Virgin Atlantic officially joins SkyTeam 

Virgin Atlantic has formally joined SkyTeam, the global airline alliance, at a signing ceremony in London on Thursday March 2 . The move means Virgin Atlantic becomes SkyTeam's first and only UK member airline, enhancing the alliance's transatlantic network and services to and from Heathrow and Manchester airports.

Virgin Atlantic customers will now benefit from a consistent, seamless customer experience, across 1,000 global destinations in over 170 countries. Customers can conveniently book every SkyTeam member flight on a single ticket, checking in with baggage just once through to their final destination.

Flying Club members have more opportunities to earn Virgin points and tier points across all member airlines, accelerating both their rewards and tier status. Additionally, Flying Club members will be able to redeem hard-earned points on SkyTeam member airlines. Alongside joint venture partners Delta and Air France-KLM, these include Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Europa, China Airlines, China Eastern*, Czech Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, ITA Airways, Kenya Airways, Korean Air, MEA, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines and XiamenAir.

The airline's Flying Club members will receive host of benefits which will enhance their journeys across the SkyTeam network. Virgin Atlantic Silver Card holders are recognised as SkyTeam Elite Members, whilst the airline's Gold Card members have become Elite Plus. SkyTeam Elite Plus, First and Business Class customers enjoy SkyPriority services including priority check in, baggage handling and boarding. Extra baggage allowance is offered to both Elite and Elite Plus members.

Patrick Roux, SkyTeam CEO and Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to welcome Virgin Atlantic into SkyTeam, taking an already close relationship to new heights and elevating our customer offering with more routes to exciting destinations and access to aspirational airport lounges – not to mention the airline's world-famous flair.