Virgin Atlantic swells US network as reopening spurs sales

Virgin Atlantic Airways will double the number of services it operates to the US, adding back six routes suspended at the start of the coronavirus crisis as the Biden administration relaxes border curbs. The UK carrier will restore flights from London Heathrow to San Francisco starting Saturday, followed by links to Orlando, Florida, and Las Vegas next month, it said Friday. November will also see the resumption of services from Manchester to Orlando and New York, with Atlanta following in December. Richard Branson’s flagship airline is rebuilding capacity in a North Atlantic market that accounted for 80% of revenue before the pandemic shattered global travel. The surprise decision last month to lift an American ban on foreign visitorsprovided an immediate spur to demand, with bookings up 600% overnight. Virgin Atlantic will also extend unlimited free date and flight changes as a further enticement to customers concerned about the risk of renewed Covid curbs and lockdowns, stretching the rebooking horizon to April 2023. The US has yet to specify when Britons and other foreign nationals will be allowed in, saying only that a ban will lift in early November. Officials in a virtual meeting of G-7 transport and health ministers suggested the date could slip to mid-month, a person familiar with the matter has said.<br/>