Virgin Atlantic enhances South African flying programme following UK red list removal

• Daily flights to Johannesburg will resume from 8 November
• Customer favourite Cape Town will restart on 17 December
• Return flights start from as little as £478 per person

Virgin Atlantic is expanding its portfolio of flights to South Africa, following the country’s removal from the UK Red List.  Last week, bookings to the region soared by 150% in 24 hours as a result of the UK Government’s updated travel advice.

From 8 November, flights from London Heathrow to Johannesburg will increase from three times a week to a daily service.  As South Africa’s capital city, not only does Johannesburg offer a gateway to some of the best safaris in the world, but its warm climate provides the perfect escape for Brits seeking some winter sun.  Customers travelling in the airline’s Upper Class cabin, as well as Gold Card members, will also be able to take advantage of Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouse at O.R Tambo international airport, which offers a relaxing space with tasty food and tempting cocktails.

The relaunch of the airline’s Heathrow to Cape Town service is also being brought forward, following a huge surge in customer demand.  From 17 December, Virgin Atlantic will fly three times weekly to the destination famed for its breath-taking scenery and its world-famous wine region.

Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, commented;

“We know there’s pent up customer demand for travel to South Africa, which is reflected in our recent bookings surge, so I’m thrilled we can offer our customers more services to both Johannesburg and Cape Town. 

“We’re expecting a high proportion of leisure travellers on these routes, taking advantage of the winter sun, the safaris and of course, the world-famous wine region.  We can’t wait to fly our customers safely to their South African adventures once more.”

Virgin Atlantic’s South African services will both operate on the airline’s state of the art Boeing 787-9, with 31 Upper Class, 35 Premium and 192 Economy Delight, Classic and Light seats. Flights are available to book now from £478 per person return to Johannesburg and Cape Town services go on sale from 16^th October from £578 per person return.

Virgin Atlantic offers unlimited free date?and?flight?changes for new bookings?as part of a series of?enhancements?to give further flexibility to customers and support their future travel plans.?? Alongside the?improved changes policy, the?rebooking horizon?has been?extended?for all customers?all the way until 30 April 2023, giving a?broader?window?of time to reschedule plans if needed.

14 October 2021