News Archive

Feel that frisson in the air?

The Globe Travel Awards nominations are open, and we're all abuzz with excitement. So, if we've flown above and beyond for you, please show the love and nominate us. 

Name us as your Best Trade-Friendly Brand and Best Long- Haul Airline using the link below.

Nominate us here
 

From 1st May 2025, we’re saying ‘aane’ to Accra, the bustling commercial capital of Ghana. As the second largest economy in Western Africa, Accra is a hotbed for networking as well as being an emerging player in the financial, IT and energy sectors. But Accra’s allure is far from all business, with a world of colour, flavour and culture awaiting beyond the meeting room. Daily direct flights from London Heathrow (LHR) to Kotoka International Airport (ACC) take off 1st May 2025 on our 787 Dreamliner aircraft,.

Flights are available to book from 12th September 2024.

We are excited to share the news that from September, Yann Stirton will expand his role as the Country Manager of West Africa. He currently looks after Nigeria, however, he will now oversee Ghana as we prepare to fly there from Summer 2025 onwards. In addition, we are thrilled to welcome Justin Bell as our new Country Manager for the Middle East, overseeing Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Justin is no stranger to our international operations as he previously led our efforts in Nigeria and supported our operations in Israel. He moves into the role from September, as we prepare for our flights to Riyadh from March 2025. 

We’re pleased to be launching a brand-new route between London Heathrow (LHR) and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) for 2025. Offering something for everyone, business-seekers, game-day supporters and coffee-lovers alike, our daily flights take off from 30th March 2025 on our A330 and A330neo aircraft. Iconic onboard social space, wireless charging, and stylish design touches make the 7 hour 50 minute journey even smoother.

Know more about our newest routes

From 2027 we will start taking orders of seven new Airbus A330-900s as we continue to fly one of the youngest and cleanest fleets across the sky. This will take us to 19 A330neos, designed to be 13% more fuel and carbon-efficient.  By 2028 we will have a mixture of 45 next-generation aircraft with an average age of just 6.4 years all offering efficiency, comfort, connectivity, and those special touches we are known for.

Learn moer about our fleet transformation

Join our VP of Sales, Luke Goggin, and Amy Stirling, who leads our New Business team, as they delve into Virgin Atlantic's exciting proposition for business travelers in this exclusive video. Discover the six pillars that define our commitment to providing an unparalleled experience for your corporate customers.

Watch the video here

After more than a year of radical collaboration with our consortium partners, Flight 100 flew from London Heathrow to JFK on 28 November 2023 - the world’s first commercial aircraft operating across the Atlantic on 100% SAF. Demonstrating that together we can achieve more than we can alone.

The flight did not require any engine, airframe, or fuel infrastructure changes, proving that 100% SAF is operationally achievable today, with equivalent safety standards to all our other flights. You can read the full executive summary of the results from this momentous flight by clicking the link below.

Flight 100 summary of results here

If your customers book a flight by 25 July to New York, Orlando or Los Angeles to fly in 2024, they will see their Flying Club balance sore, with Double Points.

Terms apply. Applicable to revennue bookings made by Flying Club members between 18th July 2024 and 25th July 2024. All cabins except Economy light are applicable in this offer. Selected routes are included in this offer (EDI-MCO, JFK-LHR, JFK-MAN, LAX-LHR, LHR-JFK, LHR-LAX, LHR-MCO, MAN-JFK, MAN-MCO, MCO-EDI, MCO-LHR, MCO-MAN). Offer is subject to availability. Taxes, fees, and charges apply. 

See Full Terms and Conditions here

On 10 June 2024, EL AL will join us to offer up to four daily flights between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv aswell as reciprocal earn and redemption opportunities for frequent flyers. This partnership complements our daily service between Heathrow and Tel Aviv which will resume on 5 September 2024.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines are the newest airline to join SkyTeam, which will open up new destinations, enhanced connectivity, and a more seamless, elevated customer journey for all travellers in the very near future.

And finally, a new codeshare with SkyTeam member Saudia has launched, in a move that will provide connectivity between Saudi Arabia and Virgin Atlantic destinations.  The first phase of the agreement, which is live now, means Virgin Atlantic customers travelling on flights from the US can purchase seamless onward connections through London Heathrow and Manchester, onto Saudia’s services to Jeddah and Riyadh. 

Read our Press Release here

On 10 June 2024, EL AL will join us to offer up to four daily flights between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv aswell as reciprocal earn and redemption opportunities for frequent flyers. This partnership complements our daily service between Heathrow and Tel Aviv which will resume on 5 September 2024.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines are the newest airline to join SkyTeam, which will open up new destinations, enhanced connectivity, and a more seamless, elevated customer journey for all travellers in the very near future.

And finally, a new codeshare with SkyTeam member Saudia has launched, in a move that will provide connectivity between Saudi Arabia and Virgin Atlantic destinations.  The first phase of the agreement, which is live now, means Virgin Atlantic customers travelling on flights from the US can purchase seamless onward connections through London Heathrow and Manchester, onto Saudia’s services to Jeddah and Riyadh. 

Read our Press Release here

From 12th September 2024 our check in location at Manchester Airport will move from Terminal 2, Zone A to Terminal 2, Zone E.

Twilight check in will be available in Zone E from the 11th September. 

Free parking is available for Twilight Check In - find out more

For the smoothest airport experience and to avoid the queues, customers should be encouraged to check in online and visit our self-serve area to print their tags and drop their bags at our fast bag drop.

