enjoy the lovely Aberdeen sun amid a gorgeous environment, you should visit Duthie Park. The place was built back in 1881 by Lady Elizabeth Duthie. She dedicated the park to her uncle and brother. The spectacular 44 acres of the park is nestled close to the banks of the Dee River. The place also has a greenhouse which was once demolished but was built back. If you do get tired of all the tourist activities, you can visit Codona's Amusement Park. The place has many fun rides and activities that you would enjoy. You should also visit the Gordon Highlanders Museum. The place does have an interesting collection of artefacts and exhibitions that would give you a peek at their history. The museum also houses a lovely tea room that you would enjoy.

Food and restaurants in Aberdeen

Aberdeen's food is eccentric but heavily influenced by Italian cuisines and seafood. You will be able to find the best of Italian trattoria in Aberdeen, at Rustico. The neat little cafe is run by an Italian-family where they offer exquisite seafood such as king prawns tossed on linguine, pork ragu with rigatoni and some Sicilian-style lamb meatloaf. The whole spread is beautiful and flavourful. Another Italian restaurant in the city is Carmine's. The food establishment is very low key and quaint, which works well on the pockets. They also have an authentic Japanese restaurant in the city where you can find some of the famous dishes from the cuisine. Yatai Izakaya is your place, which is affordable as it falls within a perfect budget. They also have sake, so you don't have to travel all the way to Japan for the same. The Conservatory Restaurant located in the Marcliffe Hotel and Spa is a place you simply cannot miss. Although it is pricey as it is situated in the premise of a five-star hotel. But this would be quite the indulgence that you should opt for in Aberdeen.

At the food establishment, you will find some lovely seafood menu. While you're there, do not miss their Shetland scallops, Perehead monkfish, North Sea shellfish bisque and cod. The place also brings about an interesting spin to beef and other meat-based dishes. You might want to keep enough money in your pockets to visit this place. Although relatively new, the Bonobo cafe has already managed to find fame in the neighbourhood for its exquisite vegan food. The place serves only vegan food, so if you do not wish to have any of the seafood or meat cuisine, you can visit this place. Their vegan take on Scottish breakfast, which includes scrambled tofu, seitan sausages, veggie haggis and tattie scones is delicious. Not to mention how they have a coconut milk latte as opposed to the usual regular-milk latte. Coffee connoisseurs on the trip should visit Foodstory as the place makes lovely brewed coffee merged with healthy desserts and baked goods. Plus, the place also offers yoga and drawing classes. It would be quite an experience, if anything. Their take on the local cuisine is also quite good and would go down well with your sensibilities.

How to reach Aberdeen

Flights to Aberdeen are aplenty, but they do not particularly fly from India. There are no direct flights to Aberdeen, and you will have to opt for a flight with layovers or even change flights at London's Heathrow Airport. Airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, KLM Royal Dutch, British Airways, Air France, have immaculate flight connectivity to Aberdeen. This makes the travelling far easier. Most of the flights flying to Aberdeen have layovers that cannot be ignored. However, from Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata, you will be able to get flights flying to Aberdeen without much concern. The most popular route to Aberdeen often chosen is from London and Amsterdam. Since British Airways and KLM Royal Dutch have direct flights to Aberdeen, these international routes are favoured over the others. Many even choose to visit Edinburgh and take a flight to Aberdeen from here. However, to opt for the said international route, you will have to book a ticket to Edinburgh directly and drive up to Aberdeen.

The flight duration to reach Aberdeen from India ranges from 11 hours to 13 hours. It doesn't take much time to reach the Scottish coastal city as the flight connectivity is good and layovers are minimum. You will have to ensure to travel with a transit visa. As the airlines flying to Aberdeen traverse through European cities too, it is necessary to carry a transit visa. You can get hold of the visa at the embassy. The easier and viable option to get the transit visa is by applying for it online. The embassy sites are very quick to respond to the applications online so you wouldn't have to worry about anything. The flight tickets to Aberdeen are decently priced. It could range from INR 30,000 to INR 40,000. The season doesn't really play a massive role in the change of the flight ticket cost to Aberdeen. However, it would be recommended to make prior bookings to Aberdeen as that way, you will be able to avail some online flight deals.

  Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines or more popularly known as Delta is one of the most important airlines of the United States of America. It is a legacy carrier and has its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Delta Air Line is recognized for its massive fleet with operations of nearly 5,400 flights daily. This includes the subsidiaries and regional affiliates of the airline. Delta Air Lines serves about 325 destinations worldwide as it covers 52 countries across six continents. Delta, one of the founding members of the SkyTeam airline alliance, came into existence in 2000, along with Air France, Aeroméxico and Korean Air. The airline has nine hubs across North American with Atlanta being its major hub concerning passenger traffic as well as the number of scheduled departures. Delta is the second-largest airline in the world in terms of scheduled passengers carried as well as revenue passenger-kilometres carried as well as fleet size. The other hubs of Delta include Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Salt Lake City and Seattle/Tacoma.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport's campus has been serving as the headquarters to Delta since 1941. In 2008, the airlines received an award for its use of an environmentally friendly non-hexavalent chromium surface treatment on its aircraft. The airlines replaced the hazardous chemicals that would be used as paint adhesion while simultaneously preventing corrosion. The United States Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment program acknowledged the airline's use of PreKote that also helped reduce the wastage of water. Delta's logo or also called widget was originally introduced in 1959. The logo is a triangle shape which represents the Greek letter delta. The current livery of Delta is called Upward and Onward. The fuselage of Delta aircraft features the name of the company in blue lettering while the widget is painted on the vertical stabilizer. The present livery was brought in the picture in 2007 as part of their rebranding strategy after recovering from bankruptcy.

Fleet size of Delta Air Lines

As of 2020, Delta Air Lines' fleet size is 840 aircraft. All the aircraft in the airline's fleet are manufactured by Boeing and Airbus. Delta Air Lines holds the top position for operating the largest fleets of Boeing 717, Boeing 757 and Boeing 767. It also operates the largest fleet of Airbus A330 for any US airline. Before the merger with Northwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines' fleet solely comprised of Boeing and McDonnell Douglas aircraft. After the merger though, the airlines added Airbus aircraft to its fleet. Delta has worked towards enhancing its fleet and maintaining the fleet. Hence, they created an extensive maintenance, repair and overhaul organization going by the name TechOps. The primary focus of their MRO has been to utilize the older aircraft, especially the narrow-body ones and to refurbish them for commercial purposes. In 2011, the airline announced to replace their McDonnell Douglas DC-9s and McDonnell Douglas MD-88s with Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier Aerospace aircraft. Soon, the same year, they placed an order to acquire 100 Boeing 737-900ER aircraft and defer the smaller narrow-body jets.

Delta's expansion strategy to further operate less-expensive used planes brought in an agreement to lease 88 of Boeing 717s which were originally acquired by Southwest Airlines. With this, they replaced DC-9s and 50-seat regional aircraft, including the CRJ-200. The last of DC-9 was retired in 2014. The airline was the last of US carriers to operate DC-9. With continued expansion plans, Delta further ordered 95 Airbus A220 aircraft and also became the first American carrier to order the said aircraft. The airlines have not been keen on acquiring wide-body aircraft, especially those that are ageing.

Delta Air Lines Baggage Allowance

It is essential to know about all the baggage allowance enabled by Delta Air Lines. For efficiency and comfort of the travellers, the airlines have initiated pertinent information on their Fly Delta App as well as have details of the same on their official website. Unlike other airlines that offer the first checked baggage to be processed for free, Delta adds a fee. With this, you will receive one free carry-on bag along with one personal item to carry onboard. The size of the baggage can be checked at their website as they all differ depending on the cabin class as well as the membership one might own. For the second standard checked bag which should be under 23 kg, you will need to pay USD 40. Depending on the domestic route or international route as well as the cabin class, the checked baggage allowance will change. The airline's app and website have a baggage calculator which will help you with getting an estimate of your luggage weight.

