It’s always special when an airline celebrates an anniversary – and even more special when it’s their ruby one - 40th - and their corporate colour is unabashedly red. (This one even has a rewards program called Virgin Red.)
So the mood was upbeat at the offices of the British Consulate General in downtown Toronto on 14AUG when Simon Hawkins of Virgin Atlantic (VS) met with a group of travel trade media to discuss the carrier’s anniversary, and fill us in on details about the carrier’s launch plans for flights between London Heathrow and Toronto early next year.
“We call ourselves the most-loved travel company,” he told the group. And if a carrier can score points with clients based on innovation, verve and cheekiness, Virgin scores high indeed.
Hawkins, who is head of the Americas (US, Canada and Caribbean) for Virgin Atlantic, shared news about the service, which will commence daily flights 30MAR next year. A combination of A330-900 neos and A330-300s will serve the route, with a mix of Upper Class, Premium, Economy Delight and Light seats.
He was careful to emphasize the carrier’s partnership with DL/KL/AF which in total now comprise 26% of the massive transatlantic lift. “And we are looking to expand our partnership with WestJet.” Eventually, the plan is to capitalize on synergies with Virgin’s tour operator arm to feature package holidays in the Canadian market. The company’s travel portfolio now includes hotels – such as its newest in London’s Shoreditch neighbourhood – trains and even balloon flights.
It’s clearly a point of pride that Virgin offers the “youngest and greenest fleet” across the Atlantic, Bluetooth enabled and with wireless charging at your seat. The average age of the fleet is just 7 years.
“And we are always competitive from a price perspective,” Hawkins added.
Agents with long memories may recall an earlier Virgin Atlantic incursion into servicing Toronto-Heathrow back in 2001, sadly curtailed by 9/11.
This time around, London Heathrow will be the arrival airport, chosen as a key connecting hub. Virgin itself offers 5 flights daily to India, and LHR is also just 17 minutes from Paddington Station via the Heathrow Express, or a convenient ride on the Elizabeth underground (subway) line direct to central London.
No doubt the airline, launched all those years ago with founder and serial entrepreneur Richard Branson’s legendarily cheeky attitude of “Screw it, let’s do it” is going all out to combine that outside-the-box thinking with the harsh realities of operating a successful carrier today.
And where’s Richard, now 74? “We see him on a regular basis,” Hawkins told us. “Still the original disrupter, and still full of ideas!”
Find out more about Virgin Atlantic here.