Please note, timings are subject to change

Exciting news! We have been selected as a finalist in not just one, but two categories at this year's Business Travel Awards! Building upon our success from last year, we're back to defend our title as Travel Partner of the Year - Long-Haul Airline. Additionally, we're honoured to have been recognized with the Achievement in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion award. It's a testament to our ongoing commitment to excellence and inclusivity.

We are excited to announce a second daily service to Mumbai from 27 October 2024.

Customers will have a choice of five daily flights from London Heathrow to India. Having seen a remarkable 350% growth in capacity since 2019.

Flights are on sale now.

Find out more about Mumbai

We’ve always been more than just a way to get from A to B. We were born from a desire to bring back the joy of flying, and we’ve been that way ever since. So what’s the secret? It’s not rocket science (although we do that too). It’s about travelling like a VIP, no matter which cabin your customers are in. Being welcomed onboard and made to feel completely at home above the clouds.

That’s why in our Economy we positively encourage your customers to be choosy, with three different ways to fly. Pack light and pay less in Light, take a checked bag with more flex in Classic, or treat themselves to Premium check in, priority boarding, and a lovely extra legroom seat in Delight. Whichever they go for, there’ll be a warm welcome waiting for them when they get onboard, along with deliciously different dining, complimentary drinks and snacks, elevated entertainment, kid’s packs for the little ones, and all the little touches that make their flight that bit more special. It’s all included. Now you’re flying.

Learn more about Economy

We are pleased to share a new codeshare partnership agreement with Kenya Airways, a leading African airline and Kenya’s national carrier, connecting London Heathrow to Nairobi, Africa. 

In turn, Kenya Airways customers will soon have the opportunity to connect via London Heathrow to a number of Virgin Atlantic’s luxurious Caribbean destinations, including Barbados, The Bahamas, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Codeshare flights connecting London Heathrow to Africa, Jomo Kenyatta  International Airport in Nairobi are on sale from 19th March 2024. 

See the Press Release here

We’re excited to be gearing up to jet off to our newest year-round destination, Bengaluru. Taking off on 31 March, this will be our fourth daily service between London and India, complementing our well-established direct services to/from Mumbai and Delhi, and offering even more ways to connect seamlessly through London to the US and beyond.

Find out more about Bengaluru

We are thrilled to unveil our first Hot off the Hub video for 2024 where our VP of Sales, Luke Goggin and Head of International Liezl Gericke, showcase our latest triumph at Virgin Atlantic! 🚀 Join us as we launch flights to our newest destination – the amazing city of Bengaluru, India on 31 March and explore other exciting route expansions.

Watch now

We are delighted to announce a new codeshare agreement with China Eastern, providing greater access to London for more destinations throughout China and strengthening vital business and leisure connections between the two countries. The first phase of the agreement will allow customers from more destinations in China booking through China Eastern, to connect seamlessly onto our  Shanghai to Heathrow service on one ticket, including Chengdu, Changsha, Qingdao, Shenzhen and Xi’an.

Flights are on sale now for travel from 24 January 2024.

See the Press Release here

Yes, you heard correctly! Free parking is now offered to our flyers by the Manchester Airport Group, starting Monday 11 December 2023, if customers are dropping their bags off the day before their flight. They simply need to take a token at the car park barrier, proceed to Twilight Check-in and drop their bags off. The Virgin Atlantic check-in agent will validate their car park token and return it back to the customer. This token can then be used to exit the car park without a charge.

Where: Terminal 2 West Multi Storey Car Park

Open: Everyday from 16:00 – 20:00

Read more on flying from Manchester

We are delighted to announce our plans to increase capacity to our heartland in the USA. This includes a seventh daily flight to JFK, and together with our Joint venture partner Delta, will offer ten daily services to the Big Apple. And, we will also operate a second daily flight to Boston. Complementing Delta’s daily service, Boston will be served with three flights a day. 

Your customers on both departures will experience flying on our newest aircraft, the A330-900neo, and A350-1000. Upper-class passengers can also benefit from booking the A330-900neo innovative Retreat Suite, comprising of two spacious exclusive suites at the front of the Upper-Class cabin.

With our enhanced schedule we will now offer record departures to the USA with an average of 27 daily departures to popular destinations including Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa and Washington DC.  

Decarbonising aviation is one of the biggest challenges our industry has faced. It requires change at a scale that some say is too difficult, too complicated to make a reality. We disagree. At Virgin Atlantic we believe if we’re going to stand a chance at being successful, then we’ve got to do things differently.

That’s why on 28 November 2023, Flight100 will take to the skies. The first time 100% SAF has been flown in both engines, by a commercial airline across the Atlantic.

The countdown has begun. Join us on our socials on the 28th for real-time updates, or click on the link below to learn more

Read more about Flight100

Big news. If your customers are planning a trip to Las Vegas, they’ll soon be able to double down on their flight options, because we’re bringing back our popular ex-Manchester route. 

Whether they’re making it or spending it, money makes the world go round in Vegas. This neon-lit playground makes it easy to impress even the most discerning clients, with its cutting-edge conference venues, fine dining, dazzling entertainment and unforgettable views of the Strip. 

Our summer seasonal flights from Manchester join our daily Heathrow service from summer 2024, departing three times a week on our beautiful A350 aircraft. And they're ready to book right now.

We couldn’t be prouder to share that we’ve landed not only Travel Partner of the Year - Long-Haul Airline but also Achievement in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Business Travel Awards Europe 2023.
 
