Delta expands Philadelphia service

Delta Air Lines is shaking up the Boston-Philadelphia air travel market, taking on US Airways and AirTran Airways with four new daily flights starting Nov. 5.

Flights, on 50- and 70-seat regional jets, will leave Logan International Airport at 7 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 6 p.m. and return from Philadelphia International Airport at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m. Flight time is usually estimated at 90 to 95 minutes, Delta said this morning. Its website didn't yet show fares as of noon and a spokeswoman couldn't immediately say what fares are planned.

US Airways, which uses Philadelphia as a hub, now dominates air travel between the Hub and the City of Brotherly Love, carrying 69 percent of passengers and charging an average round-trip fare of $288, according to FareReport.com, a website that analyzes US Transportation data. AirTran has 20 percent of the route, the website shows. US Airways has 17 flights, roughly hourly from 5:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m., on weekdays and AirTran makes three weekday Boston-Philadelphia flights.

Delta last winter began offering regional-jet service from Logan to Trenton, N.J., about 30 miles northeast of Philadelphia.
(By Peter J. Howe, Globe staff)