Subject to regulatory approval, Virgin Australia will codeshare on Virgin America services from Los Angeles to the following destinations:
Portland Chicago Washington Fort Lauderdale Boston Philadelphia Dallas Seattle
Virgin Australia Group Executive of Alliances, Network and Yield Merren McArthur said: “The United States is a very important market for Australia; it is the third most popular international destination for Australian visitors and our fourth biggest source of overseas visitors to Australia.
“We have been focused on expanding our network in the United States and thanks to our alliance with Delta Air Lines, we already codeshare to 13 destinations across North America. If approved, the agreement with Virgin America will add a further 8 destinations to our network, including important cities such as Washington, Boston, Chicago and Seattle.
“We know that connectivity within the United States is extremely important to Australian travellers, with around 60% of guests travelling on to other destinations following their arrival in the country. Today’s announcement means Virgin Australia guests can connect seamlessly to key leisure and business hubs and earn frequent flyer points and status credits in the process”, Ms McArthur said.
Virgin Australia and its alliance partner Delta Air Lines currently offer 21 flights a week from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane into the United States.
Regulatory approval is expected to be granted in the next couple of months and Virgin Australia will move quickly to implement the codeshare as soon as possible.