The UK- based Virgin Atlantic and Brazilian domestic carrier GOL have announced a new codeshare agreement allowing customers to connect from Virgin Atlantic’s brand new London Heathrow – Sao Paulo service onto flights across Brazil.
GOL will offer connections to 37 destinations across the country, including Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Recife. Virgin Atlantic and GOL are also planning to expand their codeshare further with the addition of flights to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, in addition to a reciprocal frequent flyer programme expected soon.
Flights from London Heathrow to Sao Paulo and onward, went on sale on September 10, 2019. Available for travel year-round from March 29, 2020, Virgin Atlantic will fly daily from London Heathrow to Sao Paulo on a Boeing 787-9. The flight will depart London Heathrow at 22:30, arriving Sao Paulo at 06:25; and on return, the flight will depart Sao Paulo at 16:25, arriving London Heathrow at 07:50 hours.
Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, commented, ‘We’re delighted to announce our codeshare agreement with GOL. Brazil is such a rich and diverse country and we’ll be able to offer seamless connections for customers from our brand new London Heathrow to Sao Paulo service onto 37 destinations across Brazil. With flights on sale from Tuesday 10th September 2019 and the first flight on 29 March 2020, customers will soon be able to enjoy Virgin Atlantic’s signature service to South America’s largest country.’
Eduardo Bernardes Neto, SVP Sales & Distribution at GOL, commented, ‘We’re delighted to partner with Virgin Atlantic ahead of its arrival into Brazil next year. GOL offers a leading route network and high quality service and we’re thrilled to be able to connect even more customers thanks to our new partnership with Virgin Atlantic.’
Virgin Atlantic’s codeshare will offer travellers a range of destinations – the popular leisure favourites include surfer hotspot Florianopolis, the Amazon jungle via Manaus and the beautiful coastline of Recife. For business travellers, connections include the Brazilian capital Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and industrial hub Curitiba. Both airlines offer Wi-Fi and inflight entertainment across their fleet.