When we say we see the world differently, we mean it. The rich individuality of our customers and our people continues to set us apart, while seamless technology and special touches deliver a personalised and tailored service. We remain committed to offering your business travellers the very best product, both in the air and on the ground.
 
So from us to all our partners, thank you for recognising us. It really means the world.

We are excited to be able to share with you – Hot off the Hub our first global video update from Luke Goggin our Vice President of Sales. These quarterly updates are created with you in mind and are a step forward in keeping you, our valued partners updated.

Watch October's Hot off the Hub here. 

We are pleased to let you know that we’re expanding our fare combinability with Air France and KLM across a range of overlapping routes, including all Virgin Atlantic destinations in Middle East, Africa, and India. This increases flexibility for travellers by offering schedules across all three airlines and therefore offering additional itinerary combinations.

This is not only great for you as it makes ticketing easy, but it also offers customers a seamless round-trip journey with each airline and the convenience of baggage checked all the way through to their final destination. 

From 29 October we will be moving from Terminal 2 at Shanghai Pudong (PVG) International Airport, to our new home at Terminal 1. Our first flight arriving at Terminal 1 will be flight VS250 which departs London Heathrow on 28 October and arrives into Shanghai on 29 October.

See our Shanghai airport guide here >

We’ve got some exciting updates and loads to celebrate. We are adding additional flights to Barbados meaning we will be flying twice a day, every day from 10 January 2024.

And from Summer next year we see double daily flights to Miami and from Winter 2024, a daily Dubai service.

 There’s never been a better time to explore the world with us.

We are excited to let you know that our flights between São Paulo and London Heathrow are set to go on sale from 6 September.  Our new route will fly daily from 13 May 2024 and the 11 hr and 55 min flight will operate on a Boeing 787 aircraft. This is our first-ever route to the South American continent.  

One of the most populous cities in the world, São Paulo is home to multinational businesses, providing corporate customers and business travellers the opportunity to fly in Virgin Atlantic style. The city is famed as the foodie capital of Brazil, a bustling city offering a bounty of arts and cultural experiences, which will enthral experience hungry leisure travellers.  

São Paulo is considered the gateway to South America and is a key hub in Brazil for Virgin Atlantic’s codeshare partner and South America’s largest airline, LATAM. The partnership provides customers with onward connections to over 50 destinations in South America, including Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Florianopolis as well as offering loyalty accruals and the recently launched redemption options for Flying Club members. Virgin Atlantic’s SkyTeam alliance partner, Aerolineas Argentinas, provides seamless connections from Sao Paulo to Buenos Aires where our Flying Club passengers can also earn and redeem their points. Additionally, Virgin Atlantic customers will be able to travel extensively throughout Brazil connecting onward with GOL and Azul. 

Customers travelling from São Paulo to London Heathrow will have the option to smoothly connect onto Virgin Atlantic’s rest of world destinations through Terminal 3 – home of the airline’s award-winning Clubhouse -– including Tel Aviv, Delhi, Mumbai and Shanghai. 
 

We are looking forward to welcoming our mutual customers on board soon. 

This month we welcome Luke Goggin, our new Vice President of Sales.

Luke joins us after an 11 year career at British Airways where most recently he was the Head of UK and Ireland Sales and Global Accounts.

Please join us in wishing Luke much success in his role here at Virgin Atlantic.

We’re excited that along with Rolls-Royce we have announced the successful Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blend ground test on the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine.

The test marks a key milestone in the project which will see the world’s first 100% SAF flight travel across the Atlantic from London Heathrow to New York JFK on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, set to take off on 28 November 2023.

In addition to the test, fuel suppliers Air bp and Virent have been announced to supply the 60 tonnes of SAF to be used in the world first, supporting consortium research, testing and the flight itself. The SAF will be produced through the Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) pathway as well as synthetic aromatic kerosene (SAK) SAF at an 88% and 12% blend ratio.

We are committed to finding more sustainable ways to fly on our mission to Net Zero 2050. Already operating one of the most fuel and carbon efficient fleets across the Atlantic, this flight builds on our 15-year track record for leading on SAF.   Demonstrating that through radical collaboration, the industry can deliver 100% SAF in today’s engine, airframes and fuel infrastructure for long haul flights.

We'll keep you updated on this exciting project that is not only making history, but is a huge step towards net zero and showcasing the potential of SAF - creating jobs and helping to grow our economy. 

We’re delighted to announce that Marc Harding has been appointed as the Country Manager for South Africa.

Marc has been with Virgin Atlantic for an impressive 23 years and has held various positions in both the operations and commercial departments across Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Throughout his career, Marc has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a strong commitment to the success of our company. He has been recognised with numerous accolades and awards, including the prestigious Global Sales Person of the Year in 2019.

Marc’s enthusiasm and energy will be a real asset to the region as he looks to build on the impressive success of the South African team. 

We’re delighted to announce that Yann Stirton has just been appointed as our new Country Manager for Nigeria.

Yann brings over a decade of experience to his new role, having held various positions within Virgin Atlantic - most recently as corporate sales development lead working closely with our joint venture partners Delta.

Yann’s expertise and strategic mindset will contribute hugely to the growth and success of our Nigerian operations, and we know his passion, warmth and energy will drive business forward in this key market.

We are delighted to introduce you to our newly formed team who are looking forward to talking with you and putting a fresh focus on how your travellers can get the most out of flying with Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines.

Our warm, one-to-one, world class team can offer support about our products and routes, set you up with the right tools to book flights or sign you up to bluebiz which sets the standard in corporate loyalty and is specifically for companies who want their business travel to run smoothly while earning free tickets.

