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Virgin Atlantic announced new routes to island tourist hotspots the Maldives and Turks & Caicos.  Virgin launches a winter seasonal three-time weekly service to the Maldives from Heathrow on 22 October 2023. Seats go on sale on 30 November 2022. The Maldives redefines paradise with over 1,000 islands where luxury private island resorts nestle. Virgin Atlantic Holidays packages to the Maldives go on sale from 18 November 2022. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to add these routes.” “Nothing sets our hearts soaring like a new destination to explore,” said Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic. The airline will also launch a year-round twice weekly service to the Turks & Caicos. It begins on 15 November 2023 from London Heathrow. Both routes are operated on Boeing 787-9 aircraft with 31 Upper Class,35 Premium and 192 Economy seats. It is the latest addition to the Caribbean after the Bahamas, St Vincent and a return to St Lucia.

 

• First ever route between London Heathrow and Tampa Bay has touched down this afternoon.
• The four weekly service will increase to daily from 28 November.
• Virgin Atlantic’s brand-new plane, the A330neo will operate the route, boasting new Upper Class cabin and first ever Retreat Suite.

  Sir Richard Branson has touched down in Tampa Bay for the first time this afternoon on Virgin Atlantic’s inaugural A330neo flight. The flight was also welcomed by the Mayor of Tampa Jane Castor and CEO of Tampa Airport Joe Lopano, alongside representatives from Visit Tampa Bay and Visit St Pete Clearwater, marking the regions first ever direct services to London Heathrow.   The new Airbus A330neo, named Billie Holiday, flew over a delegation of VIPs, including the airline’s CEO Shai Weiss. On board, guests were treated to an array of the region’s famous cuisine including Cuban sandwiches, key lime pies and Two Tribes Floridian beers.  In a nod to the city’s world class sports teams, Sir Richard Branson and Shai Weiss donned the sports jerseys of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, as they posed for photographs alongside the airline’s world-famous cabin crew.   The new year-round Florida service will initially fly four times a week before increasing to daily from 28th November, complementing the airline’s flights to Miami and Orlando. This latest addition follows the airline’s launch of direct flights between London and Austin, Texas in May 2022, cementing the USA as Virgin Atlantic’s heartland.  The airline’s expanded joint venture with Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM means customers across the US and Europe will be able to connect seamlessly onto the new service via Heathrow.   Tampa Bay will be one of the first destinations to experience Virgin Atlantic’s brand-new Airbus A330neo which is designed to provide a premium, personalised experience for every single customer.  The airline’s Upper Class cabin boasts a brand new seat, evolution of its iconic social space and the unveiling of The Retreat Suite, the most spacious suite in Virgin Atlantic’s history.   Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic and Founder of Virgin Group said:   “We have double the reasons to celebrate today as we fly our brand-new plane into our latest destination – Tampa Bay.  I can’t think of a better way to mark our arrival into this incredible region than by giving passengers the best start to their journeys on our new A330neo.   “Tampa Bay has it all; a year-round warm climate, vibrant nightlife, endless attractions and of course some of the world’s best beaches in St Pete and Clearwater.  Combined with its emerging entrepreneurial mindset, the region simply makes sense for Virgin Atlantic and I can’t wait for our customers to experience all it has to offer.”   Shai Weiss, CEO at Virgin Atlantic commented:   “Today is a significant milestone in Virgin Atlantic’s continued growth, as we get back to our best for our customers and people. The USA is our heartland and Florida has an important role in our American portfolio, so I’m delighted to be bolstering connectivity to the region with the only direct flight to London Heathrow.   “It’s also fitting that our new route will enjoy our newest aircraft, the A330neo. This plane has evolved our customer experience, with every traveller receiving a premium experience regardless of the cabin they travel in.  It also plays a significant role in our multi billion dollar fleet transformation, demonstrating our commitment to the planet. We know the most impactful thing we can do as an airline is to fly the cleanest, greenest, youngest fleet possible and the A330neo is integral to achieving this goal.”   Joe Lopano, CEO Tampa International Airport, commented;   “Tampa International Airport is delighted to partner with Virgin Atlantic for nonstop service to a world-class destination like London-Heathrow. This route will give our passengers another premier overseas option for both business and leisure, aboard an aircraft that reflects TPA’s commitment to cutting-edge innovation and unparalleled service. We’re excited to support Virgin Atlantic’s continued growth here for many years to come.”   Santiago C. Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay commented;   “Today is an exciting day for the Tampa Bay region and shows the strength of the partnership between Visit Tampa Bay, Visit St. Pete Clearwater and Tampa International Airport.  Virgin Atlantic is the perfect partner not only for its high quality and fun product offering but they also share our focus on diversity and inclusion. We are looking forward to welcoming even more international travellers from across the UK and Europe into the region to see everything we have to offer from our wide range of hotels, Michelin recommended restaurants and stellar attractions. Tampa Bay is a premiere destination and we are excited about the opportunities the new service with this industry-leading airline will bring. We very much welcome Sir Richard Branson, all of his team and the VIP media and guests on today’s flight to the area.”   Route facts  

