From April 2022, Virgin Australia will partner with United Airlines to triple the carrier’s reach in the Americas with 92 one-stop connections across the U.S., as well as flights to Mexico, the Caribbean and South America.
On Monday (December 13, 2021), Virgin Australia announced a new partnership with United Airlines that will triple the number of U.S. cities that Virgin Australia customers can reach from April 2022. Under the partnership, United Airlines will offer Virgin Australia customers more nonstop flights from Australia, as well as seamless one-stop connections to 92 points across the U.S., as well as service to Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. United Airlines’ customers traveling to Australia will also enjoy seamless connectivity to Australia’s most popular destinations with Virgin Australia. Starting in April 2022, the partnership will establish codeshare cooperation, as well as reciprocal loyalty benefits for Velocity Frequent Flyer members, who will be able to earn, redeem and receive tier benefits when traveling with United.
In Tuesday’s announcement, Virgin Australia Group’s CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka, said,
“The United States is a key market for Virgin Australia, and we know Australians are excited to be able to travel overseas again, so we’ve created hundreds of new ways they can do that through United’s extensive services to and from Australia. Virgin Australia customers will have significantly more options for travel from Australia to the States, with more than three-times as many services available to them, which is great news for Australian travellers.
“We are grateful to have such a strong partner in United. They have proudly been one of Australia's most loyal and long serving aviation partners and their market strength both to Australia and in the United States brings great value to our guests. We look forward to innovating together on behalf of our guests to ensure they have the very best travel experiences to over 90 destinations in the US. Our family has just expanded and we look forward to welcoming United and their guests on board in April.”
Also commenting on the new partnership, United Airlines’ CEO, Scott Kirby, said,
“The United States and Australia share a special bond and I’m especially proud that United was the only airline to maintain a vital link between these two countries throughout the pandemic. Looking ahead, Virgin Australia is the perfect partner for United. Our partnership provides considerable commercial value for both airlines and a shared commitment to offer the best travel experience for our customers.”
The partnership will also expand United’s presence in Australia with more flights than any other U.S. airline, including daily direct flights to Sydney from San Francisco and Los Angeles, with flights from Houston and nonstop service to Melbourne expected to resume later in 2022. Additionally, eligible Velocity Frequent Flyer and Mileage Plus members will soon enjoy reciprocal benefits including priority check-in and boarding, priority baggage delivery and additional baggage allowance, priority security clearance and lounge access.
Source(s): Virgin Australia, United Airlines