Virgin Australia, Virgin Atlantic eye seamless Australia-London travel
Get ready to fly around the world with Virgin, using Hong Kong, London and LAX as your stopovers.
By Brandon Loo, September 16 2019
Virgin Australia has received a tentative green light to work more closely with its British counterpart Virgin Atlantic on flights between Australia and London, with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission saying it is prepared to allow the partnership for a five year period.
The draft determination would allow Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic "to more closely cooperate on services between Australia and the UK/Ireland via mutual mid-points in Hong Kong, Los Angeles and any other future mutual connection point", the ACCC said in a statement.
The ACCC described the airlines as "separate businesses that do not operate overlapping services on any routes and are unlikely to do so in the future."
This would not only be unlikely to"result in any significant detriment to competition on existing or future routes between Australia and the UK/Ireland," but "allowing the two carriers to more closely cooperate is likely to result in public benefits – in particular, an enhanced product and service offering including better scheduling and greater loyalty program benefits."
Virgin Australia has described the alliance as offering "a unique Virgin experience" for travellers on the popular Australia-London route.
An airline spokesperson previously told Executive Traveller that under the deeper partnership, passengers should expect "more competitive pricing on flights between Australia and the UK/Ireland via Hong Kong or LA and enhanced reciprocal frequent flyer arrangements, amongst other benefits."
How this will play out for business travellers
From a local perspective, the tie-up would see Virgin Australia passengers encouraged to join Virgin Atlantic's London-bound flights at either Los Angeles or Hong Kong – and could eventually lead to 'around the world with Virgin' bookings.
The two airlines already operate a codeshare agreement which plants their respective VA and VS codes onto each other's Hong Kong and Los Angeles flights, along with an reciprocal frequent flyer arrangement.
However, the deeper partnership will allow the airlines to work more closely together on joint pricing, scheduling and marketing, as well as 'product alignment' and joint pitching for corporate contracts.
Both airlines will aim for 'a seamless customer experience' by standardising baggage entitlements, meals and seat selections across the board, and co-locate check-in, baggage collection and lounge services where possible – especially in Hong Kong, where Virgin Australia is exploring whether it can use the same lounge as Virgin Atlantic in the main terminal (which is currently the Plaza Premium First Lounge).
Booking Virgin Atlantic flights with Velocity Points online would also be made possible under the new arrangement – a major improvement under the current system where Velocity members are required to phone up to check for reward seat availability on a flight-by-flight basis.
Also read: How to book Virgin Atlantic flights with Velocity Points
Virgin Australia is toying with the idea of implementing a unique 'reciprocal points upgrade proposition', where travellers with healthy Velocity Points balances can also elect to upgrade their Virgin Atlantic legs to Upper Class, which is currently being refitted across the fleet.
Virgin Atlantic has previously flown from London to Sydney via Hong Kong but pulled the plug on that route in 2014.
Current codeshare agreements mean passengers can book a journey from Australia to Hong Kong with Virgin Australia and onwards to Europe with Virgin Atlantic on the one booking, but the flight timings and different lounge access policies make it a particularly uninviting option for time-strapped business travellers.
Additional reporting by David Flynn
Based in Perth, Brandon enjoys tucking into local delicacies, discovering new cocktails, and making aeroplane food look good on camera.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
16 Jul 2018
Total posts 19
This would be outstanding
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
05 Jul 2019
Total posts 1
Definitely exciting prospects. Very interested to see a true round the world virgin fare.
18 Jan 2017
Total posts 51
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Sep 2018
Total posts 153
They have been available on paid fares as a package. I remembered flight center doing a deal $999 for Virgin round the world to Hong Kong and London or LA and London.
17 Feb 2012
Total posts 121
Have already done an around the world on a Virgin Aus/Atlantic ticket (albeit a VS one). What Virgin Australia should be focusing on is improving their website + App, both are throwbacks from another era and are terrible. Literally takes weeks for points to be deposited and a number of the website pages never seem to load and the App constantly logs you out...
Etihad - Etihad Guest
21 Jul 2019
Total posts 190
This VA/VS tie-up is a good development, but I fully agree that VA should fix its website. Remember years back when VA points were credited after just one day? Then it spread out to two, three, four days........... Sometimes weeks. And in my case, even five months (happened twice). If anyone from VA is reading this, we like your new initiatives; but try to fix old problems too.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Sep 2012
Total posts 382
You've got to wonder why this joint VA/VS initiative hasn't been lobbied hard since VirginBlue became VA. It just makes complete sense to align the brands.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Sep 2018
Total posts 153
Because Qantas has a partnership with Emirates especially on the London routes?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Nov 2017
Total posts 344
Another nail in the coffin for the VA/EY JV, or even VA/HX (HNA) due to their financial problems.
13 Sep 2013
Total posts 116
Do you guys have any more information on the potential to upgrade VS flights with Velocity Points?
That would be a fabulous perk if it was implemented!
10 Jul 2018
Total posts 104
Sorry, all we know at this stage is they are looking to implement this only for the Australia-London route, on a reciprocal basis.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
20 Nov 2017
Total posts 113
This will make the route to LHR via HKG absolutely outstanding (particularly with the VS lounge in LHR) and will also hopefully secure financial viability for VA's HKG flights. Looking forward to flying this route.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Mar 2012
Total posts 233
If Hong Kong Airlines goes belly up, this may be a saving grace for VA's HK routes.