Aircraft type	Airbus A330neo, 30 Upper Class suites, 2 Retreat Suites, 46 Premium seats, 28 Economy Delight 156 Economy classic
Current route frequency	Daily from 28 November
Flight timings and flight number	LHR – TPA – VS129 – 13.25 / 19:35 TPA – LHR – VS130– 21:50 / 10:15 (next day arrival)
First flight	2 November 2022
Fares	Return fares in Economy are from £440 per person

Virgin Atlantic has opened applications to hire 200 new cabin crew. The roles will be part of an initial six-month fixed term contract with the view to extend. This intake follows from a drive to recruit 400 new crew earlier in the year. Applicants from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The airline's recent policy changes removes the need to wear make-up, allow visible tattoos as well as the choice to wear the uniform that best represents their gender identity – the first UK airline to offer these choices. Estelle Hollingsworth, Chief People Officer, at Virgin Atlantic said: "We're thrilled to be recruiting for cabin crew once again. A job at Virgin Atlantic is a career that opens up a world of opportunities both within Virgin Atlantic and beyond. "Our customers and colleagues come from diverse backgrounds and we're committed to continuing our support of diversity both on the ground and on board." Applications are now open at https://virg.in/otmQ

Virgin Atlantic is joining its expanded joint venture partners, Delta, Air France and KLM by offering a sustainable aviation fuel program (SAF) for its corporate customers. The program will assist them in managing their emissions footprint. The move represents a first for any airline joint venture business. The scheme has been specifically designed for the airline's corporate customers and allows them to improve their insight into their emissions through a CO2 methodology, helping them understand the true impact of their flying. The programme is available to corporate customers or any size of location, across all four partner airlines. Virgin Atlantic's partners have already established corporate SAF programmes, with Delta, Air France and KLM already securing significant SAF funding from supportive customers throughout the US and Europe. Virgin Atlantic's enrolment in the wider scheme will provide the airline with the ability to offer SAF within the UK from its Heathrow hub. In February, Virgin Atlantic announced its first UK SAF supply, with the arrival of 2.5 million litres of Neste Oyi neat SAF into London Heathrow. The supply is an important step towards the airline's target of 10% SAF by 2030. Tom Maynard, Head of UK and Europe Sales at Virgin Atlantic, said: “We know we are not the only industry with ambitious targets and that's why our scheme has been designed with our corporate customers at its core.” "SAF represents the greatest opportunity for Virgin Atlantic to decarbonise in the short to medium term, but we still require cross industry and Government action to support commercialisation of SAF at scale, particularly in the UK."

