Virgin Atlantic is the latest carrier to upscale its summer operations. In a recent statement, the airline has claimed it has seen bookings increase by 50% year-on-year, responding with the reinstatement of their entire United States portfolio and increased capacity on all other transatlantic routes.

The announcement comes shortly after another recent expansion of its global routes out of Heathrow Airport, aligning with the seemingly sharp recovery of the air travel industry.

Surge in demand

With the growing interest in tourist travel into the United States as restrictions relax, Virgin Atlantic has relaunched flights to Seattle and Washington DC.

From next week, there will be weekly flights from Heathrow to Seattle, served by its fleet of efficient 787-9 Dreamliners. Washington DC will also see five flights a week, operated by their A330s.

A330-300 Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic may have been started by a wealthy individual, but has not always been profitable. Photo: Virgin Atlantic

On their choice to expand their services back into these destinations, CEO Juha Jarvinen has said:

“The restart of our Seattle and Washington DC services mark an important milestone, as we move into recovery and welcome our customers back on board to all the destinations they’ve missed. We’re simply not Virgin without the Atlantic and our growing transatlantic portfolio demonstrates why we’re the airline of choice to the USA.”

After announcing a brand-new route into Austin, Texas, back in January, this further expansion is an expected but welcome addition to their current offerings. Travelers from Heathrow will see more frequencies into New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta as capacity is added.

The airline has also cemented itself as the UK's top carrier for the "theme park capital of the world", Orlando, with additional flights out of Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Belfast.

Wary travelers need not worry

Virgin has keenly noted the hesitance remaining for some international travelers and has introduced a more flexible booking policy, ensuring customers confidently book their holidays.

The new policy will waive fees on any changes to flight or holiday itineraries, including unlimited changes to dates, destinations and origins, and one free name change. The horizon for rebooking has also been extended until 31 December 2023, applying to customers with converted vouchers and open tickets.

Virgin-MAN-to-Islamabad-Dec-10th-Launch-2020-0033-low-res-e1607684657470
The airline has expanded its presence in the VFR market, taking over British Airways' cancelled route to Lahore. 
 Photo: Manchester International Airport.

Pandemic recovery and expansions

Hard work has been done for their post-pandemic recovery, scooping up demand for British Airways' canceled route into Lahore and continuing the expansion of its presence in Asia and the Caribbean. The airline has been working on a transatlantic joint venture alongside Air France, KLM, and delta to provide better connectivity on their United States routes.

Virgin's recovery centers around a continued commitment towards sustainability. The airline has taken significant strides in its step towards a clean and efficient fleet, having recently invested in sustainable aviation fuel, to be delivered from July. The airline notably replaced their aging 747s in favor of one of the world's youngest fleets, comprised of A350s, 787 Dreamliners, and A330neos, set to join the carrier later this year.

What do you think of the airline increasing its transatlantic capacity? Will you be flying Virgin this summer? Let us know in the comments.