On March 2, 2023, Virgin Atlantic formally joined SkyTeam, one of the three global airline alliances.
The airline, which operates out of Manchester Airport (MAN) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR), will join SkyTeam as the first UK-based carrier. A joint venture (JV) between Delta Air Lines, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic was founded with Virgin Atlantic as a founding partner. In February 2020, the JV began operating on transatlantic flights.
Delta Air Lines owns 49% of the British airline’s stock, while Richard Branson and Nik Powell’s conglomerate Virgin Group owns the remaining 51%.
“SkyTeam shares a customer-first ethos that mirrors our own and our entry into the alliance today marks an important milestone in achieving our vision to become the most-loved travel company,” commented Shai Weiss, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Virgin Atlantic.
According to Weiss, the carrier’s loyalty program members “deserve the very best,” and the SkyTeam membership “offers this through a global network of maximized reward opportunities, alongside enhanced services on the ground and in the skies.”
Meanwhile, Patrick Roux, the CEO of SkyTeam, added that “the UK is a key market for SkyTeam and with Virgin Atlantic on board, customers can look forward to more opportunities to earn and redeem miles as they fly, enjoying the iconic travel experience that makes our newest member a globally loved airline.”
