Valid from now until 14th June 2016, Virgin Atlantic is offering customers who purchase a Premium Economy ticket the chance to upgrade to Upper Class free-of-charge. This will also enable travellers the opportunity to try, if they haven’t before, Virgin’s Upper Class Wing at Heathrow and their Clubhouses.
Please feel free to contact us to discuss the offer in more detail and the chance to fly Upper Class!
Gatwick Airport is open and operating normally today (Tuesday 30th December), however, there are some knock-on delays and cancellations due to yesterday’s incident involving the Virgin Atlantic flight to Las Vegas. Please ensure that you check in online for your flight for the latest news and updates.
Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines have announced plans to align their services at London Heathrow airport, as their transatlantic joint venture gets ready for take off.
The two airlines have revealed details of their new combined schedule which will start on 30th March 2014. Among the changes, Delta will move flights on its key business routes (New York JFK, Boston and Seattle) to Heathrow’s Terminal 3, in order to co-locate with Virgin Atlantic from 2nd April. All of Delta Air Lines’ flights are currently based at Terminal 4.
Craig Kreeger, Virgin Atlantic’s CEO, said: “We already co-locate together at New York’s JFK airport and moving some of Delta’s key business flights to join Virgin Atlantic at Heathrow’s Terminal 3 will enhance convenience and reduce connection times.
As part of the move, all business class passengers with both carriers will be given access to Virgin’s Clubhouse lounge in Terminal 3.
Delta is to also operate a second daily service between Heathrow and Detroit from 2nd June 2 2014, alongside its recently announced Heathrow-Seattle route, which is due to launch later this month on 30th March.
Delta Air Lines has completed its purchase of a 49 per cent stake in Virgin Atlantic, after being given clearance by both the US and European regulators last week.
The two airlines have also announced that they will begin selling each other’s flights across their networks from 29th June, as well as codesharing from 3rd July. Delta will be putting its two letter code (DL) on 17 Virgin Atlantic flights, including routes from the UK to the US, as well as Virgin’s new Little Red UK domestic services.
The deal will enable Virgin to do likewise, and place its code (VS) on 91 Delta routes covering both transatlantic and US domestic services.
It is worth noting at this stage that Virgin Atlantic flies out of Heathrow Terminal 3 and Delta from Terminal 4 – don’t get caught out once both airlines commence code sharing each others flights!
Virgin Atlantic has announced plans to fly domestic services between London Heathrow and Manchester airports from March 2013.
Commencing 31st March, Virgin will operate three daily services from Heathrow Terminal 1 to Manchester Airport’s Terminal 3. Flights are on sale now.
All three of Singapore Airlines’ services from London Heathrow to Singapore are now operated solely by Airbus A380 aircraft; previously one of the three daily services was operated using a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
From this October, Singapore Airlines will also add an additional fourth daily rotation between London & Singapore. The new service will be gradually phased in starting from Friday 14th September, before becoming a daily service during week commencing 21st October.
Business Rewards is a loyalty program open to companies whose employees travel around the world with Emirates.
Customers can enrol online and subsequently earn Business Rewards Miles, which can then be redeemed for flights or upgrades. Individual Skywards frequent flyer members will continue to earn and collect the same number of Skywards Miles as they always have.
The 15th August 2012 will see South African Airways’ (SAA) last service from London to Cape Town. SAA has blamed its decision (to withdraw the service) on increased competition by both, direct and indirect airlines, reduced demand, increases in the UK’s Air Passenger Duty and the introduction of a £52 visa fee for South Africans travelling to the UK.
Virgin Atlantic has launched a new four times weekly service to Vancouver from London Heathrow. Services operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays in both directions.
Please note that construction work inside the international terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), may result in longer walks, or passengers being bussed to/from their aircraft.
The work is scheduled to take approximately 6 months, lasting until the end of November. Because of this many airlines are advising passengers to allow at least 75 minutes for check in, if they have hold luggage, and 60 minutes for those with hand luggage only. This is to allow extra time to clear security and reach the departure gate a minimum of 40 minutes prior to departure.
As widely predicted, American Airlines will adopt a dense ten across layout (3-4-3) for the economy cabin of its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which enter service this December.
At present American’s existing fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft are configured 2-5-2, by comparison British Airways fleet of 777’s are configured 3-3-3.
The aircraft with the new economy class layout will enter service between Dallas and Sao Paulo, and is also planned to operate from Dallas to London on December 30th, followed by New York JFK to Heathrow on February 14th 2013.
The move to the new ten across lay out has been made to reduce operating costs so that American can keep its fares as low as possible.
Two new hotels have recently opened their doors in central London. Firstly, the 5* Bulgari Hotel & Residences, is situated at 171 Knightsbridge.
Secondly, the ME London is located on the Strand, at the southern tip of Covent Garden. With its very central location, the hotel is only a short walk to Fleet Street and EC4, the River Thames, Waterloo Bridge and the theatre district.
