Delta Air Lines will soon add its code on Virgin Atlantic flights from London to South Africa, providing more travel options for passengers flying to South Africa. The codeshare also deepens the strong ties between Delta and Virgin, which have partnered on multiple levels.
Delta’s multiple daily flights to London will allow passengers from the US to seamlessly connect to South Africa. While Delta Air Lines already flies nonstop to the country, it will potentially capitalize on some untapped demand between the two countries.
More Travel Options To South Africa
Delta Air Lines and virgin Atlantic tailsPhoto: Ceri Breeze | Shutterstock
As reported by Aeroroutes, Delta will add its code on Virgin flights from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Johannesburg OR Tambo (JNB) starting August 7 and to Cape Town International Airport (CPT) starting October 13. Passengers can fly nonstop from Delta’s hubs to the UK and seamlessly connect to Johannesburg or Cape Town, giving them more choices to fly between the US and South Africa.
Virgin operates a year-round daily service to Johannesburg and a seasonal daily service to Cape Town with the Boeing 787-9. Flights to Cape Town will resume on October 13, 2025, running till April 19, 2026. This winter, flights to Johannesburg will depart at 19:40 and arrive at 08:40 local time. Meanwhile, Cape Town flights depart at 22:30 and arrive at 12:05.
Virgin’s 787-9s offer 192 seats in economy, 35 in premium (premium economy), and 31 in upper class (business class). Cape Town and Johannesburg are, in fact, Virgin Atlantic’s longest nonstop routes from Heathrow, clocking at 5,209 NM (9,647 km) and 4,884 NM (9,045 km), respectively. Virgin competes with British Airways on both routes, with the flag carrier offering 17 weekly flights to Johannesburg and 14 to Cape Town.
Delta And Virgin’s Transatlantic Partnership
Apart from being SkyTeam members, Delta Air Lines and Virgin operate a transatlantic joint venture, giving passengers access to more benefits and seamless connectivity between the US and the UK. The two carriers operate in the same terminal at London Heathrow. This year, Virgin is celebrating five years of partnership with Delta, Air France, and KLM.
Passengers flying on Virgin Atlantic can earn Delta SkyMiles, with Medallion members enjoying benefits like priority services and lounge access. Similarly, Flying Club members can earn and redeem Virgin points and tier points when flying with Delta. This includes flights operated by Delta Shuttle and Delta Connection. Passengers will earn a percentage of the miles they have flown, depending on the cabin they book.
Delta Air Lines currently offers up to 99 weekly flights from the US to three UK airports – London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Edinburgh. The carrier offers 68 weekly flights to Heathrow from seven airports. The Heathrow connections are as follows:
Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic offers 184 weekly flights from Edinburgh, London, and Manchester to 11 destinations in the US. The carrier offers 157 flights from Heathrow. New York-JFK is the most served from the London airport with 42 weekly flights, followed by Los Angeles with 21, and Orlando with 17. However, Orlando has the widest connectivity, with flights from all three airports.
Delta And Virgin’s Africa Network
While Delta will codeshare with Virgin Atlantic on flights to JNB and CPT, the carrier operates its own nonstop flights from the US. It currently offers daily nonstop flights from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) to Johannesburg and three weekly flights from Atlanta to Cape Town with the Airbus A350-900. The two services are the longest nonstop flights to and from the African continent.
Overall, Delta offers 27 weekly flights to Africa, with daily flights from Atlanta to Lagos (Nigeria) and from New York to Accra (Ghana) and three weekly flights from New York to Dakar (Senegal). The carrier will expand its network later this year, adding three weekly flights from Atlanta to Marrakesh (Morocco) and a daily service from Atlanta to Accra.
Meanwhile, Johannesburg and Cape Town are Virgin’s only African destinations. The carrier planned to resume flights to Accra in May, marking the end of a 12-year hiatus, but ultimately halted those plans.
Source: https://simpleflying.com/delta-air-lines-codeshare-virgin-atlantic-flights-south-africa/