Whether you are a brand-new customer to us or have been a partner for a while but want to talk about Virgin Atlantic for Business then our team would love to talk to you.

Meet our team below and find out how you can contact them here.

We’re excited to announce that we've launched a new suite of 21.3 NDC APIs and our new VS NDC Connect Portal – your one-stop shop for everything related to Virgin Atlantic’s NDC to help with your build. 

Our partner-friendly portal is designed with you in mind, it offers you a range of resources to help make bookings for your customers a breeze. These include NDC Registration, Technical and Operational Support for NDC bookings, NDC Technical Documentation, NDC Roadmap and more – everything you need to register, build, certify, and go live with our VS NDC Connect product.

Register here today and gain instant access to our NDC APIs.

We’re starting up our engines for India’s startup capital – Bengaluru. As well as being a hotbed for business, it’s a beautiful garden city brimming with colour, culture and creativity.

Bengaluru will be our fourth daily service to India, complementing our long-established services to Mumbai and Delhi, as well as our growing codeshare with IndiGo, which covers 34 destinations across India. 

Flights take off daily from the end of March, 2024.

Next up, our daily flights to Sao Paolo, Brazil - home of samba, caipirinhas, beaches, beautiful natural wonders and rich architectural history.

The first flight takes off May 2024, and we can’t wait to take customers to a new city, a new country, and a whole new continent.

Big news. If your customers are planning a trip to Las Vegas, they’ll soon be able to double down on their flight options, because we’re bringing back our popular ex Manchester route.

Whether they’re making it or spending it, money makes the world go round in Vegas. This neon - lit playground makes it easy to impress even the most discerning clients, with its cutting-edge conference venues, fine dining, dazzling entertainment and unforgettable views of the Strip.

Our summer seasonal A350 flights from Manchester join our daily Heathrow service from 3^rd June 2024, departing three times a week.

Hold on to your bottomless brunch, because we’re headed to the Middle Eastern city of souks, sand, sun, and really really tall skyscrapers, Dubai.

Your customers can relax in the lap of luxury, enjoying the magnificent hotels, perfectly pristine beaches, and finest dining in the world… or adventure into the desert for a spot of high-octane dune bashing.

Our brand new direct 787 service from London Heathrow will operate four times a week from 28 October 2023.

Either way, they’ll be going big – before they go home. Flights from Manchester to Las Vegas and London to Dubai are available to book from 7th June.

Variety is the spice of life. So why should your customers choose between Caribbean islands (including the Isle of spice itself, Grenada) when they can explore more?

It’s now possible to book travel between Barbados, Grenada and St Vincent with Virgin Atlantic, and enjoy the warm, welcoming service and brilliant inflight entertainment we’re known for – travel sized!  

Flying Club members can even earn and spend points flying between the islands, just like they do on our international services.

This service begins June 2024, twice a week on our A330 aircraft, en route to and from the UK.

Our partnership with Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM expands our network reach to 375 destinations. This summer, with more than 106 daily departures from our airline hubs in London, Paris and Amsterdam, new nonstop flights and better connectivity via our US gateways, there has never been more choice to North America.

There will be even more choice from London Heathrow to the West Coast this summer when Delta launches a new direct flight to Los Angeles. We have Florida covered with flights from Heathrow to Miami, Orlando and a recently launched route to Tampa. A new flight from London Gatwick to New York-JFK has been launched and we’re boosting regional departures from Manchester and Edinburgh with a total of 15 destinations served nonstop from the UK.

Have customers in continental Europe? We offer a wide range of choice for non-stop US connections from our joint venture hubs in Amsterdam and Paris.

Whichever airline customers choose to fly, they’ll be looked after at every step of their journey. With complementary schedules, coordinated bag handling and co-located departures and arrivals in Amsterdam, Paris and London which makes connecting a breeze. No matter which cabins your customers choose, the high standards and warm hospitality will always be the same. From afternoon tea to fresh baked cookies, the latest entertainment to inflight WiFi, it’s always an experience.

Check out the network map to see where our airlines can take you and your customers.

We, along with our partners Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM look forward to welcoming your customers onboard soon. 

From 31 May, your customers can get their trip off to a flying start as they can have their passport checked, bags dropped and boarding pass in hand the evening before their flight – yes Twilight Check In is back for those flying from Manchester.

Twilight Check In is available for all flights departing the following day from Manchester, every evening from 4pm to 8pm. And if they are looking to treat themselves, they can ask about upgrades too.

All customers travelling must be there to check in, with their own passports. And if they have any buggies or strollers to be tagged on the day of travel, or require special assistance, they need to remember to come back to the desks before they head to departures.

We have announced a long-term partnership with Guide Dogs which aims to create a more inclusive air travel experience for those with sight loss. 

Guide Dogs will provide each cabin crew member with online resources incorporated into their wider training programme, in a bid to improve accessibility for those travelling with sight loss.

Guide Dogs’ training aims to support customers by teaching our crew best practices when helping those with visual impairments and covers topics from how to approach someone with sight loss, to navigating narrow or busy spaces, stairs, steps, and doorways, to taking a seat. They’ll also focus on the best position on the aircraft for guide dogs to rest on their long journeys. 

We have launched our new Spring/Summer menu across all cabins from 5^th April, with a selection of mouth-watering dishes. 

