Virgin Australia is seeking approval to codeshare on Virgin America services in order to capitalise on the ongoing popularity of the US among Australian travellers.
The carrier proposes to put its VA code on Virgin America services from Los Angeles to Portland, Chicago, Washington, Boston, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Philadelphia and Seattle, subject to regulatory approval.
“The United States is a very important market for Australia; it is the third most popular international destination for Australian visitors and our fourth biggest source for overseas visitors to Australia,” group executive of alliances, network, yield Merren McArthur said.
“We know that connectivity within the United States is extremely important to Australian travellers, with around 60% of guests travelling on to other destinations following their arrival in the country.”
Virgin Australia and alliance partner Delta Air Lines currently offer 21 flights a week from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to 13 destinations in the US.
Approval is expected within the next couple of months, with Virgin Australia saying it will “move quickly” to implement the codeshare “as soon as possible”.
