A range of new transatlantic travel options have been created through the first codeshare pact between Virgin Atlantic, Air France and KLM.
The new agreement runs alongside the UK carrier’s existing links with US shareholder Delta Air Lines on flights to the US.
The deal with the European airlines opens up 58 new routes from 18 UK airports across the Atlantic with Air France and KLM.
Examples include Edinburgh-Toronto via Amsterdam and Heathrow-Chicago via Paris.
The airports include Aberdeen, Belfast, Belfast City, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Durham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Humberside, Inverness, Leeds-Bradford, London City, Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Newcastle and Norwich.
Air France and KLM customers can also access 24 routes to North America on flights operated by Virgin Atlantic and Delta with connections via Heathrow or Manchester. These include Miami from Amsterdam via Heathrow alongside increased options to fly between Paris and New York JFK via Manchester.
Virgin Atlantic passengers can also connect onto Delta flights to the US via Amsterdam and Paris.
Meanwhile, Air France and KLM customers have additional options to fly either non-stop or via the UK on all Delta services to the US.
Travellers booked on a codeshare will gain seamless connections and a single booking reference. They will also be able to earn miles, and redeem them via their own airline’s loyalty scheme.
Virgin Atlantic, Delta and Air France–KLM are set to form an expanded joint venture later this year.
The airlines will be founding members of a $13 billion transatlantic partnership between the UK, Europe and North America, offering more than 300 daily transatlantic flights, 108 non-stop routes and over 340 destinations, subject to final clearance from regulators.