Virgin Atlantic has announced a new codeshare agreement with Korean Air, offering its passengers opportunities to fly to South Korea and beyond.
The first phase of the agreement, which launches on 25 March, will allow customers booking through Virgin Atlantic the opportunity to travel directly to Incheon Airport, in South Korea’s capital, Seoul.
By June, passengers will be able to connect onwards from Seoul to a variety of destinations throughout Japan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.
The full list and dates:
- May 2023 – Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland, Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
- June 2023 – Hong Kong, Fukuoka, Kansai, Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Tokyo Narita, Okinawa
The move will continue the airline’s planned expansion into Asia. From May, services to Shanghai, China will resume, alongside an expanded codeshare with IndiGo.
In addition for passengers, as Korean Air is a member of SkyTeam, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members will be able to take advantage of SkyPriority services at Seoul Incheon, including priority check-in, baggage handling and boarding when flying with them
In Quotes
Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, commented:
“We’re pleased to launch a codeshare with Korean Air, as we know such agreements bring an array of benefits to our customers. As one of Asia’s major carriers, Virgin Atlantic customers can benefit from its extensive route network, that will offer more choice throughout Asia and Australasia.
“Our enrolment into SkyTeam, of which Korean Air is a founding member, enhances customers benefits further. Our Flying Club members can enjoy SkyPriority benefits at both London Heathrow and Seoul Incheon as well as earning and redeeming miles across Korean Air’s network.”
The next steps
With things moving forward with the Korean Air/Virgin Atlantic relationship (as well as the resolving move of Virgin Atlantic launching its own service to Seoul in the future), Virgin Atlantic is extending its traditional footprint.
Codeshares are a great way for airlines to extend their reach, with the ability to place a code on another airline and sell tickets as needed.
But until Virgin Atlantic is ready to launch its service (and when Asiana/Korean Air is ready to complete its merger), for now, a codeshare is a start.
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