Virgin Atlantic and IndiGo have announced a new codeshare pact between the UK and India It enables seamless connections and increased opportunities for frequent flyers to earn more points. The codeshare partnership will mean customers booking a Virgin Atlantic ticket will be able to fly on the airline’s London Heathrow to Delhi and Mumbai flights and connect wiith seven additional cities in India. Later this year the agreement will be expanded to cover a total of 16 destinations throughout India, as well as connections onto Virgin Atlantic’s US network operated via London Heathrow. The agreement will allow Virgin Atlantic to sell seats to passengers connecting onto IndiGo flights. The new codeshare agreement gives Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club members opportunities to earn both Virgin Points and Tier Points available on every codeshare with IndiGo. Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, said:” This summer marks our largest ever flying programme from India with three daily direct services to London and our new partnership takes our commitment to even greater heights .” The initial codeshare destinations in India include Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Goa, Delhi and Mumbai. The additional destinations will include Kochi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Pune, Coimbatore, Nagpur, Vadodara, Indore and Visakhapatnam.

Virgin Atlantic has revealed its highly anticipated Airbus A330neo. The airline’s Upper Class cabin offers brand new seats and the Retreat Suite, the most spacious suite in Virgin Atlantic’s history. Customers in Premium and Upper Class can take advantage of in-seat wireless charging, whilst customers in every cabin enjoy a greater number of USB connections, and Bluetooth enabled entertainment systems. In 2019, Virgin Atlantic announced a firm order for up to 16 Airbus A330neos. The A330-900 neos are designed to be 11% more fuel and carbon efficient. Virgin Atlantic’s A330neo is expected to take off to Boston on its first customer flight in early October. Tickets will go on sale later this month. In addition to The Retreat Suite, the A330neo will offer 30 brand new Upper Class suites. The fully forward-facing suite offers more space alongside a fully closing door with a ‘do not disturb’ feature. It has passenger-controlled mood lighting and 17.3” touchscreen TV. The airline’s social space, The Loft, remains a focal point of the cabin design. In an evolution of design from the Airbus A350, it consists of space for eight people, with four comfortable seats. Customers can also connect Bluetooth headphones to the dual panoramic 27” touchscreens or utilise the wireless charging facilities for their devices. The new Economy cabin features the largest ever economy screen at 13.3”, with Bluetooth audio. Customers have the choice between 28 Economy Delight seats, which offer an increased 34” seat pitch, or 156 Economy Classic seats with a 31” pitch. Corneel Koster, Chief Customer and Operating Officer at Virgin Atlantic, said:” We’re proud to show the evolution of our customer experience, with each of our customers receiving a premium experience regardless of the cabin. “The A330neo plays a significant role in our multi-billion dollar fleet transformation.”    

Virgin Atlantic is increasing the availability of reward seats with two new initiatives.  The changes are set to unlock more opportunities to spend Virgin points across the airline’s global network. The airline is launching its Guaranteed Availability initiative, which ensures reward seats are available for every Flying Club member, on every flight. Gold members also have a new benefit of Gold Reward Seats, which gives the option to turn any seat into a reward seat by using double Virgin Points. Guaranteed Availability will see a minimum of 12 reward seats offered on every flight across Virgin Atlantic’s global network. This includes two seats in Upper Class, two in Premium and eight in Economy, pffering increased availably for all members. Reward seats arre available to book as soon as the flight goes on sale. It includes peak times such as Christmas and school summer holidays. Gold Reward Seats offer options even when no reward seat is available Customers will be able to convert any seat on the plane, simply by using double Virgin Points. The new initiative is exclusive to Gold Card members and seats can be booked up to 60 days prior to departure. If a member cannot find a reward seat available online on their desired dates, and they have a sufficient points balance, they can call the dedicated Gold Card booking line to secure their seat. Siobhan Fitzpatrick, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer at Virgin Atlantic, said:  “We knew our customers wanted more opportunities to spend their hard-earned points and we are ensurng they have more ways to do so.”  

Virgin Atlantic marked the launch of its new direct services to Austin, the airline’s first new route to the US since 2017.  The flight was met by Mookie Patel, Chief Business and Finance Officer, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, welcoming Sir Richard Branson and Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic.  Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic and Founder of Virgin Group said:  “It’s an honour to be here to welcome Virgin Atlantic’s very first flight to Austin. We are looking forward to providing a stronger connection between Austin and London.” We are already seeing a lot of interest from people in the UK wanting to visit Austin, and vice versa. Austin is a fantastic addition to Virgin Atlantic’s route network.” “Austin is our first new US route since 2017 and we know it’s impressive food, arts and music scene has already caught the eye of our customers,” Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic said. Virgin Atlantic flies from London Heathrow to Austin four times a week 787-9 aircraft featuring 31 Upper Class, 35 Premium and 192 Economy Delight, Classic and Light seats. Due to strong demand this will increase to daily from spring 2023.

