Virgin America, a US-based low cost airline company, has announced that it is entering into its first ever code share with its sister-branded, Australia-based airline, Virgin Australia.
The company has commenced selling tickets in Australia from July 4, 2012, for Virgin America flights from Los Angeles to Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Philadelphia, Portland, Seattle and Washington DC.
Passengers may book at www.virginaustralia.com, for a single ticket when travelling from Australia to various destinations in the US.
Diana Walke, the airline vice president of planning and sales, said, ‘This is the first-ever code share agreement for our young airline and we are excited to offer a more seamless experience to travellers from both sides of the Pacific, especially our most loyal guests, those who seek out the award-winning service for which Virgin airlines are known.’
The airline has recently moved to a new reservations system, which has allowed it to implement its initial code share alliance, and also to expand its interline agreements.
Merren McArthur, the Virgin Australia group executive of alliances, network and yield, said, ‘The United States is a very important market for Australia; it is the third most popular international destination for Australian visitors and our fourth biggest source of overseas visitors to Australia. We are delighted to offer Virgin Australia guests access to Virgin America services in the United States and to offer them frequent flyer recognition throughout the journey.’
Virgin America is currently operating with a new fleet, featuring state of the art entertainment systems, in-flight WiFi and three classes of service.
