Delta Moves Some International Flights to Heathrow's Terminal 3

delta air linesDelta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic Airways are becoming closer partners at London’s Heathrow Airport. Starting April 2, Delta is moving its arrival and departure terminal for several important business markets including London to New York-JFK, London to Boston, and new London to Seattle services to Heathrow's Terminal 3.

The airline says it should be convenient for many travelers and save time on certain connections. The two airlines have also introduced a dedicated New York-to-London schedule.

"From the outset of our partnership with Virgin Atlantic we have been committed to putting the customer first and creating more competition on trans-Atlantic routes," said Ed Bastian, president, Delta, who added that the co-location of key business flights is another step forward in delivering that commitment. 

RELATED: Delta and Virgin Atlantic Expand New York-London Services

"Today marks another important step in our joint venture with Delta,” said Craig Kreeger, CEO, Virgin Atlantic. “We're really pleased to welcome Delta customers into our home at Terminal 3…Virgin Atlantic prides itself on seamless journeys for our customers and we can now extend that to Delta's New York, Boston and Seattle customers through an enhanced flying schedule and smoother connections.”

The two airlines' summer schedule includes a total of 32 peak daily nonstop flights between North America and the United Kingdom. Not all, however, will arrive at Heathrow’s Terminal 3. Delta will continue to operate its Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis services from London Heathrow's Terminal 4.

Separately, this week Delta reported consolidated passenger unit revenue (PRASM) for the month of March that was up 1 percent year-over-year with what Delta characterized in a press release as “continued strength in the domestic entity.”

The airline said the calendar placement of the Easter holiday, though, has resulted in a shift of revenue between March and April. Unit revenues for March and April combined are expected to increase 3 to four percent year-over-year.

In March 2014, Delta completed 99.8 percent of its scheduled flights. The on-time arrival rate was 84.3 percent.