Virgin Atlantic is celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next weekend in its own inimitable way. Customers flying to the US and Caribbean over the long holiday weekend will be treated to extra special delicacies to celebrate Her Majesty’s historic 70-year reign. Those travelling in Virgin Atlantic’s Economy class will be served a milk chocolate crown lolly wrapped and tied with a festive red ribbon. Premium and Upper Class customers will be offered a Platinum Jubilee Mile High Tea, including a duo of finger sandwiches and a selection of mini patisseries. The cakes will be a Victoria sponge financier, a chocolate and tonka macaron, and a vanilla and strawberry Battenberg with Virgin Atlantic purple-coloured marzipan. A quintessentially English cocktail will accompany the Mile High Tea, using Hambledon English Sparkling Wine and Fever-Tree sweet British Rhubarb and Raspberry tonic. The beverage will also be available in the Virgin Atlantic London Heathrow Clubhouse. Celebrations are also stretching to the United States, with Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses across America also honouring the Platinum Jubilee.

Virgin Atlantic is returning to Cape Town with a new daily service. The route takes off on 5 November 2022. The service will operate on a Boeing 787-9 with fares starting from £711 economy return. The aircraft has three classes, Upper Class, Premium and Economy. The new winter service runs until 24 March 2022, complementing the existing year-round daily service to Johannesburg. Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic said: “We’re excited to return to Cape Town.” “We’re expecting a high proportion of leisure travellers on this route who will rightly be taking advantage of the winter sun, exploring the world-renowned wine regions and soaking up the rich culture.”

Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc reacted with disappointment to Virgin Atlantic dropping its winter 2022-23 service from Edinburgh to Bridgetown. However, BTMI remains upbeat on prospects for next winter. Affected customers will automatically be booked on to a Manchester service, Virgin said,’ with all reasonable transport costs to and from Manchester reimbursed.’ Virgin Atlantic operates seasonally from Manchester to Barbados, three times a week. The airline will also the option of a voucher or a full refund. BTMI said it will continue to work closely with Virgin Atlantic on both their Manchester Airport and London Barbados services. Scots visitors have numerous options flying to Bridgetown, with both Aer Lingus and Virgin Atlantic fly direct to Barbados from Manchester, and connections from multiple Scottish airports via London Heathrow to Barbados with British Airways. Barbados had a successful winter 2021-22 season with visitor numbers back to 2019 levels. The Barbados Summer Savings campaign launched by BTMI in March is having a positive impact with strong hotel and flight demand from the UK for the summer months. BTMI’s Barbados Summer Savings campaign offers consumers discounts of up to 55% when booking on BarbadosSummerSavings.com.

Virgin Voyages’ newest ship Resilient Lady will call Australia and New Zealand home in 2023. Resilient Lady will make her way Down Under via a 44-night trans-continental voyage in October 2023 from Athens to Sydney. The first 14-night stint visits Dubai, stopping at Santorini and Rhodes, before visiting Cairo and the Great Pyramid of Giza. From Dubai, Resilient Lady sails to Singapore via Mumbai and Goa, with the final 15-night voyage taking her to Sydney, via the South Pacific including an overnight in Bali. Resilient Lady will then arrive at her new home at Station Pier in Port Melbourne, Victoria. “Australia and New Zealand have a very special place in my heart and we can’t wait for them to meet Resilient Lady and experience all that she has to offer,” Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson said. Voyages from Station Pier in Port Melbourne will offer 2 to 14 night voyages with a mix of itineraries. New Zealand itineraries feature port stops in Auckland, Dunedin and Christchurch, with destinations across Australia including Hobart and Burnie and Sydney. Resilient Lady will sail through New Zealand and Australia from 11 December 2023 to 27 March 2024. Reservations are now open.