There are few exceptions for military baggage as well as Medallion members and Delta SkyMiles Amex Card members. They usually have no excess fee to pay for the baggage. Passengers flying with special and fragile items such as musical instruments, medical equipment and sporting equipment, you will require to notify the airline ahead of time. It would be best to carry them as cabin luggage to avoid any damage or misplacement. It is required that you carry cabin luggage that falls under the necessary dimension as well as weight stated by Delta Air Lines.

Delta Air Lines In-flight services

The airline offers about six diverse cabin service choices which include Delta One, Delta Premium Select, First Class, Comfort+, Main Cabin and Basic Economy. The availability of all the cabins varies from the airline route and the type of aircraft.

Delta One - Delta Air Lines' most exclusive cabin service can be found in Delta One. The in-flight services include a dedicated flight attendant to take you through the long-haul journey with the utmost ease. They are extensively available in long-haul international route flights as well as some domestic route flights. The seat is extremely relaxing, which aligns at 180-degree and can be converted into a flatbed. Plus, the airline offers special amenity kits to the passengers to help them reduce their baggage weight. The amenity kit includes eyeshadows, lotions, lip balms, socks and more.

Premium Select - The premium select cabins have comfortable reclining seats with features of fold-out footrest and leg-rest that can be adjusted. Besides great seating, the airline also offers the Tumi amenity kit to the premium select passengers. This also includes receiving priority during check-in, larger screens for entertainment and in-flight seasonal meals inspired by all the Delta destinations. You can also choose your in-flight beverages as a complimentary alcoholic beverage does accompany your seat.

First Class - In the first-class cabin of Delta Air Lines, there are personalized services offered to the passengers which include a dedicated flight attendant, extra legroom, 5.4-inch reclining seats and an 11-inch seatback screen. Along with this, the airline also provides various other perks such as pre-flight drink, a hearty snack and more. The seats are also hooked with power plugs to ensure that you stay connected to your work from everywhere. WiFi facilities are also available along with complimentary headphones, blankets and pillow. For medium and long-haul flights, the airline also offers meals on the flight along with hearty snacks.

Delta Comfort + - Delta Comfort + gives passengers affordable prices with some seating perks. The legroom and recline of the seats in the cabin are 50 per cent more than the standards set in the main cabin and economy class. The airline also offers the amenity kit along with a sleep kit for passengers travelling in long-haul flights to international destinations. Further, you can also avail premium snacks and meals on long-haul flights as well as some select domestic routes. Your meals will come with complimentary beer, wine and cocktails. In-seat power plug points are also available.

Main Cabin and Basic Economy - The main cabin and basic economy cabins have only slight variations that contain the standard amenities and in-flight services on Delta Air Lines. These include a standard recline seating which reclines up to 4 inches and has standard legroom and overhead bin space. While passengers of the economy class cannot select their seats before check-in, main cabin passengers have the benefit here.

Popular routes and top cities for Delta Air Lines

Over the years, Delta Air Lines has entered into joint ventures with quite a few airlines namely Aeromexico, Air France/KLM/Alitalia, Korean Air, LATAM Airlines Group, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia and WestJet. Some of the top cities of Delta Air Lines include Sydney, Toronto, Beijing, Shanghai, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Dublin, Tokyo, Mexico City, Amsterdam, Madrid, London, New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Mumbai. They are also the only US carrier to charter flights to Accra, Dakar, Lagos, Stuttgart, Johannesburg, Copenhagen, Düsseldorf and Nice.

Why travel by Delta Air Lines?

Delta Air Lines is recognized as one of the best airlines in the US for its phenomenal connectivity and world-class services. Be it their ability to fly to a massive number of domestic routes as well as international routes, or their facilities such as web check-in, intimation about flight status, flight schedules of Delta Air Lines and more, they are ahead of the game. Delta Air Lines' in-flight services are exceptional thanks to the cabin upgradation that took place in 2015.