New additions to the Upper Class menu include lobster and crab tortellini, vegetarian poke bowl and a classic Pimms summer pudding. The extra bites menu takes the spotlight, as the airline introduces a club sandwich, filled with applewood cheese, house slaw and seasonal leaves on brown bread served with salted crisps. An appetising aloo tikki is also available, with pepper pakora with tomato and onion salad, accompanied by sweet tomato and chilli chutney. A tempting new strawberries and cream flavour of Northern Bloc ice cream will also join the menu, transporting customers to sunshine.

We will also fly the renowned rosé, Whispering Angel, for six months from 5^th April. Upper Class customers will be able to truly relax with a chilled glass of Côtes de Provence, taking in the evocative flavours of grapefruit and citrus. From the same date, Upper Class customers will also be able to sip on teapigs peach iced tea, a refreshing and all-natural blend of juicy peach with teapigs’ black tea base, the ultimate iced tea.

Premium customers will have a tough time choosing between delectable chicken pie and spinach & ricotta tortellini with sage butter sauce, roasted pumpkin and caper panko crumb. A heavenly passionfruit and mango cheesecake garnished with coconut is on offer for dessert. Honey barbecue chicken thigh with Portuguese rice and steamed vegetables will be served in Economy alongside a farfalle pasta in a spinach ricotta cheese and roasted garlic sauce.

And as we are not one to miss a celebration, so the King’s Coronation will be marked momentously. Customers in Upper Class on 6^th May will be welcomed with a mini bottle of Lanson Black Label champagne, what better way to toast to the new King! From 6^th-8^th May, customers in all cabins on flights departing the UK for the US and Caribbean will be treated to a packet of specially created Joe & Seph’s Kings Coronation raspberry and white chocolate coated popcorn.

The commemorations don’t stop there, as we will also be flying a special Mile High Tea in Upper Class and Premium over the weekend in honour of King Charles. It will include three finger sandwiches with fillings of dill cream cheese and roasted peppers, cheddar cheese, pickle and mixed leaf and vegetarian coronation chickpea. Sweet treats include a warm scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and a trio of mini patisseries; a raspberry and rosewater macaroon, a calisson white chocolate and earl grey ganache, and a red, white and blue Battenburg. 

Last but not least, we are delighted to announce a fresh food partnership with Full Circle Farms, who from July will be supplying fresh produce to our London Heathrow Clubhouse. The community farm brings small scale, regenerative farming processes to West Sussex and will provide a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs to the airline’s renowned Clubhouse menu. Not only is the Full Circle Farms pioneering leading processes to ensure no pesticides or herbicides are used, but they are also run by community volunteers who use the farm as therapy. People working on the estate range from those with autism who are gaining their farming qualifications to veterans with PTSD who have been prescribed farm work by their doctors.

There is something for everyone to enjoy as we warmly welcome back Spring and Summer days. These delightful onboard and Clubhouse additions will be sure to start off customers’ holidays as they mean to go on, full of satisfying food, served by the best teams on the ground and in the skies.   

As we move into our Summer flying season, there are a few changes for Summer 2023 to highlight:

• Our second daily TLV rotation (VS457/458) will also commence at the start of S23 and will maintain a daily frequency throughout the season. Ideal to enhance our connections, the outbound flight departs LHR at 0820L, meaning we can connect customers from inbound flights such as JNB, JFK, IAD and ATL.

• We’re restarting our LHR-PVG route on 1st May, more than 850 days since we paused passenger flying there due to the pandemic.

• Our joint venture flying is strengthened with the resumption of our sixth daily LHR-JFK rotation from the end of March, operating daily for the full duration of the summer season. MIA2 also continuing, which have proven extremely popular for passengers and cargo.

• Regionally, our network is also ramping up during S23; MAN-JFK starts at 5x weekly before increasing to daily in early June. MAN-ATL resumes on June 1st with daily flights, MAN-MCO and EDI-MCO resumes twice weekly from 21st June.

• From 12th May, our ANU route switches from 4x weekly non-stop to/from LHR, to 1x weekly tag from our BGI Caribbean hub, each Friday, for the remainder of the S23 season. ANU direct services will be back in W23 season.

• As previously announced, we're unfortunately withdrawing from Pakistan, with our final LHE departure on 1st May and our final ISB departure on 9th July.
  

• Ahmedabad (AMD)
• Allahabad (IXD)
• Amritsar (ATQ)
• Bagdogra (IXB)
• Bangalore (BLR)
• Bhopal (BHO)
• Bhubaneshwar (BBI)
• Chandigarh (IXC)
• Chennai (MAA)
• Coimbatore (CJB)
• Goa (GOI) & (GOX)
• Guwahati GAU
• Gwalior GWL
• Hyderabad (HYD)
• Indore (IDR)
• Jaipur (JAI)
• Jabalpur (JLR)
• Jammu (IXJ)
• Jodhpur (JDH)
• Kanpur (KNU)
• Kochi (COK)
• Kolkata (CCU)
• Leh (IXL)
• Lucknow (LKO)
• Nagpur (NAG)
• Patna (PAT)
• Pune (PNQ)
• Raipur (RPR)
• Ranchi (IXR)
• Srinagar (SXR)
• Surat (STV)
• Vadodara (BDQ)
• Varanasi (VNS)
• Vizag (VTZ)

Read more about our partnership here.

The first phase of the agreement, which launched on 25 March, will allow customers booking through Virgin Atlantic the opportunity to travel directly to Incheon Airport, in South Korea’s capital, Seoul.  By June customers will be able to connect onwards from Seoul to a variety of destinations throughout Japan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. 

