Virgin Atlantic announced on Thursday October 14 that it is expanding its portfolio of flights to South Africa, following the country’s removal from the Red List.
Last week, bookings to the region soared by 150 percent in 24 hours as a result of the UK Government’s updated travel advice.
From November 8, flights from London Heathrow to Johannesburg will increase from three times a week to a daily service. Virgin Atlantic stated that as South Africa’s capital city, not only does Johannesburg offer a gateway to some of the best safaris in the world, but its warm climate provides the perfect escape for Brits seeking some winter sun.
Customers travelling in the airline’s Upper Class cabin, as well as Gold Card members, will also be able to take advantage of Virgin Atlantic’s award-winning Clubhouse at O.R Tambo international airport, which it says offers a relaxing space with tasty food and tempting cocktails.
The relaunch of the airline’s Heathrow to Cape Town service is also being brought forward, following a huge surge in customer demand. From December 17, Virgin Atlantic will fly three times weekly to the destination famed for its scenery and its world-famous wine region.
Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic chief commercial officer, commented: ‘We know there’s pent up customer demand for travel to South Africa, which is reflected in our recent bookings surge, so I’m thrilled we can offer our customers more services to both Johannesburg and Cape Town.
‘We’re expecting a high proportion of leisure travellers on these routes, taking advantage of the winter sun, the safaris and of course, the world-famous wine region. We can’t wait to fly our customers safely to their South African adventures once more.’
Virgin Atlantic’s South African services will both operate on the airline’s state of the art Boeing 787-9, with 31 Upper Class, 35 Premium and 192 Economy Delight, Classic and Light seats. Flights are available to book now from £478 per person return to Johannesburg and Cape Town services go on sale from October 16 from £578 per person return.
