Nonstop to Sardinia
Delta’s inaugural nonstop flight, a long-awaited aviation bucket-list moment, and the bluest water I’ve ever seen
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When Delta invited me to join its inaugural nonstop flight from New York to Sardinia, my answer was immediate and resounding, full-bodied, “yes.”
Not because I knew all that much about Sardinia. In fact, beyond photos of impossibly blue water and a reputation as one of Europe’s most coveted summer destinations, I knew surprisingly little about the island.
But I did know two things: first, Sardinia had long occupied a place on my travel wish list for it’s beauty alone. And second, as someone who spends an inordinate amount of time paying attention to airline announcements, the opportunity to be onboard a historic inaugural flight was too good to pass up.
So, I found myself at JFK surrounded by a crowd of fellow travelers eager to board the first-ever nonstop flight connecting the US to Sardinia. What followed wasn’t a comprehensive exploration of the island; I had just 48 hours on the ground, which was not nearly enough to understand Sardinia in full.
Still, in those two days, I crossed something entirely different off my aviation bucket list, spent a day sailing through some of the clearest water I’ve ever seen, and gained a newfound appreciation for an island that exceeded the fantasy I’d built up in my head.
Read on for:
What it was like onboard Delta’s inaugural nonstop flight
Why this island feels nothing like the Italy I expected
The aviation bucket-list moment I’d been waiting years to experience
The one Sardinian experience I’d tell every first-time visitor to prioritize
All the hotspots on my list for my return trip