Virgin Atlantic Increases Weekend Flights Capacity to London Into Summer Season

Virgin Atlantic has increased its weekend flights capacity to London this summer due to growing demand.

In a statement, the airline said the move takes effect from June.

“The usual 240 seat Airbus A340-300 will be replaced on Saturday and Sunday departures to London Heathrow with the larger A340-600 that has 308 seats,” said David Rose, airline country manager.

He said the A340-600 is the longest aircraft in the world, and will contain Virgin Atlantic’s excellent value Economy class, the comfortable and spacious Premium Economy, and the multi-award winning Upper Class Suite.

Passengers will enjoy innovative ‘video on demand’ technology.

Strong performance

Rose said the airline will increase capacity on the route by almost 10 per cent.

He noted that the decision shows Virgin Atlantic’s commitment to the Kenyan market, adding that it comes ahead of an expected strong performance on the Nairobi route this summer.

“London to Nairobi is an important route for Virgin Atlantic linking the regional business hub of Eastern Africa with London. So with excellent forecast load factors for the summer period of high demand, it made sense to increase our capacity so that we can meet our passenger’s needs,” he said.

Rose said Kenya is a growing market for business and leisure travel alike.

“We are delighted that demand for travel is growing well for inbound tourists and outbound travel from Kenya. We are also pleased to be able to help stimulate the market further by increasing our business to the region.

Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic, and JetBlue Airways, New York’s hometown airline, have announced launch of a new transatlantic interline partnership that links the networks of two of aviation’s most iconic brands.

Travelers can now fly from Virgin Atlantic’s global network through London to the USA and connect with ease onto JetBlue’s domestic services serving destinations including Baltimore, Maryland; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago, Illinois; San Diego, California; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Tampa, Florida.

Passengers from Kenya will be able to fly from Nairobi via London to USA and then have the option of connecting onto Jetblue’s flights at New York, Boston, Orlando and Washington – all destinations that Virgin Atlantic fly to from London every day.

Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue Airways Announce New Transatlantic Interline Partnership

Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue Airways have announced a new transatlantic interline partnership linking both airlines’ route networks.

Under this agreement, Virgin Atlantic passengers travelling from London, Glasgow and Manchester can now purchase single itineraries combining travel on both Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue flights from JetBlue’s Boston, New York, Washington and Orlando bases.

Air passengers will now be offered one-stop ticketing and baggage check-in whether their travel starts with Virgin Atlantic or JetBlue.

Edmond Rose, Director of Commercial and Revenue Planning for Virgin Atlantic said, “We are delighted to begin this interline cooperation with JetBlue.This partnership will offer Virgin Atlantic passengers a streamlined journey between our four U.K. airports and many cities across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, enjoying the highest standards of service throughout their travels.”

Virgin America Start Direct Flight From Orlando International Airport to Los Angeles and San Francisco

Virgin America announced this morning that it will start direct flights from Orlando International Airport to both Los Angeles and San Francisco starting August 19.

The two-year old airline, affiliated with Virgin Atlantic that now brings thousands of British tourists into Orlando, also announced introductory one-way air fares start start at $149 to LA and $199 to Frisco.

The new Orlando to California routes were among several changes the company announced, including new service between Toronto and California.

Currently, only United Airlines provides direct service between Orlando and San Francisco, while several carriers — United, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines — provide direct flights between Orlando and Los Angeles. Read more