Virgin Atlantic is expanding its presence in Asia and the Pacific by forging a codeshare pact with Korean Air.
The agreement starts on the Heathrow-Seoul route from tomorrow (Saturday) and will be extended in June to provide onward connections to a range of destinations throughout Japan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.
Korean Air is one of the founding members of the SkyTeam alliance, which Virgin Atlantic joined earlier this month.
The deal comes ahead of Virgin Atlantic returning to China with service to Shanghai from May 1 alongside an expanded codeshare with IndiGo throughout India and beyond.
Chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen said: “We’re pleased to launch a codeshare with Korean Air, as we know such agreements bring an array of benefits to our customers.
“As one of Asia’s major carriers, Virgin Atlantic customers can benefit from its extensive route network, that will offer more choice throughout Asia and Australasia.
“Our enrolment into SkyTeam, of which Korean Air is a founding member, enhances customers’ benefits further.
“Our Flying Club members can enjoy SkyPriority benefits at both London Heathrow and Seoul Incheon as well as earning and redeeming miles across Korean Air’s network.”