The codeshare with Korean Air is a first step towards Virgin Atlantic's entry to Seoul and is set to enhance the airline’s network in Asia.  From May, services to Shanghai, China will resume, alongside an expanded codeshare with IndiGo throughout India and beyond.

Korean Air is one of the founding members of the SkyTeam alliance, of which Virgin Atlantic joined earlier this month.  Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members will be able to take advantage of SkyPriority services at Seoul Incheon, including priority check in, baggage handling and boarding. 

Destinations available for onward connections;

Say hello to the new face of corporate travel, that embraces the dynamism of business today. It's about making sure that every traveller has their personal needs met, as well as their business ones, and recognising and empowering our partners with the right content, tools and support, whenever you need it.

Say hello to SkyTeam

We fly direct to incredible places. But if there’s somewhere on your customers wander list that we can’t take them to, we want them to have the best kind of journey all the way there. And that’s where our SkyTeam partners swoop in.

SkyTeam is a global partnership of like-minded airlines, working together to power the most seamless travel experience, no matter where in the world your customers are heading or the connections they make to get there.

It opens up a huge network of over 1000 destinations, And if your customer is a member of our Flying Club, they’ll be able to earn and redeem Virgin Points when they fly with any airline in the SkyTeam family. The sky’s the limit.

Seamless travel, joined up benefits

With SkyTeam, you can book their entire trip on a single ticket, with baggage checked all the way through to their final destination. with extra benefits like priority boarding, extra baggage allowance, lounge access and more.

Tier benefits

If your customer is a Flying Club Gold member, they'll enjoy Elite Plus status when flying with any SkyTeam airline. Flying Club Silver members will have access to Elite benefits.

Lounge access

Flying Club Gold members and members travelling in First and Business Class on SkyTeam airlines can access more than 750 lounges worldwide.

SkyPriority

As part of SkyTeam, members have access to the time-saving service SkyPriority. Available at more than 970 airports worldwide for all Flying Club members when flying in Business or First on SkyTeam member airlines and for Gold members in any cabin.

Customers simply need to keep an eye out for the red SkyPriority signs which guide them through airports with speed and ease. From priority check-in, boarding and baggage handling, to priority lanes at ticket offices, transfer desks, security and immigration – it’s all seamless*

*For Red & Silver Flying Club members, where SkyPriority benefits are not part of SkyTeam Elite benefits, they can enjoy them if they fly in Business Class or First Class with a SkyTeam airline.

Who we are

*AeroMexico

*Aerolineas Argentinas

*Air Europa

*Air France

*China Airlines

*China Eastern

*Czech Airlines

*Delta Air Lines

*Garuda Indonesia

*ITA Airways

*Kenya Airways

*KLM

*Korean Air

*Middle Eastern Airlines

*Saudia

*Tarom

*Vietnam Airlines

*Xiamen Air

It’s been a long time since we last looked down on Shanghai ‘s iconic Lujiazui skyline through the parting clouds, but at last, we’re back. And we can’t wait to welcome customers onboard and take them off on new adventures. Whether it’s for business, study, reuniting with friends and family, or just a completely different change of scene, we’re ready to fly them in style between London Heathrow and Shangai.

This is a milestone for us here at Virgin Atlantic as this route is the final to return following the global pandemic and now sees our full flying programme restored.

Our daily direct flights begin again on 01 May 2023 and are on sale now.

Operating a Boeing 787-9 our mutual customers will have the choice of our three beautiful cabins: Upper Class, Premium or Economy.

Our Flying Schedule looks like this:

schedule subject to government approval 

We’re absolutely thrilled to let you know that in 2023 we will be flying to two idyllic islands, the Maldives and Turks & Caicos.

We will be offering a winter seasonal three-times weekly service to the Maldives from London Heathrow. Flights will go on sale on 30 November 2022 with the first heading to this beautiful island on 22 October 2023. And a year-round twice weekly service to the Turks & Caicos which will go on sale from 11 January 2023 , for flights to start on 15 November 2023 from London Heathrow. 

Operating our Boeing 787-900 aircraft to both destinations, boasting 31 Upper Class, 35 Premium and 192 Economy Delight, Classic and Light seats, we can't wait to welcome our mutual customers onboard as they escape to their very own slice of utopia. 

We’ve changed our uniform code to give our crew, pilot and ground teams the option to choose which of our iconic uniforms, designed by Vivienne Westwood, best represents them. 

This policy reflects the diversity of our workforce and it’s complemented by the roll out of optional pronoun badges for our people and those travelling with us, as well as inclusivity training for our people and the partners we work with in destinations, alongside a series of other industry-leading inclusivity initiatives for our people.  

At Virgin Atlantic, we believe that everyone can take on the world, no matter who they are or how they identify. That’s why it’s so important we champion the individuality of our people and customers, enabling them to be their true selves at work and when flying with us.  

Find out more about our inclusivity commitments here. 

The SkyTeam Alliance is a global partnership of  airlines, working together to provide customers with seamless travel to over 1,000 destinations. ​

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Globally connected​
This powerful team of airlines serves more than 170 countries, six continents, more than 10,000 flight departures every day, and more than 341 million passengers every year. SkyTeam is dedicated to providing the most seamless customer journey of any global alliance.​

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Mutually rewarding ​
Customers will have more opportunities to earn and redeem points across  member airlines and access a network of 750 airport lounges across the world. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members will enjoy benefits across every airline that’s a member of SkyTeam. Silver members will be recognised as SkyTeam Elite, and Gold members will be recognised as Sky Team Elite Plus. Depending on their tier, customers will be able to access priority boarding, extra baggage allowance, lounge access and much more.​

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Who we are​

• Aeromexico
• Aerolineas Argentinas, 
• Air Europa
• Air France
• China Airlines
• China Eastern
• Czech Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Garuda Indonesia
• ITA Airways
• Kenya Airways
• KLM
• Korean Air
• Middle Eastern Airlines
• Saudia
• Tarom
• Vietnam Airlines
• Xiamen Air

We've got great news. We’ve just announced a new codeshare partnership with India’s biggest airline IndiGo, making it really simple to connect to seven additional cities via Delhi and Mumbai, and a total of sixteen destinations later in the year.

