Virgin Atlantic and Kenya Airways have announced a new codeshare partnership agreement, providing greater access to Nairobi and beyond into East Africa.
As part of the first phase of the agreement, customers will be allowed booking through Virgin Atlantic to directly purchase flights on Kenya Airways’ Heathrow to Nairobi service.
In turn, Kenya Airways customers will soon have the opportunity to connect via London Heathrow onto a number of Virgin Atlantic’s luxurious Caribbean destinations, including Barbados, The Bahamas, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Kenya Airways is one of the leading airlines in Africa and a fellow member of the SkyTeam alliance.
Virgin Atlantic’s Gold and Silver Flying Club members, alongside Kenya Airways Asante Rewards Platinum and Gold members can take advantage of SkyPriority services at London Heathrow and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, including priority check in, baggage handling and boarding.
Both airline’s membership of SkyTeam has also allowed Flying Club members to reach their rewards faster.
Opportunities to earn Virgin Points and Tier Points, alongside Virgin Points redemptions, have been in place since March 2023.
Additionally, Flying Club members can take advantage of earning Virgin Points by booking luxury safari holidays through both Virgin Atlantic Holidays and Virgin Limited Edition.
Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, said: “We’re delighted to launch our partnership with Kenya Airways.
“As a fellow member of the SkyTeam alliance, we know our customers will enjoy a seamless travel experience, with more opportunities to earn and spend their miles with increased benefits for our SkyPriority members.
“We’re committed to enhancing connectivity and as the only UK airline to codeshare on the Heathrow to Nairobi route, we’ll be providing more choice and flexibility for customers booking with Virgin Atlantic.”
Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer of Kenya Airways, said: “We are excited to embark on this transformative partnership with Virgin Atlantic.
“By leveraging our complementary strengths and networks, we aim to enrich the travel experience for our valued customers, offering them greater choice, convenience and connectivity to key destinations in the world.”
Access to Kenya from the UK is now more accessible than ever before. From January this year, visitors from outside of Africa, including the United Kingdom, will only require an online authorisation to travel to Kenya, instead of a full visa.
As fellow members of the SkyTeam alliance, Virgin Atlantic and Kenya Airways also have a shared ethos on sustainability.
In October 2022, Virgin Atlantic welcomed the first of 16 A330-900neos to the fleet, continuing its transformation towards 100 percent next generation aircraft by 2027.
In November 2023, Virgin Atlantic led an industry consortium to deliver the first 100 percent SAF flight across the transatlantic demonstrating that 100 percent SAF can be used safely as a drop in fuel in existing infrastructure, engines and airframes.
In May 2023, Kenya Airways also became the first African airline to fly possibly the most sustainable commercial long-haul flight from Nairobi to Amsterdam.
