Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic Airways have announced details of a new joint venture flight schedule from March 30, 2014.
The two carriers are “putting the customer at the forefront of their partnership”, by combining their slots at London Heathrow to offer maximum customer convenience.
From April 2, Delta will move its arrival and departure terminal for several business markets to join Virgin Atlantic in Heathrow Terminal 3.
This includes its New York-JFK and Boston services, as well as its new Seattle route, due to launch on March 29.
Craig Kreeger, Virgin Atlantic’s CEO, stated: “We are working on a series of improvements to enhance the travel experience for our customers.
“We already co-locate together at New York’s JFK airport and moving some of Delta’s key business flights to join Virgin Atlantic at Heathrow’s Terminal 3 will enhance convenience and reduce connection times.”
He added: “This demonstrates how our new partnership is going to be making a real difference for customers.”
In cooperation with Virgin Atlantic, Delta will also operate a second daily service between Heathrow and Detroit Metropolitan Airport from June 1.
Virgin Atlantic will move its VS1 Heathrow-Newark service from a late afternoon to a morning departure.
This service is part of nine daily flights between Heathrow and the New York area by the two airlines.
The new schedule will include departures every 30 minutes during the early evening peak and then hourly until 10.30pm from JFK to Heathrow, and a spread of seven daily return flights, including two late afternoon and early evening departures.
Virgin Atlantic’s Heathrow-Boston service will depart two hours later in the afternoon, offering more flexibility to the two airlines’ customers.
Its evening departure from Boston will also be pushed back by two hours.
Delta’s president, Ed Bastian, commented: “A key reason for our joint venture was to offer customers more choice and convenient schedules, especially for our business travellers.
“Combined, the Delta-Virgin partnership now offers our customers 33 daily non-stop flights across the Atlantic.”