Our new codeshare with IndiGo is a brilliant addition to our network of airline partners, with flights that line up neatly with ours, coordinated bag handling, and even more opportunity to earn Virgin Points with Flying Club.

The first flight is on 27th September 2022* and goes on sale through your GDS later this week. 

Virgin Atlantic, Air France, KLM, and Delta Air Lines share a passion for elevating the customer’s experience both in-flight and before their trip.  That’s why the industry-leading Transatlantic joint venture airline partners have collaboratively developed innovative Display Guidelines

The new Joint Display Guidelines are designed to elevate product displays in indirect channels.  These guidelines outline expectations and requirements to offer the B2B community a unique opportunity to innovate the user experience by ensuring consistency across channels, transparency of product attributes, and a full choice of all products.

Applying the new Joint Display Guidelines to shopping displays will continue to build mutual customer trust by ensuring that fares, products, and features are displayed clearly and accurately across all channels.

We will distribute the joint Display Guidelines by September 2022, representing Virgin Atlantic and Air France, KLM in Europe, the United Kingdom, Africa, the Middle East, and India. Our partners Delta Air Lines will be sharing the same with United States, Canada, and Mexico.  

You may recall that we shared the Virgin Atlantic Display Standards back in 2019 and these joint guidelines will supersede those.

If you have any questions about this, please contact us using our Get in Touch form, or your Account Manager. 

We want all our mutual customers to love their experience when they fly with us and recognise that many of them have their favourite place in the cabin. Therefore, we are delighted to let you know that we are extending our preferred seating to Premium customers, giving them more choice and control so they can select a location that suits their individual preference in our award-winning cabin. 

From 23 August 2022 there’ll be a fee to select some seats in Premium, such as rows towards the front of the plane and these will only be able to be booked through our website. Other Premium seats will still be available to select for free at any time before departure.

Before the fee is introduced, we would like to give your customers booked in Premium the opportunity to select one of these preferred seat types for free, these can be booked in the normal way up until the new policy is in place.

The seat allocation policy for all other ticket types remains unchanged.

And our Flying Club Gold, Delta Diamond and Platinum members and our corporate customers can select a Premium Preferred seat free of charge from time of booking as they do today for Economy seats.

Saying hello to a new aircraft is a big deal for us. It’s so much more than wings, engines and paint. It’s years of hard work and collaboration between so many teams. It’s inspiration and innovation. It’s research, design, and testing. It’s people who are passionate about improving every aspect of travel.

Our new A330neo is the perfect example of how we reimagine onboard experiences and lead the way with fresh ideas. We've put our heart and soul into creating something brilliantly different from the tiniest details, like the colour of the seat stitching, to bigger game changers like reducing carbon emissions by 11%.

Our award-winning social space, the Loft, is an exclusive spot for our Upper Class customers to come together. With space for eight people, and four comfy seats, your customers can sit and chat, grab a drink from the self-service fridge-freezer, connect  Bluetooth headphones to the panoramic touchscreens – or just enjoy a change of scene mid-flight.

And that’s not all, The Retreat Suite in Upper Class is a beautiful new addition to Upper Class, situated at the front of the cabin, with lots of extra space, huge storage, bigger screens, and the ability to create a private onboard social space. Up to four people can comfortably dine, chat or work. Just raise the electronic divider between the seats and close the door for full privacy. It’s your customers space to travel the way they choose.

And that's not all, here's some cabin highlights at a glance:

Watch our video here and discover more about our A330neo.

We’re so excited to announce the launch of a brand new direct service between London Heathrow and Tampa Florida.

Flights to TPA start on 3^rd November* , and they’re on sale from 13^th July 2022.

+1 denotes next day arrival

*Flight schedule is subject to change without notice.

The new year-round Florida service will initially fly four times a week before increasing to daily from 28th November, complementing our up to four daily flights to Orlando and double daily flights to Miami.

Offering more than 190,000 seats each year, we will be the only airline to directly connect Tampa with the London hub airport, London Heathrow. 

Both Virgin Atlantic and joint venture partner Delta Air Lines, look forward to launching this new service offering even more connectivity for customers travelling between the UK and the US.”

We hate to blow our own trumpet, but proudly we want to share with you that on the 14th March 2022, we were granted ‘Airline Retailing Maturity’ status as an Airline, under the Airline Retailing Maturity (ARM) index program. This status recognises that we use Shop capabilities which are compliant with the standard Enhanced and Simplified Distribution message schema, version 18.1 and the ARM index Capabilities Verification Guidance.

Our new ARM status replaces our previous IATA Level 3 Capability status. But what does this actually mean? I hear you ask. The Airline Retailing Maturity index allows us to be more agile with technical development and capability releases. So, instead of gathering and releasing one large update to our website at proposed intervals, we now have the flexibility to make changes as and when they are required.

This has no impact to our mutual customer’s, it just helps us behind the scenes and recognises our NDC capabilities that we have worked so hard to achieve. 

