Virgin Atlantic sees robust demand for premium seats this winter

Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. sees very robust demand for travel in its business and premium economy cabins this winter, as fliers continue to spend on luxury travel. While economy demand was “slightly weaker,” it was in line with the carrier’s expectations with fares “relatively stable,” Virgin’s CEO Shai Weiss said in an interview on Monday. The carrier has between zero and two Boeing Co. 787s grounded due to issues with their Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc engines, although Weiss doesn’t expect the grounding to impact fares. Airlines on both sides of the Atlantic are seeing continued demand for premium travel. Last week, Delta Air Lines Inc, which part owns Virgin Atlantic, said it would expand its premium seating and expects millennial travelers to buy many of those pricier tickets. Virgin, along with larger rival British Airways has been forced to scrap some routes next summer due to a shortage of aircraft caused by 787 maintenance. Virgin has said it would delay the restart of services to Tel Aviv and a new service to Ghana due to a lack of planes. <br/>