KLM, Air France and
Virgin Atlantic have
announced a codeshare
agreement that will create new
transatlantic travel options for
passengers to and from North
America.
The agreement means
that customers benefit from
seamless connections,
the ability to use a single
booking reference and more
opportunities to earn frequent
flyer miles. It offers Virgin
Atlantic customers up to
58 new routes across 18
UK airports plus Paris and
Amsterdam.
Air France and KLM
customers have access to 24
new North American routes
operated by Virgin Atlantic
and Delta departing from the
UK, including connections
via London Heathrow or
Manchester.
This is a significant
milestone toward the
expanded joint venture
between Delta, Air France,
KLM and Virgin Atlantic, which
is expected later this year.
The airlines will be founding
members of a US$13bn
(R183bn) partnership offering
over 300 daily transatlantic
flights, 108 non-stop routes
and over 340 destinations.
Franz von Wielligh, gm
of XL Flight Specials, said
the codeshare was a good
strategic move considering
that Delta Air Lines was a
shareholder in Virgin Atlantic.
He said that the US remained
a stable market from South
Africa and that the codeshare
would now provide South
Africans with more flight
options to choose from when
travelling to the US.
Marco Tomasicchio, director
of XL International Travels,
agreed that the move was
good news as it broadened
the network and would open
up the US as a market.
However, he noted that the
UK Government was not doing
Virgin Atlantic any favours with
its transit visa requirements
that continued to put London
on the back burner as a hub
for South African travellers.