Wonder if this could see the HK Clubhouse Lounge make sense economically for VS again.
Would love to see VA utilise the Clubhouse Lounge in both Hkg and LAX (once they move over the Delta terminals).
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
20 Nov 2017
Total posts 113
Haven't been in there myself, but the lounge VS uses in HKG, the Plaza Premium First lounge, is meant to be excellent. So no need to fix what is currently not broken.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Mar 2012
Total posts 233
I've used the PP First Lounge a couple of times now before the VS leg. It's great but I still prefer the Clubhouse Lounge that closed a year or two ago. Might make better sense again if shared with VA.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
02 Jan 2016
Total posts 4
WOW! EXCELLENT NEWS. Oh how I miss the Virgin Atlantic flights LHR to SYD. Shame they never offered "bar stool class" though, that is all I really need. Was on the last HKG SYD flight, what fun! The points required by both VA & VS though to book through flights are far more than SQ FC currently though as points calculated each leg so would hope for the BC points SYD to LHR & bookable online VS I'll be back instantly.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
02 Jan 2016
Total posts 4
ALSO didn't realise Clubhouse had gone, wonderful retreat at busy HKG with Virgin Redheads comfortable lounges & great staff, hope they bring that back how ever good PP lounge may be.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Jan 2018
Total posts 762
I did MEL-LAX-LHR and then LHR-HKG-MEL last October, VS Upper Class was GR8, but lounge access in LAX and HKG was a profound disappointment (compared to MEL and LHR). A good way to rack up Status Credits, but not sure if I'd come back via HKG next time (and not just because there's no bar on the flight from HKG to MEL).
08 Sep 2018
Total posts 26
Fix the layover and with all the claimed bells and whistles they will get my business.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
26 Nov 2017
Total posts 16
This is potentially great news. Would be a great win for VA mind you about time they had some good news! For those of us loyal to VA, at least domestically, the benefits of a seamless route through to London with all bells and whistles can only be positive. I just hope it actually happens. And bearing in mind VA's issues on potential alliance networks due to certain airlines and politics, I wonder why this has taken so long to come to fruition. This does have great potential.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
15 Mar 2019
Total posts 21
Potentially very good news although Virgin Atlantic may need to revisit their product. We've found the herringbone configuration in Upper Class to be narrow and uncomfortable particularly when comparing with Emirates' A380 offering. Price will be a consideration as well and I wonder if Virgin Atlantic might reinstate their complimentary chauffeur service in the UK. However their "Wing" at Heathrow is excellent as was the Lounge. Will also need to co-ordinate flight times at Hong Kong.
05 Apr 2012
Total posts 31
I recently flew MEL-HKG-LHR-LAX-MEL. It was wonderful - EXCEPT have to wait 3 hours before I could enter the Plaza Premium Lounge in HKG (because entry was not until 8 pm). Is it too hard for Virgin to leave 2 hours later from MEL?
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
08 Jun 2019
Total posts 1
This is fantastic news! The last two years I have also flown the SYD-HKG-LAX (via JFK both times) route for great prices, albeit through Flight Centre. Fantastic products in my opinion, though the six hour layover between landing
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
04 Sep 2018
Total posts 13
In the past year, I have already flown 'around the world with Virgin'.. Twice.. Booked as 'around the world ' from my travel agent.
23 May 2014
Total posts 118
I would love to be able to fly Virgin (seamlessly) all the way to London and have the flexibility of LAX or HKG stopovers and flying East or West in either direction. Especially as the Virgin Clubhouse in London is so good.
26 Jul 2015
Total posts 78
Just looked at ticket prices, wow, expensive by comparison.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Mar 2012
Total posts 233
The new structure hasn’t been deployed yet. Still some of the cheapest options when I look though- not sure what you were searching?
27 Aug 2015
Total posts 26
Great news and hopefully beneficial for both carriers and their passengers
24 Apr 2014
Total posts 269
Should have happened at least 10 years ago
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 580
"Virgin Australia has received a tentative green light to work more closely with its British counterpart Virgin Atlantic"
This is one of my annoyances, the use of the word counterpart seems to infer that there is some significant connection between the two airlines. Many seem to think that Virgin Australia is a subsidiary of Virgin Atlantic, when in reality that is not the case and the only two things they share is the name Virgin and both have Virgin Group (read Richard Branson) as minor shareholdings, 20% in Virgin Atlantic and 10% in Virgin Australia.
That aside in someways good they can become partners there are of course some advantages to be gained by having people think they are one in the same airline. The only danger would be to somehow match product so that it is similar.
20 Oct 2015
Total posts 245
Counterpart: "a person or thing that corresponds to or has the same function as another person or thing in a different place or situation" (Google), "a person or thing closely resembling another, especially in function" (dictionary.com). Counterpart doesn't "infer some significant connection" at all.
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 580
That is the literal meaning, in which case the use of the word is totally irrelevant as Qantas or any other airline for example could be considered a counterpart. However when read in the context of the article I standby my interpretation that it was inferring a more significant connection.
05 Oct 2011
Total posts 195
Nine hour layover SYD>>HKG>>LHR Could scarcely be worse that it is right now
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