Virgin Atlantic and Kenya Airways have announced a new codeshare partnership between the carriers. The new agreement will provide Virgin passengers greater access to flights from London-Heathrow (LHR) to the Kenyan capital Nairobi and via connecting flights to other destinations across East Africa. Meanwhile, Kenya Airways customers will be able to connect seamlessly on Virgin flights from London-Heathrow and heading to Virgin destinations in the United States and the Caribbean. Both carriers are members of the SkyTeam alliance,
The first phase of the agreement, which launched on March 19, 2024, allows customers booking through Virgin Atlantic to directly purchase flights on Kenya Airways’ daily Heathrow to Nairobi services. Coming soon, customers of the African carrier will be able to book directly onto Virgin’s transatlantic services from London.
“We’re delighted to launch our partnership with Kenya Airways,” said Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic. “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,” he added.
The agreement will also allow Gold and Silver tier members of Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club loyalty program, alongside Platinum and Gold members of Kenya Airways’ Asante Rewards program to take advantage of SkyPriority services at London-Heathrow and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) which include dedicated check-in desks, baggage handling services, and priority boarding.
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.
“We are excited to embark on this transformative partnership with Virgin Atlantic,” said Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer of Kenya Airways. “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.”
The codeshare agreement is the latest step in the improvement of air links between the United Kingdom and Kenya. In January 2024, visitors from outside of Africa, including the UK, will only require an online authorization to travel to Kenya, instead of a full visa which was required previously.