Virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand Introduce Code-Share

By Sophia Bruneau Jan 12, 2011 1:00am

Virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand signed a new code sharing agreement that may ultimately help maximize flexibility and offerings on flights between the UK and New Zealand. This could be good news for travelers flying between the two countries.

The agreement could prove beneficial to Virgin Atlantic customers in terms of providing "more choice" on routes between the UK and New Zealand. Connecting services can be booked from a range of routes including, Los Angeles to Rarotonga, San Francisco to Auckland, Sydney to Auckland, Sydney to Christchurch, Auckland to Wellington, and Auckland to Queenstown. Air New Zealand’s NZ code will give passengers the ability to book on the UK carrier’s services from London Heathrow, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Sydney.

The agreement further solidifies the already long-standing relationship between the two airlines. With the already implemented Frequent Flyer Partnership, a customer can now receive the same complementary services and products on either carrier. Both services also strive to provide a ‘seamless transfer experience’ for customers making a connection across their network. Steve Ridgway, CEO of Virgin Atlantic commented that both airlines provide excellent services and that they "complement each other perfectly."

Rob Fyfe, CEO of Air New Zealand said: "This new code share agreement provides yet further connectivity options for our customers as well as providing important connectivity for Virgin Atlantic customers to New Zealand and also the Cook Islands."

The two carriers expect the new code sharing agreement to be enforced by February 28.

Visit www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/us/index.jsp.

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