Virgin – The News Desk

Virgin Atlantic launches Bengaluru route and goes double daily on Mumbai – Business Traveller

4Apr

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Virgin Atlantic launches Bengaluru route and goes double daily on Mumbai – Business Traveller

Virgin Atlantic is increasing its services to India, launching a new route to Bengaluru and confirming a second daily service to Mumbai from October 2024. While Virgin celebrates its 40th anniversary in June, next year will mark another milestone – 25 years of operations to India. The airline added that it will offer over one million seats to the country from 2025, representing a 350 per cent capacity growth since 2019. The Bengaluru route was first announced in June 2023, with the carrier aiming to meet burgeoning business travel demand from India’s Silicon Valley as well as connecting families, friends and students. Virgin competes with British Airways’ existing daily service, while Air India is also set to launch a route from Gatwick in May. Business Traveller flew with Virgin Atlanti...

Virgin to increase flights to Dubai, the Maldives and Barbados for winter 2024 – Business Traveller

23Dec

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Virgin to increase flights to Dubai, the Maldives and Barbados for winter 2024 – Business Traveller

Virgin Atlantic has announced plans to boost its routes to Dubai, the Maldives and Barbados next winter. The carrier launched thrice weekly flights from Heathrow to the Maldives in October, and said it would increase this service to daily for the winter 2024-2025 season. Meanwhile Virgin’s route between Heathrow and Dubai – which resumed in October after a four-year hiatus – will also increase to daily next winter. Finally the carrier’s flights to Barbados – which first launched in 2017 – will operate twice daily from Heathrow throughout winter 2024, in addition to a four-times-weekly service from Manchester. The new frequencies were set to go on sale today (Saturday 23 December, 2023), with daily flights between London and Dubai operating from 26 October, 2024, Heathrow-Barbados operati...

Virgin Atlantic to increase flights from Heathrow to Boston and JFK – Business Traveller

14Dec

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Virgin Atlantic to increase flights from Heathrow to Boston and JFK – Business Traveller

Virgin Atlantic has outlined plans to increase capacity on its key US routes from London Heathrow to Boston and New York JFK next summer. The carrier will operate seven daily flights to JFK for summer 2024, as well as offering a twice-daily service to Boston. Virgin highlighted that when combined with flights operated by its joint venture partner Delta, the two airlines would offer a total of ten daily flights between Heathrow and New York JFK, and three daily services between Heathrow and Boston. The new frequencies will be served by Virgin’s newest A330-900neo and A350-1000 aircraft. The carrier will operate an average of 27 daily departures to the US next summer, including a new seasonal service between Manchester and Las Vegas. However as previously reported Virgin is dropping its fl...

Virgin Atlantic launches merchandising range – Business Traveller

8Dec

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Virgin Atlantic launches merchandising range – Business Traveller

Virgin Atlantic has launched what it is calling its inaugural travel and lifestyle range, in collaboration with British designers Fenella Smith and Oliver Co. Items include a t-shirt in navy blue depicting artwork from the first Virgin Atlantic A330neo aircraft ‘Billie Holiday’, with the registration G-VJAZ on the sleeve. The t-short costs £35 for UK home delivery, or £29.17 for Duty Free inflight delivery. There are also sweatshirts in cream and navy blue, depicting Rain Bow and Queen of the Skies designs, costing £70 for home delivery or £58.33 for Duty Free inflight. Other items include a Fenella Smith flight bag (£95/£79.17) or travel tote bag (£90/£75), an Oliver Co passport holder (£70/£58.33), travel wallet (£90/£75) and bag tag (£40/£33.33), and a pack of playing cards (£12/£10)....

Virgin Atlantic to fly 100 per cent SAF transatlantic flight – Business Traveller

29Nov

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Virgin Atlantic to fly 100 per cent SAF transatlantic flight – Business Traveller

Virgin Atlantic is set to operate the first transatlantic flight powered by 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner departed London Heathrow for New York JFK International at 1130, under the label ‘Flight100’. Commercial aircraft are currently limited to a maximum blend of 50 per cent SAF and 50 per cent conventional jet fuel, but this flight will mark the first time that a commercial airline has operated a 100 per cent SAF-fuelled transatlantic flight. Virgin aims to prove that SAF is a “safe drop-in replacement for fossil derived jet fuel”, meaning that it can be used on the current engines and aircraft. The SAF used on this flight will be a blend of 88 per cent hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) and 12 per cent synthetic aromatic ker...

