Virgin Atlantic and China Eastern announced a new codeshare agreement that will result, according to the companies, in “strengthening vital business and leisure connections to East Asia and providing greater access to more destinations throughout China.”
The first phase of the agreement will allow customers booking through Virgin Atlantic to connect seamlessly from the airline’s Heathrow hub to Shanghai services to other destinations in China on one ticket, including Chengdu, Changsha, Qingdao, Shenzhen and Xi’an.
China Eastern is a fellow member of the SkyTeam alliance, which Virgin Atlantic joined last year. Since November, the two airlines have been co-located at Shanghai Pudong Terminal One. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold and Silver members and China Eastern Miles members at that terminal can take advantage of SkyPriority services, including priority check-in, boarding and extra baggage.
The expanded codeshare also allows Flying Club members to reach their rewards faster, with opportunities to earn Virgin Points and Tier Points on every codeshare flight with China Eastern. The option to spend Virgin Points is expected to follow shortly.
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