AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 13: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates winning the 2025 Masters … More Tournament after the playoff hole on the 18th green during the final round of the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, 2025 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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Patrons鈥攖he official Masters nomenclature for spectators鈥攈ave long jetted into Augusta for golf鈥檚 ritzy Spring major, with a sizeable contingent of affluent fans flying private.
Every April, hundreds of sleek jets flock into East Georgia, the Gulfstreams and Cessnas parked wing-to-wing on jammed regional tarmacs lending the scene an air show vibe. The Sunday evening exodus after the final putt drops, consistently merits media attention.
The lion鈥檚 share of golf fans who make the commute from far and wide to gorge on pimento cheese sandwiches and post up on Amen Corner while they take in the quest for the green jacket fly in via the hub-and-spoke network. And while Augusta Regional Airport (AGS) sees a spike in service during tournament week, many fans still fly into Atlanta or Columbia, South Carolina, then make the 2.5 hour or hour and change drive to the prestigious course.
Delta Air Lines鈥攁n international partner of the Masters since 2018, has announced they are supersizing seat capacity during tournament week from 1,200 up to 3,800 on peak travel days from April 5-13, 2026. The move includes 18 daily flights into Augusta, with newly minted nonstop service from Los Angeles, Nashville, and Newark. While Delta has been steadily increasing its Masters schedule for years, 2026 will mark its largest schedule yet for golf鈥檚 most iconic week.
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鈥淲e have a lot of data on where demand is coming in from,鈥 Amy Martin, Delta鈥檚 vice president of network planning, explained. 鈥淲e look at historical and forward-looking trends to see where we need more than just connecting service. We鈥檙e the number one carrier in L.A. so it鈥檚 natural fit for us, we also have been building a big franchise in Nashville and Newark popped up as a strong opportunity that has been unserved in the past.鈥
While Masters attendance has remained relatively fixed for decades, it鈥檚 a perennially sold out event, Delta saw an opportunity to eliminate a common pain point: the long drive in from larger airports.
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鈥淲e鈥檒l still have a lot of people flying into Atlanta,鈥 Martin said, 鈥渂ut are trying to make sure that we鈥檙e making it easier for people to get to the Masters. That鈥檚 good business and also really good for our customers, because it鈥檚 making it easier to get them to where they want to be.鈥
Delivering on that convenience isn鈥檛 without complications. Augusta Regional鈥檚 limited infrastructure and crowded tarmacs鈥攅specially with that swarm of private jets mentioned earlier鈥攑resents real logistical constraints. But Delta鈥檚 network team is well-versed in planning around high-traffic events.
鈥淲e have conversations with the airport as well as our own airport customer service teams about what鈥檚 going to be operationally feasible. So, we do not make these decisions in a vacuum.鈥 Martin said.
The Masters is one of the biggest of the nearly 400 special events Delta programs for annually, many of them centered around major sporting BLANKS. 鈥淕olf has been a big one,鈥 she noted. 鈥淲e just recently announced 40 additional flights for the NFL regular season, including Atlanta to Berlin for the Falcons vs. Colts game,鈥 Martin added.
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Premium cabin demand tends to surge during Masters week, in line with broader trends. 鈥淚n general, we鈥檙e seeing premium demand outperforming coach,鈥 she said, with that rule of thumb holding true for both domestic and international flights.
As for timing, just as the greens at Augusta National reliably run fast, flights to the tournament tend to book just as quickly. Demand typically spikes right after fans are notified they鈥檝e secured tickets through the Masters lottery鈥攁 window Delta鈥檚 planners track closely each year.
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