Making it easy to explore South America 

We are delighted to announce a new codeshare agreement with LATAM Airlines offering our mutual customers the opportunity to fly seamlessly to the South American country of Brazil.

Customers booking onto the new codeshare flights are now able to travel from London Heathrow direct to São Paulo as well as connecting onwards to 12 domestic airports in Brazil including Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Florianopolis.

This also means for any of your customers travelling from São Paulo to London Heathrow, they will have the option to smoothly connect onto the rest of our world destinations through Terminal 3 including Tel Aviv, Delhi and Hong Kong.

Check out the new adventures that await your customers, flights are on sale now and can be seen in your GDS.

A big Welcome back for our Revivals Lounge

There is nothing better for your customers than re-energising after a long overnight flight. With a power shower and a cup of coffee, they'll be ready for their day ahead. 

The lounge is available on arrival for eligible passengers, including Flying Club Gold members, Upper Class and Delta One customers.

Find out more about our Revivals Lounge here. 

Howdy Austin

We’re so excited to announce the launch of a brand new direct service from London Heathrow to Austin, Texas four times a week. This buzzy, brilliant city is the capital of the Lone Star State, a perfect spot for a city break with a difference. It is also home to a mix of industries, making it big on business.

Tuck into some proper barbecue food, tour vineyards and try some Texan wine (yes, really), two-step to live music in a genuine Western bar, explore beaches, canyons and mountains, even learn how to be a cowboy on a real ranch. And, the state is home to multiple industries from computer and electronic goods to motor vehicle and parts, and the production of food and beverages. Everything’s bigger in Texas, and that includes the adventures and business opportunities that are waiting.

This service will operate on our Boeing 787-9 aircraft boasting 31 Upper Class, 35 Premium and 192 Economy Delight, Classic and Light seats.

Flights to Austin start on 25^th May 2022, and they’ll be on sale from 12 January.

EasyPay, a simple way to pay for tickets

With the excitement of the new year, comes the excitement of a new, easy way to pay for your customers tickets for travel on Virgin Atlantic.

IATA EasyPay is a secure, flexible e-wallet which you can top up and pay for tickets* as you issue them. It is available to all accredited agents, so providing you have an IATA EasyPay account with funds available this service is free and simple to use.

With increased choice, flexibility and convenience this payment method allows IATA to settle EasyPay amounts to airlines daily, and can be used in addition to the traditional BSP cash and card options. You will also be able to void and refund your IATA EasyPay transactions as usual through the BSP.

Interested in getting an EasyPay account? Get started here.

Before customers fly, they may need to present evidence of a negative Covid-19 test and/or proof of fully vaccinated status. To make this easier, we’ve partnered with TrustAssure™ to enable them to upload and pre-verify these documents in advance, before you travel to the airport. By confirming Virgin Atlantic FlyReady status in ‘My booking’, our customers will have a smoother check in and boarding experience at the airport.

Virgin Atlantic FlyReady status will show airline agents that travellers have met the test or vaccination requirements for their destination, but they should still bring original test and/or vaccination certificates with them and complete any other entry documents, such as US attestation form or UK Passenger Locator Form. You can find more info on the travel requirements for the US and UK here.

Using FlyReady is entirely optional, and currently only available to customers aged 18 and above. The tool supports a smooth and streamlined airport experience, with important documentation approved in advance. Limited personal information will be securely shared with TrustAssure™, such as name and date of birth, as well as flight details for verification purposes. This will include information about others in the booking too, so that we can check everyone is eligible for Virgin Atlantic FlyReady.

TrustAssure™ will let us know whether test results or vaccine certificates have been approved for travel to their destination, but will not share these documents with us, or any other personal health information.

Most importantly, we want our mutual customers to have a hassle-free journey, knowing that they’ll fly safe and well with us.

Please note:

• Customers travelling as part of a group (9 adult passengers or less), to use the FlyReady Check In desk, all members of the travelling party must have pre-verified documents.

• As children under 18 are currently unable to use FlyReady, families should proceed to the documentation checkpoint at the airport, even in circumstances where the adults on the booking have completed the FlyReady process.

• Customers using proof of recovery from Covid-19 in the previous 90 days as their health credential to travel to the US, instead of a pre-departure test, should present this at the airport as it’s not possible yet to pre-verify this through FlyReady.

From 10 December, Virgin Atlantic customers at Los Angeles Airport (LAX) can enjoy a streamlined customer experience as we've temporarily moved our full operation, including check in, into the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT), from our usual home in Terminal 2.

To support a better customer experience during ongoing construction work, Virgin Atlantic will relocate to the world-class TBIT (also known as Terminal B) with check-in, Lounge access and gates all located within the spacious terminal which also boasts a variety of shops and restaurants.

Check-in is located at A, near security, providing an easy transition from check-in to security. 

As part of the terminal change, eligible customers have access to the Star Alliance Lounge at LAX, in partnership with codeshare partner, Air New Zealand, which operates the lounge. The lounge is available to Upper Class passengers, with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold members welcomed from 17 December.

The Star Alliance Lounge has many amenities including , including spacious areas to work, dine or relax, shower suites, plus a serviced bar with complimentary cocktails and refreshments along with a noodle bar . There is a quiet, library room and plenty of seating throughout the lounge.  Or, customers can relax on the outdoor terrace complete with fire pits and a water wall.y

It is a short walk from the Star Alliance Lounge to the Virgin Atlantic gate.  Lounge to gate in 5 minutes.