Virgin Atlantic announces ANA alliance

Virgin Atlantic Airways and Tokyo based ANA (All Nippon Airways) are delighted to announce that they have agreed a new alliance agreement under which both carriers will work more closely together.

From April 1 this year, Virgin Atlantic and ANA will extend their combination fares – which will allow customers to combine ANA and Virgin Atlantic flights between London and Asia in the same round-trip - from journeys taken in economy class to include premium economy and business class travel, giving them greater choice and convenience.

Furthermore, the range of special joint round the world (RTW) fares utilising the networks of both carriers, that were announced by Virgin Atlantic and ANA in September 2006, will be extended to cover premium economy in addition to the currently available business and economy.

Willy Boulter, Virgin Atlantic’s Group Commercial Director, said: “We are delighted to be signing an alliance agreement with ANA which will enable both carriers to start working closer together in many areas of the business, including airport and inflight services, and hope that this will pave the way to a possible codeshare agreement in the future.”

Mr Katsuhiko Kitabayashi, ANA’s Executive Vice President for International Relations added: “Once again, ANA and Virgin Atlantic are demonstrating the positive benefits to customers that an alliance agreement of this kind can bring.

“We are competitors but work together where possible to strengthen what both carriers have to offer. We look forward to exploring other ways to work together and providing our customers with greater choice and convenience.”

Virgin and ANA first began working together in June 2003, when they tied-up Frequent Flyer Programmes, allowing ANA and Virgin Atlantic passengers to accrue and redeem mileage on each other’s network.

In addition to combination and RTW fares, since September last year, the carriers have also offered Circle Asia fares, which give greater travel options and choices to passengers travelling from the UK through common gateways in Asia. All fare types are subject to mileage accrual and redemption.

In a further move designed to provide even more convenience and simplicity of travel with greater security, Virgin Atlantic and ANA will finalise an interline e-ticket agreement, allowing passengers to combine Virgin Atlantic flights and ANA flights in the same e-ticket.

To commemorate the new alliance agreement, from April 1 to May 31, Virgin Atlantic and ANA will be host an on-line prize draw, in which 20 pairs of economy class London-Tokyo round-trip combination fare tickets can be won. Details may be found on the website of both carriers.

Virgin Atlantic currently flies daily between London Heathrow and Tokyo Narita. Flight VS900 departs Heathrow at 13.00 arriving into Narita at 09.00 the following day. The return flight VS901 departs Narita at 11.00 arriving into Heathrow at 15.30 the same day.

Since it was founded in 1984, Virgin Atlantic Airways has become Britain’s second largest long haul carrier, serving the world’s major cities. Now based at London Gatwick, London Heathrow and Manchester airports, Virgin operates 37 aircraft and flies to 27 destinations worldwide with services launching to Chicago, Nairobi and Mauritius later this year.

ANA flies daily between Tokyo Narita and London Heathrow: flight NH202 departs Heathrow T3 daily at 19:35 arriving in Narita at 15:10 the following day; NH 201 departs Narita at 11:40 and arrives in Heathrow at 15:55 the same day.

Airline of the Year for 2007*, ANA is the seventh largest airline in the world by passenger load (IATA ranking), carrying almost 50 million passengers every year to 50 destinations in Japan and 24 cities throughout Asia, Europe and the US on its fleet of 207 aircraft.

Thanks to its membership of Star Alliance, the world’s foremost airline alliance, ANA passengers enjoy access to a network of over 841 airport destinations in 147 countries, and reciprocal benefits such as mileage accrual and redemption and lounge access.

*Air Transport World magazine’s Airline Achievement Awards.