1.SkyTeam's two member airlines, Virgin Atlantic and China Eastern Airlines, have officially entered into a sharing partnership.
2.The partnership means that Chinese passengers will be able to depart from multiple cities such as Chengdu and Shenzhen to connect on Virgin Atlantic's Shanghai-London route.
3.China Eastern Eastern members can also enjoy Skypriority services at Shanghai Pudong and London Heathrow.
Virgin Atlantic and China Eastern Airlines have announced a new** shared partnership agreement to enhance important business and leisure connections between the two countries, as well as provide more cities and regions in China with easy access to London.
At this stage, the agreement allows Chinese passengers to purchase a single ticket to connect to Virgin Atlantic's Shanghai-London route from multiple domestic cities when booking tickets with China Eastern. These flights will go on sale from January 24, 2024, and passengers in Chengdu, Changsha, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Xi'an and Wuhan can now purchase Virgin Atlantic** shared flights through China Eastern.
Subject to ** approval, China Eastern passengers can connect from London Heathrow Airport and travel with Virgin Atlantic to the Caribbean and selected countries in Africa, including Jamaica, the Bahamas, Nigeria and South Africa.
Founded in 1984 by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Atlantic is a member of SkyTeam and has exceptional customer service and continuous innovation at its core. In 2022, Virgin Atlantic was recognised in the official airline rating by APEX as the UK's only five-star airline for the sixth consecutive year. In addition, Skytrax, a British consultancy, has also awarded Virgin Atlantic a five-star rating in its rating of airlines and airports around the world.
Virgin Atlantic is a full-service airline that offers customers a choice of three different cabin classes: Premium Business, Premium and Economy, and is committed to providing customers with an exceptional flying experience. More than 300 hours of the latest movies, TV shows and** are available in all cabins, and the cabin crew will provide passengers with complimentary meals and beverages. In addition, Virgin Atlantic has a Wi-Fi network that covers all flights. Virgin Atlantic Premium Business Class is the first choice for business travellers, with dedicated security lanes, lounges and fully flat beds at London Heathrow Airport. The Boeing 787 also features an on-board bar where passengers can catch up with friends and enjoy cocktails crafted by Virgin Atlantic's honorary bartenders.
Starting in November 2023, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold and Silver members, as well as Eastern Miles members, will be able to enjoy Skypriority services at Shanghai Pudong Airport Terminal 1, including priority check-in, early boarding and extra baggage.
With a sharing agreement, Flying Club members can earn points more quickly and earn Virgin Miles and Flying Club Status Points for flying on shared flights. At the same time, Virgin Atlantic also expects to introduce a spending option for Virgin Points in the near future, enabling members to redeem their accumulated Virgin Miles for award flights on China Eastern Airlines.
After the global pandemic, Virgin Atlantic has resumed flights between Shanghai and London on May 1, 2023.
Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer of Virgin Atlantic, noted:
China and East Asia are strategically important for Virgin Atlantic. We are delighted to resume our London Heathrow to Shanghai route in 2023. China is one of the UK's largest partners, and the resumption of the route not only provides passengers with more travel options, but also serves as an important bridge between passenger and freight between the two countries. ”
"We have entered into a new** sharing agreement with SkyTeam member China Eastern Airlines to meet the growing demand for flights and further strengthen our strong commitment to China and East Asia." We understand that these agreements can bring multiple benefits to our customers, including providing reciprocal loyalty rewards to our Flying Club members, in addition to expanding our route network to China and beyond. ”
ends about Virgin Atlantic.
In 1984, British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson founded Virgin Atlantic with innovation and customer service at its core. In 2022, for the sixth year in a row, Virgin Atlantic was named the UK's only 'Global Five Star Airline' in the Air Passenger Experience Association's (APEX) Official Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, UK, Virgin Atlantic employs more than 7,500 people worldwide and serves 28 destinations on four continents. Recently, Virgin Atlantic further expanded its service in the United States, announcing a new route to Tampa starting November 2022, following the launch of flights to Austin in May 2022.
Together with its shareholder and joint venture partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic has created a leading transatlantic network with connecting flights to more than 200 cities around the world. On February 3, 2020, the Air France-KLM Group, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic further expanded their joint venture to offer customers an extensive and comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares, and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits and privileges, including the ability for members to earn and redeem miles with each airline. In addition, Virgin Atlantic will join SkyTeam, a global airline alliance, in 2023, becoming the alliance's first and only UK member airline, further strengthening SkyTeam's transatlantic network and services to and from London Heathrow and Manchester airports.
Virgin Atlantic will continue to put sustainability at its core and aim to achieve net zero emissions by the end of 2050. To accomplish this, Virgin Atlantic will purchase 16 Airbus A330-900neo aircraft, the first of which was welcomed in October 2022. The A330-900neos is equipped with the most fuel-efficient aircraft engine available, delivering an 11% improvement in fuel and carbon emissions compared to the A330-300 aircraft it replaces, while reducing airport noise by 50%. These investments reaffirm Virgin Atlantic's strong commitment to being one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the blue sky and helping it reduce its carbon emissions by 20% and move closer to its 2027 target of 30% carbon reduction.