VIRGIN ATLANTIC LAUNCHES NEW SERVICE FROM GLASGOW TO LAS VEGAS

PRESS RELEASE

8th July 2014

The airline is expanding its existing Las Vegas services to help meet high demand to one of its flagship leisure destinations for customers based in Scotland - and will be the only scheduled airline to fly on this route.

Craig Kreeger, Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic said: “I am delighted we are continuing to expand our transatlantic service to Las Vegas.

“It’s incredibly important to us to offer customers from all across the UK to our long haul network during peak travel periods – and now even more people can enjoy the Virgin Atlantic renowned customer experience as they travel on their holidays.”

Francois Bourienne, Glasgow Airport’s Commercial Director, said: “This is fantastic news for Scottish travellers as Las Vegas is considered the entertainment capital of the world and is an extremely popular destination.

“We are very proud to have a strong brand such as Virgin Atlantic operating from Glasgow Airport. Its Florida service has grown in popularity every year since launching in 2007 and we are confident Las Vegas will prove to be equally successful.”

The new route will form part of Virgin Atlantic’s Joint Venture with Delta Air Lines, with the US carrier offering the service for sale under the codeshare agreement. Customers will be able to use Delta’s services out of each airport to connect onwards in the US.

Virgin Atlantic flies daily between London Gatwick and Las Vegas and twice a week between Manchester and Las Vegas. This new service from Glasgow means that at peak times there will be 10 flights a week from the UK with an additional 3,600 seats to and from the US city over the season.

A Boeing 747-400 aircraft will operate the new seasonal service on Thursdays in September and October from 2015. The aircraft flying to both US destinations will be configured with 14 Upper Class seats, 66 Premium Economy seats and 375 seats in Economy. 

Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 747-400 fleet are fitted with the award-winning Upper Class Suite, consisting of a reclining leather seat for take off, a place to sit and eat a proper meal opposite a travel companion, one of the longest fully flat beds in the world with a proper mattress for sleeping on, a private onboard bar to enjoy a drink with friends.

Virgin Atlantic offers a unique product for Premium Economy passengers.  They can enjoy dedicated check in at all locations, priority boarding and express baggage reclaim.  The Premium Economy seat offers a wider, more comfortable seat with more leg room, a pre-departure drink and a choice of liqueurs to follow dinner.  Virgin Atlantic’s Economy class continues to offer passengers great value for money and includes added extras such as complimentary drinks and snacks.

 Ends

For further information please contact the Virgin Atlantic press office on 01293 747373.

The VS163 will depart Glasgow at 11.10 and land in Las Vegas at 13.05. It will be operating on 10/9/15, 17/9/15, 24/9/15 and 1/10/15.

The VS164 will depart Las Vegas at 15.35 and land in Glasgow at 09.05 the following morning. It will be operating on 17/9/15, 24/9/15, 1/10/15 and 8/10/15.

Notes to editors

 Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson 30 years ago after he decided the UK aviation industry needed shaking up and having some style injected back into it. On 22nd June 1984, Virgin Atlantic's inaugural flight to Newark took place, on an aircraft filled with personal friends, celebrities and the media.  

Today, Virgin Atlantic flies to 34 destinations worldwide, including locations across North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Far East and Australia.  

In the winter of 2012, Virgin Atlantic announced a joint venture with Delta Air Lines, creating an expanded trans-Atlantic route network and enhancing competition between the UK and North America.  The two airlines now codeshare across 108 routes, offering passengers seamless connections to 66 destinations. 

Virgin Atlantic has pioneered a range of innovations setting new standards of service, which its competitors have subsequently sought to follow.  Recently it redesigned its Upper Class cabin, which included a new seat and a futuristic bar, which is the longest in the sky. Additionally, its entire leisure fleet of aircraft recently competed a £50 million renovation and includes a newly designed more comfortable seat and a brand new touch screen in-flight entertainment system, offering over 300 hours of the latest films, television shows, music and games.

Virgin Atlantic has enjoyed huge popularity, winning top business, consumer and trade awards from around the world. In 2013, the airline won the Observer Ethical Award for our sustainable fuels initiative with LanzaTech, recognising our partnership to commercialise low carbon, cost-competitive aviation biofuels. LanzaTech have also just won the Guardian Sustainable Business Awards for Carbon and Energy Management (Innovation).  

Virgin Atlantic has also been awarded a Smart Technologies Award from The Wearables 2014 for its innovative trial of Google Glass and Sony Smart Watches in its Upper Class Wing.  Other awards include best long haul airline and best airport lounge at the Telegraph Ultra Travel Awards and Europe’s leading airline lounge for the Heathrow Clubhouse at The World Travel Awards. The airline was recently placed 8th in the UK Coolest Brands League and last year was named Travel Brand of the Decade .  

Virgin Atlantic currently has a fleet of 39 aircraft which includes comprised of Boeing 747s, Airbus A340-600s, A340-300 and A330-300s as well as four leased A320s on Little Red routes. The airline is expecting delivery of 16 Boeing 787 Dreamliners from September 2014.