Why is Virgin Atlantic joining SkyTeam?

“We want to reward those who choose to fly with Virgin Atlantic and our Flying Club members deserve the very best loyalty proposition. Our SkyTeam membership offers this through a global network of maximised reward opportunities, alongside enhanced services on the ground and in the skies.”



Virgin Atlantic officially joined the SkyTeam alliance in 2023, and by 2026, the strategic benefits of this move have become fully integrated. The primary reason was to formalize and strengthen its existing "transatlantic joint venture" with Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM. By joining SkyTeam, Virgin Atlantic moved from being a "boutique" carrier to part of a global network of over 1,000 destinations. For the airline, it provided a massive influx of connecting passengers from partners like China Eastern, ITA Airways, and Korean Air, filling seats on its long-haul routes. For travelers, the benefits are significant: Flying Club members can now earn and redeem Virgin Points across all 18+ SkyTeam airlines, and Gold members receive "SkyTeam Elite Plus" status, granting them access to over 750 lounges worldwide regardless of which alliance member they are flying. This move allowed Virgin to compete more effectively with the massive British Airways/Oneworld presence at London Heathrow, offering a seamless, "one-ticket" experience for global travel while maintaining its unique, "red-carpet" brand identity.

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Emirates has collaborated with other airlines, but is not a member of any of the three global airline alliances – Oneworld, SkyTeam, or Star Alliance. In 2000, the airline briefly considered joining Star Alliance, but opted to remain independent.

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This airline is rated amount the Top 10 carriers on Flight-Report. Frequent travelers give the airline an average rating of 8.3/10.

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It's called code sharing. Delta and Virgin are partners (Delta owns 49% of Virgin Atlantic and effectively controls it). In code sharing, an airline sells seats on another carrier's flights under its own name. So Delta (operates by Virgin) means a Virgin aircraft, sold under a Delta flight number.

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Programmes on the channel are also offered to Sky customers via on-demand channels including the On Demand and Sky Go services and Now TV. Both BT TV and Virgin Media had held talks with Sky over the new channel but have been unable to agree a carriage deal, in Virgin's case due to pricing.

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KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the oldest scheduled airline in the world still operating under its original name – and Virgin Atlantic are very proud to welcome such a prestigious partner. Together with KLM we can offer passengers more travel options from the UK to Canada and the United States via Amsterdam.

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How much are 10,000 Virgin Atlantic points worth? According to NerdWallet's analysis, 10,000 Virgin Atlantic points are worth about $110.

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