Delta Announces New SFO-LAX Shuttle In September

On the hour, every hour. It's high-speed trips to Los Angeles.

It's shuttle time.

Delta Air Lines announced Thursday September is the time to start offering hourly flights from SFO to LAX.

Sept. 3 is the opening date for 14 daily shuttle flights -- that's 14 flights each way, beginning at 7 a.m. -- from northern to southern California, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Compass Airlines will operate the shuttles on 76-passenger E-175 planes, smaller than your typical domestic airliner, the newspaper reported.

Shuttle service differs from normal airline service by allowing passengers to check in a half hour before taking off -- and there will also be free newspapers, Starbucks coffee and Sierra Nevada beer, the newspaper reported.

Delta is seeking to compete with carriers like Virgin America and Southwest, and also find a use for the $229 million upgrade of LAX's Terminal 5 that's scheduled for completion in 2015.