Virgin Australia: Breaking up with Delta Airlines

Virgin Australia has a codeshare and frequent flyer tie-up with Delta Airlines starting a decade ago, but that will all end in 2022.

     
“We will work closely with Delta over the coming months to transition our Velocity partnership, and of course, all bookings will continue to be honoured when Delta customers fly on Virgin Australia.”   

Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka

All current Delta bookings will be honoured by Virgin as will Delta customer bookings on Virgin Australia flights. Velocity and SkyMiles Points/miles and Status Credit earn and redemption will also continue after the breakup. Virgin is waiting until 2022 to provide full details of transitional arrangements as the partnership ends. F

Move out Delta, move-in United

All of this because, Virgin Australia has signed a new partnership agreement with United Airlines, to commence in 2022. Look out for the next post on those details.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

I always think changing which American airline you have an alliance with is a little like re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. However, commentators who know far more than me about USA airlines, tend to rate Delta over United and American. I still have a fondness for United as it was the first USA airline I flew with. I don’t think I have ever flown with Delta.