Delta Adds Over 60 Flights To Get You to the Kentucky Derby

Updated: September 5, 2025, 10:23am CDT

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Table of Contents

Largest-Ever Schedule to Louisville
How To Book
Final Thoughts

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It’ll be easier than ever to get to the Kentucky Derby. Delta Air Lines announced on September 5 that it would significantly increase flights to Louisville (SDF) for the Kentucky Derby, which will take place in early May 2026.

Here’s what you need to know.

Largest-Ever Schedule to Louisville

Delta Air Lines will begin service from 10 U.S. cities to Louisville (SDF) in time for the Kentucky Derby.

Some of the most interesting updates to Louisville include:

Atlanta (ATL): Delta will increase flights to 10 inbound trips and 13 return trips on peak travel days.
New York (JFK): Delta will fly once daily on a mainline Airbus A220-100 to meet demand.
Austin (AUS) and Raleigh-Durham (RDU): New, non-stop service launching.

Here’s a look at the full schedule and frequencies:

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To Louisville (SF) From…	Frequency (April 30)	Frequency (May 3)
Atlanta (ATL)	10x Daily	13x Daily
Boston (BOS)	2x Daily	2x Daily
Detroit (DTW)	4 (upgauging to larger aircraft)	4 (upgauging to larger aircraft)
New York (JFK)	Daily	Daily
Los Angeles (LAX)	Daily	Daily
New York (LGA)	5x Daily	5x Daily
Minneapolis (MSP)	4x Daily	4x Daily
Salt Lake City (SLC)	Daily	Daily
Raleigh (RDU)	Daily	Daily
Austin (AUS)	Daily	Daily

“We’re adding over 3,000 seats and offering over 60 flights to and from Louisville for the 2026 event, making it easier for customers to take part in the celebrations, whether they’re drawn to the thrill of the race or the festivities,” said Amy Martin, vice president of network planning at Delta, in a statement.

Bottom Line:

The Atlanta-based airline says this is its largest-ever flight schedule to Louisville. The Kentucky Derby is hosted at Churchill Downs in Louisville and saw more than 150,000 attendees in 2025. The Derby is famous for the thoroughbred horses, of course, as well as the high fashion and famed mint juleps.

How To Book

Flights are now available on Delta.com, and prices are pretty competitive for such a popular route. For instance, we’re seeing round-trip cash flights from Atlanta starting at $320.

If you’d prefer saving money, you could use Delta SkyMiles instead. Award tickets start around 27,000 miles round-trip.

Delta planes at B gates ATL runway view — Image Credit: Ryan Smith

Luckily, Delta SkyMiles are pretty easy to earn, whether you need them for this trip or others. Here are some of the best ways to earn SkyMiles for travel:

Opening a co-branded Delta credit card
Transferring points from American Express Membership Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy
Staying in an Airbnb
Linking your Uber account and taking a ride or ordering via Uber Eats
Using SkyMiles Shopping and SkyMiles Dining

Final Thoughts

If you want to go to the Kentucky Derby next year, now’s your chance to grab a seat on Delta, thanks to more than 60 additional flights to Louisville. Because the Derby attracts around 150,000 visitors annually, you’ll want to book your ticket early to take advantage of discounted cash and award rates.