WestJet And Virgin Atlantic Expand Codeshare Offering Canadian Travelers More International Options

WestJet and Virgin Atlantic are taking their partnership to the next level by expanding the destinations covered in the agreement. This will open up several new destinations for the Canadian carrier, with Virgin’s global routes to India, Africa, and the Middle East becoming available.

Expanding codeshare agreement

When the winter season starts at the end of this year, WestJet and Virgin Atlantic will enhance their existing codeshare partnership to include several new international destinations. The agreement was signed at the IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Dubai last week.

Photo: Bradley Caslin | Shutterstock

WestJet’s John Weatherill, Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer, as well as Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, were present to expand the deal. Weatherill commented,

“Through the expansion of our existing partnership with Virgin Atlantic, we are unlocking amazing opportunities for our guests to access an extensive list of new destinations and to experience Virgin Atlantic’s innovative products and services beyond London. With daily flights from our global hub in Calgary to London, Canadians have never had better international access from across Western Canada to the United Kingdom and beyond.”

Connectivity beyond Europe

The two airlines began their codeshare relationship in 2019, and the agreement has evolved since then. WestJet is slated to benefit significantly from the current development, with several of Virgin’s global destinations becoming available to the Canadian carrier.

Passengers will be able to get single-stop connectivity from Calgary via Virgin Atlantic’s Global Hub in London Heathrow to international destinations, including New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru in India, as well as Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa, Lagos in Nigeria, Dubai, and the Maldives (subject to regulatory approval).

Photo: Daniel Coyle | Shutterstock

This is WestJet’s first-ever agreement enabling connectivity beyond Europe through London Heathrow and a significant step towards growing its global reach to even more destinations through partnerships. By summer 2025, WestJet will also offer domestic connectivity to Virgin’s recently announced route between Toronto-Pearson and London Heathrow.

Convenience for passengers

Like any codeshare partnership, this one, too, comes with several conveniences for passengers of the two airlines involved. Passengers will be able to have single-stop access on a single itinerary, with other benefits in the pipeline for next year.

The two airlines also plan to work towards a reciprocal frequent flyer partnership next year, further enhancing their cooperation. They aim to provide benefits to the customers of both airlines, such as earning points in the currency of their choice and redeeming points on each carrier’s respective networks.

Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock

WestJet guests can book the journey on one ticket through the airline’s official website and app later this year. They will then be able to make a one-stop connection at Heathrow with baggage transfers for various destinations on Virgin’s global network.

Other WestJet news

WestJet has been enhancing its fleet capacity and network to provide more travel opportunities to Canadian passengers. It recently launched nonstop flights from Calgary to Reykjavik in Iceland and has an agreement with Icelandair for over 30 connections in Europe.

Photo: Alex JW Robinson | Shutterstock

Furthermore, it is also acquiring three Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to meet the growing demand for air travel and further solidify its position as it looks to expand its offering during the winter season. Per ch-aviation, the carrier operates a fleet of 179 aircraft, of which more than 35 are 737 MAX jets.

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