A new era of travel: Virgin Atlantic’s expanded india services promise enhanced customer and cargo options

Thursday, April 4, 2024

This week marked the launch of Virgin Atlantic’s flights to Bengaluru, the entrepreneurial hub of India, offering a vital connection for American travelers from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Seattle, among others, through London Heathrow. With connections averaging one to two hours, the new route ensures seamless travel for business professionals or those looking to explore Bengaluru, India’s third-largest city known for its dynamic urban atmosphere.

Moreover, the airline is expanding its services to Mumbai with a second daily flight, underscoring its dedication to the Indian market. This addition brings Virgin Atlantic’s total daily services to India to five, enhancing its already established double daily flights to Delhi and daily flights to Bengaluru.

By 2025, Virgin Atlantic aims to provide over one million seats to India, representing a 350% increase in capacity since 2019, which highlights India as a critical strategic market for the airline. This expansion is not just significant for passenger travel but also for cargo, particularly benefiting the fashion, pharmaceutical, and technology sectors. Virgin Atlantic Cargo is set to offer 42.1 million kg of cargo space to and from India, a 336% capacity increase from 2019.

Beginning on October 27, 2024, Virgin Atlantic will introduce an extra daily flight to Mumbai, with ticket sales starting April 6, 2024. This service will be facilitated by the state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000, known for its diverse cabin selections that include Upper Class, Premium, Economy Delight, Classic, and Light, in addition to the airline’s signature Upper Class social area. This enhancement aims to provide a superior and effortless long-distance travel experience for those journeying through London Heathrow from significant American cities such as San Francisco, New York JFK, Atlanta, Seattle, Boston, and Los Angeles. This effort is in collaboration with Virgin Atlantic and its transatlantic partnership with Delta Air Lines.

Virgin Atlantic also boasts a strategic alliance with IndiGo, India’s premier airline, offering U.S. customers streamlined connectivity to three key Indian destinations. This partnership allows travelers to book a single ticket for onward connections to popular locales like Ahmedabad, Goa, and Hyderabad via Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, adding 36 more destinations to Virgin Atlantic’s network and connecting over 80,000 customers to date.

Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Atlantic, commented:

“There is a huge opportunity for us in India, it has a dynamic, fast-growing economy and we’re anticipating a huge growth in demand for international travel to and from the region. We know both our customers and people love traveling to India and we have a rich history in the destination. Next year marks 25 years of operations and the first time that we’ll offer more than one million seats to India via London Heathrow with optimal connectivity for our US customers from key tech hubs including San Francisco and Seattle. The launch of Bengaluru and doubling of our Mumbai services reaffirms our strong commitment and will allow our customers to travel seamlessly throughout India and beyond, flying on one of the youngest fleets in the skies, with our signature personalized service, delivered by our amazing people.”

New Mumbai Flight Details (Awaiting Government Approval)

• Flight VS358 will depart from London Heathrow (LHR) at 11:15 on October 27, 2024, arriving in Mumbai (BOM2) at 01:55* the following day. The return flight, VS359, leaves Mumbai (BOM2) at 04:10 on October 28, 2024, reaching London Heathrow (LHR) at 08:55. Both legs will be serviced by the A350-1000 in a leisure configuration.

Current India Flight Schedule

• Flights between London Heathrow (LHR) and Bengaluru (BLR), Mumbai (BOM1), and Delhi (DEL1 & DEL2) are operated using Boeing 787-9 aircraft, with various timings to accommodate travelers’ needs.

Connection Times for U.S. to India Flights

• Connection times through London Heathrow (LHR) from various U.S. gateways to Delhi (DEL), Mumbai (BOM), and Bengaluru (BLR) are listed, highlighting the streamlined travel options available for passengers.

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