Virgin Australia orders more 737 Max aircraft – Business Traveller

28Nov

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Virgin Australia orders more 737 Max aircraft – Business Traveller

Virgin Australia has increased its pipeline of new Boeing 737 Max family aircraft, with six more Max 8s scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2024, bringing the airline’s total number of Max 8s to 14 and total planned latest generation aircraft to 39 units. The newest addition to the fleet, ‘Bronte Beach’, arrived in the airline’s home city of Brisbane last week from the US. The 11 remaining Max 8 aircraft are expected to arrive throughout 2024, equating to the delivery of one new aircraft almost every month next year, enabling both growth and improved fuel efficiency. The new Max 8 aircraft will reduce emissions by at least 15 per cent per flight compared to older generation 737s, supporting the airline’s 2030 ambition of reducing carbon emissions intensity by 22 per cent and ...

Virgin Atlantic’s Black Friday deals include 33 per cent off reward seat redemptions – Business Traveller

24Nov

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Virgin Atlantic’s Black Friday deals include 33 per cent off reward seat redemptions – Business Traveller

Virgin Atlantic is offering a number of deals in its Black Friday promotion, which runs until 27 November. Virgin Red members can get 33 per cent off reward seat redemptions on all routes and across economy, Premium and Upper Class cabins. The offer is valid for travel until 30 September, 2024, with discount examples including return economy flights from Heathrow to New York for 13,400 Virgin Points (down from the usual 20,000 points). Meanwhile the carrier is offering up to £90 off economy and Premium fares, and up to £2,000 off selected Upper Class fares, for travel until 10 December, 2024. And Virgin Atlantic Holidays is offering £25 off per person, plus a further £150 off when spending a minimum of £3,500 per couple or £4,400 per family of four. So a total discount of £250 is possibl...

Virgin Atlantic postpones Sao Paulo launch until 2025 – Business Traveller

19Nov

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Virgin Atlantic postpones Sao Paulo launch until 2025 – Business Traveller

Virgin Atlantic has pushed back the launch of flights between Heathrow and Sao Paulo to summer 2025. Readers will remember that the carrier first unveiled plans to fly to Brazil’s largest city back in 2019, only for the route to be delayed and then cancelled as a result of Covid-19. Then in June last year Virgin announced plans to fly to both Sao Paulo and Bengaluru in 2024, with a launch date of 13 May subsequently being confirmed for the daily service. Virgin Atlantic confirms Sao Paulo launch for 13 May, 2024 This will now not happen however. In a statement provided to Business Traveller the airline would commence in summer 2025, without providing a specific launch date. Despite the postponement Virgin’s chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen was upbeat, stating: “We are thrilled to ...

Virgin Atlantic unveils autumn menu – Business Traveller

3Oct

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Virgin Atlantic unveils autumn menu – Business Traveller

Virgin Atlantic is launching a new menu for the autumnal season across the entire network. The menu, which will be available across all cabins from 4 October, includes more vegetarian and plant-based options, as well as new wines, cocktails, matcha and kombucha drinks. Additionally, Economy Delight passengers will now be able to pre-select their meals. Upper Class Upper Class customers will be able to choose between dishes such as Serrano ham with roasted squash, pickled red onion and feta, herb roasted chicken breast or roasted trout fillet. Vegetarian and plant-based options include carrot tartare with whipped ricotta, spinach and ricotta tortellini, spiced apple and parsnip soup, and a Beyond Burger with pickled onions, vegan cheese and vegan mayonnaise. Meanwhile, the dessert course ...

Virgin Atlantic adds third weekly service to Grenada this winter – Business Traveller

1Oct

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Virgin Atlantic adds third weekly service to Grenada this winter – Business Traveller

Virgin Atlantic is to expand its Grenada route this winter, with a third weekly service operating between 8 December, 2023 and 29 March, 2024. A Friday service will join the carrier’s existing Tuesday and Sunday flights from Heathrow, with all three frequencies routing via Barbados. Earlier this year Virgin added fifth freedom services between Barbados and Grenada, allowing customers to fly between the islands. And next month the carrier will launch flights between Heathrow and Turks and Caicos, in conjunction with the carrier’s existing Montego Bay service (routing Heathrow-Turks and Caicos-Montego Bay). Virgin Atlantic to launch routes from Heathrow to the Maldives and Turks and Caicos Commenting on the news Petra Roach, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority, said: “This additional cap...