A Virgin Atlantic 787-9 departing London Heathrow. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson) Transatlantic flights are certainly always in season and are considered the backbone business for long-haul airlines, as passengers are always looking for a quick, direct flight or a connecting flight to their favorite destination. Thus, several airlines have consistently made the effort to increase their transatlantic flight operations.
The United Kingdom — with its strategic location, rich culture, shared language — has many airlines that have been holding the podium for transatlantic flights within the European market. As a result, it is an advantage for other carriers to gain through codeshare connections, such as Alaska Airlines and Kenya Airways who have done agreements with British Airways.
British Airways has competitors, especially since the U.K. holds the crown, in terms of popularity and profitable opportunities. Interline Agreement
Virgin Atlantic — a competitor that has been on the heels of the flag carrier’s radar — had only just recently announced a healthy competition for the London-Austin, Texas route, which is welcoming come-back to the U.S for Virgin Atlantic, but a rival threat to British Airways.
And if one threat for the month is not enough, Virgin Atlantic proves to deal yet another as it signed a codeshare agreement with LATAM Airlines, offering passengers the opportunity to connect effortlessly to Brazil as Virgin Atlantic will be placing its code on LATAM Airlines London-São Paulo Guarulhos route.
This agreement allows for Virgin Atlantic to gain access to 12 airports in Brazil which includes Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Curitiba, Florianopolis, Fortaleza, Goiania, Londrina, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Vitoria.
“We’re incredibly excited to launch this new codeshare partnership with LATAM Airlines. We also see opportunities beyond Brazil and look forward to expanding our relationship even further to serve destinations throughout South America including Peru and Colombia,” Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, Juha Jarvinen, said. He also adds that Virgin Atlantic is expecting “to capture demand from corporate travel heading to São Paulo, the commercial capital of Brazil as well as other key business hubs in South America.” Branching Out
Whilst Virgin Atlantic will be branching out in Brazil and in the hopes of beyond, LATAM Airlines will look forward to branching from the U.K into destinations such as Delhi, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv and beyond.
The Santiago de Chile-based airline is looking to grow back its capacity this month, with the addition of Neiva, Colombia, […]
