Virgin Atlantic joins Skyteam

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_flyer

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An email was received from Virgin Atlantic:

We’re absolutely thrilled to let you know that Virgin Atlantic will be joining SkyTeam next year. This global partnership of airlines provides seamless travel to more than 1,000 destinations around the world, spanning six continents. It’s great news for us, and even better news for you.

It’s also a mutually rewarding loyalty programme, with opportunities to earn and redeem points across all the airlines meaning you can reach Silver and Gold Flying Club status faster. Once you do, you'll also be recognised as having SkyTeam Elite or SkyTeam Elite Plus status, and be treated to lots of lovely extra benefits.

These changes are still on the horizon. We’ll be in touch again closer to the time of launch, to let you know when you can start benefitting from travelling with our SkyTeam partners.
 
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Danger said:
Wonderful news.

What's your role at Virgin Atlantic, _flyer? Are you the official company rep on AFF?
Click to expand...
My apologies for the confusion, I received an email from Virgin Atlantic. I should have added that part. My thread is updated ;-)
 
I received this e-mail at 06:50 this morning. I have been hanging to my points and haven't used Flying Club much since they stopped flying to Australia.

Maybe joining SkyTeam would force them to upgrade their flight search engine on the web site?
 
Presumably this is due to Delta being a major owner of VS, and one of Skyteam's biggest airlines. They are probably looking to co-ordinate the brand better within Delta's business strategy.
 
Yep got the email. Only joined flying club to be able to select seats on a VA award on VS metal.

I think it was inevitable once DL took ownership and will presumably make them more attractive TATL in particular for customers. Shame they (VS) don’t serve SYD any more.
 
what is the best frequent flyer program for skyteam, IE is the VA one any good? I have heard Korean is really good with their low redemption rates for partner airlines. Vietnam Airlines premier economy fares from OZ to europe are insanely cheap.
 
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As stated in the Virgin Australia threads, their namesake (and former big brother) VS will be joining Skyteam with the support of the 49% owner (and former VA partner) DL.

I suspect there was some pressure on DL from their JV partners KL/AF to bring VS in.

As for VA and *A, however. It's all eyes on Bain and their CapEx/Return on Investment on *A membership fees and one-off IT expenses ;)

(Or alternatively, UA coughs up to pay most/all of membership fees for VA as one of *A co-founders, which isn't out of the question either :)). By extension, also UA talking to NZ with incentives to ensure they don't utilise a full member veto.

If DL could subsidise VS' alliance fees, there's nothing stopping UA from doing the same.

www.usatoday.com

Virgin Atlantic to join SkyTeam in 2023, strengthening Delta partnership: What that means for travelers

Virgin Atlantic will strengthen its partnership with Delta and other airlines once it joins the alliance next year.
www.usatoday.com
 
Given Virgin Atlantic’s relationship with BA, One World was never going to be an option.
 
At the end of the day the alliances are all about the northern hemisphere ocean crossing (Pacific, Atlantic) and the arrangements that exist between the different partners that do those crossings. VS crosses the Atlantic, DL has big ownership share and is logical that this was going to happen.

VA does not have the same level of strategic importance to the alliances. Australia ( and indeed SE Asia, Africa and South America) are really not that important, as much as we like to think so.
 
Hence, Star Alliance was reported to say that VA is "nice to have" but it is "up to them" at the end of the day.

This was after a previous article on ET/AusBT stating from Star Alliance that they were 'not interested in VA on the back of the NZ breakup years ago. I'm assuming that was due to the assumption that NZ would've used their full member veto at the time.
 
On a slight off-topic but related note, Virgin Atlantic has announced their permanent withdrawal from the HKG route.

The Russian airspace excuse may be a bit of a stretch, but can understand VS' eventual withdrawal with little/no partners there since their former Australian younger brother withdrew from HKG back in 2020.

As their main partner and part owner DL doesn't fly to HKG, VS will have to find another codeshare partner to keep HKG connected to the VS network.

aviationsourcenews.com

Ukraine Crisis: Virgin Atlantic Axes Hong Kong - Russian Airspace Bans Bite Further

Virgin Atlantic axing Hong Kong permanently signifies the disabled growth opportunities for long-haul carriers wanting to operate into Asia from the West.
aviationsourcenews.com aviationsourcenews.com
 
HS-TQE said:
On a slight off-topic but related note, Virgin Atlantic has announced their permanent withdrawal from the HKG route.

The Russian airspace excuse may be a bit of a stretch, but can understand VS' eventual withdrawal with little/no partners there since their former Australian younger brother withdrew from HKG back in 2020.

As their main partner and part owner DL doesn't fly to HKG, VS will have to find another codeshare partner to keep HKG connected to the VS network.

aviationsourcenews.com

Ukraine Crisis: Virgin Atlantic Axes Hong Kong - Russian Airspace Bans Bite Further

Virgin Atlantic axing Hong Kong permanently signifies the disabled growth opportunities for long-haul carriers wanting to operate into Asia from the West.
aviationsourcenews.com aviationsourcenews.com
Click to expand...
The russian story is a stretch, but the bigger problem is HKG itself, i know it is 0+3 now but we wont know the politics in HKG and China now with the tension is so high between them and the western world...
 
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