Virgin Atlantic and GOL announce codeshare partnership
- Virgin Atlantic and GOL announce codeshare that will serve 37 destinations across Brazil
- Virgin Atlantic’s brand new London Heathrow – Sao Paulo service goes on sale 10 September 2019
- The inaugural flight to Sao Paulo and beyond will fly on 29 March 2020
- Virgin Atlantic and GOL plan to expand the codeshare further into South America soon as well as reciprocal frequent flyer program.
Virgin Atlantic and GOL have announced a new codeshare agreement which will allow customers to seamlessly connect from Virgin Atlantic’s brand new London Heathrow – Sao Paulo service onto flights across Brazil. GOL is the largest domestic carrier in Brazil and will offer connections to 37 destinations across the country, including Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Recife. Virgin Atlantic and GOL plan to expand their codeshare further in the near future with the addition of flights to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, in addition to a reciprocal frequent flyer programme expected soon*.
Flights from London Heathrow to Sao Paulo and beyond will go on sale on Tuesday 10th September 2019. Virgin Atlantic will fly daily from London Heathrow to Sao Paulo with the inaugural flight on 29 March 2020. Virgin Atlantic will fly a Boeing 787-9 to the South American business capital and customers will be able to enjoy Virgin Atlantic’s signature Upper Class, Premium and Economy Delight, Classic and Light. The South American service will also be an important route for Virgin Atlantic’s Cargo customers.
Virgin Atlantic’s codeshare will open up a vast array of destinations across the fifth largest country in the world. Leisure favourites include surfer hotspot Florianopolis, the Amazon jungle via Manaus and the pristine coastline of Recife. For business travellers, popular connections will include; the Brazilian capital Brasilia, world famous Rio de Janeiro and industrial hub Curitiba.
Customers travelling on Virgin Atlantic and GOL can expect an excellent connecting experience. With matching baggage allowances across the two airlines as well as baggage being checked through to their destination, it will make flying to Brazil a breeze. Both airlines offer Wi-Fi and inflight entertainment across their fleet.
Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic commented;
“We’re delighted to announce our codeshare agreement with GOL. Brazil is such a rich and diverse country and we’ll be able to offer seamless connections for customers from our brand new London Heathrow to Sao Paulo service onto 37 destinations across Brazil. With flights on sale from Tuesday 10th September 2019 and the first flight on 29 March 2020, customers will soon be able to enjoy Virgin Atlantic’s signature service to South America’s largest country.”
Eduardo Bernardes Neto, SVP Sales & Distribution at GOL commented,
“We’re delighted to partner with Virgin Atlantic ahead of its arrival into Brazil next year. GOL offers a leading route network and high quality service and we’re thrilled to be able to connect even more customers thanks to our new partnership with Virgin Atlantic.”
Key facts:
Service operates: London Heathrow (LHR) – Sao Paulo (GRU)
Frequency: Daily, year-round, starting 29 March 2020
Flight time: 11 hours and 55 minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
Flight times: VS197 – departs LHR 22:30, arrives GRU 06:25
VS198 – departs GRU 16:25, arrives LHR 07:50
Configuration: 31 Upper, 35 Premium, 36 Economy delight and 156 Economy classic/light
What’s included: A full service on board offering including complimentary food and drink, over 300 hours of entertainment (movies, TV and music) Wi-Fi from £2.99
