SAS and Virgin Atlantic agree codeshare deal

SAS and Virgin Atlantic have agreed a codeshare deal, which the carriers said will “strengthen” connections across the Nordics.  

Set to launch on 7 October, 2024, the codeshare partnership will allow travellers on Virgin Atlantic flights from the US and Canada to connect “seamlessly” via London Heathrow and Manchester airports to SAS services to Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stavanger and Bergen. 

SAS customers, meanwhile, will be able to connect via Heathrow to Virgin Atlantic’s Caribbean, African, Middle East and South Asian destinations, including Barbados, Jamaica, the Maldives, Cape Town and Johannesburg, subject to government approval.

Following the Scandinavian carrier’s recent entry into the SkyTeam airline alliance, travellers will also be able to earn and redeem loyalty points via the two carriers’ respective loyalty programmes, while top-tier members will also receive reciprocal benefits such as priority check-in and boarding and lounge access. 

SAS chief commercial officer, Paul Verhagen, said: “We are very pleased to launch this new codeshare partnership with Virgin Atlantic, expanding SAS’s global reach and offering our customers even more travel options to new and exciting destinations such as Barbados, Jamaica, and Antigua, with additional destinations to be introduced later.

Virgin Atlantic CCO, Juha Jarvinen, added: “We’re delighted to launch a codeshare with our SkyTeam partners at SAS, enhancing our connectivity and offering greater customer benefits to our frequent flyers, who will be able to achieve rewards faster.”