Virgin Blue's V Australia to share Delta flights to New York, San Francisco

Virgin Blue continues to pursue its international ambitions with a new agreement to share flights between its international arm V Australia and US carrier Delta.

Under the codeshare arrangement, passengers on V Australia will be able to book and transfer onto connecting Delta flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Detroit, while also earning Velocity points for the extra travel.

(In return, Delta can offer Virgin Blue flights from Sydney to other destinations in Australia and New Zealand).

“Connectivity within the US is extremely important to Australian travellers, with around 60% of guests travelling on to other destinations following their arrival in the US" said Virgin Blue Group's Merren McArthur.

"Virgin Blue has worked successfully with Delta for three years in an interline and codeshare capacity and today’s announcement is a natural next step forward in our relationship."

Virgin Blue is still awaiting a decision from the US Department of Transportation on cementing a more formal alliance with Delta.

This would elevate the US carrier to the same partnership status as V Australia currently enjoys with Etihad and Air New Zealand, and in the process turn Los Angles into what Virgin Blue Group CEO John Borghetti calls the airline's "second international hub".

David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.