Virgin Atlantic and WestJet: codeshare expansion and new Toronto-London flight

Virgin Atlantic’s return to Canada is scheduled for March 30, 2025, when the carrier will begin non-stop service between London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Toronto’s Pearson Airport (YYZ). This will be Virgin Atlantic’s first flight to Canada in over a decade.

Flights will be operated on several types of aircraft, including the Airbus A330-900neo.

From winter 2024, WestJet will take advantage of Virgin Atlantic’s international network by adding itineraries including flights operated by the airline. From summer 2025, the expansion of codeshare between airlines will enable WestJet customers to access a range of international destinations via London Heathrow Airport (LHR) thanks to the addition of WestJet’s domestic connections. Departing from Calgary, for example, passengers will have access to numerous one-stop itineraries to destinations such as New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru in India, Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa, Lagos in Nigeria, Dubai and the Maldives.

In addition, this partnership will extend to both airlines’ loyalty programs, WestJet Rewards and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, in 2025. We can therefore expect mutual benefits, i.e. the possibility of accumulating and redeeming points in the preferred program for travel on WestJet or Virgin Atlantic.

The carrier has its own frequent flyer program, the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, whose points can be accumulated using U.S. credit cards, for example. For Canadians without a U.S. credit card, the only way to earn Flying Club points is by transferring Marriott Bonvoy points to the loyalty program. 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 25,000 Flying Club points.

Virgin Atlantic joined the SkyTeam alliance in 2022, which means that it is also possible to book flights on Virgin Atlantic with Flying Blue Miles.

Starting in 2025, it will be easier for WestJet Rewards members and WestJet passengers to earn and redeem WestJet Dollars to fly Virgin Atlantic, due to the expansion of their partnership.

The best way to earn WestJet Dollars fast is to apply for the WestJet RBC^® World Elite Mastercard and take advantage of the welcome offer.

RBC Avion Rewards members can also transfer their Avion points to WestJet Rewards. Sometimes there are transfer promotions to get bonuses, like this latest offer in spring 2024.

Here are a few credit cards that earn WestJet dollars or Avion points:

From March 30, 2025, it will be possible to fly Virgin Atlantic again from Canada thanks to the new route between Toronto-Pearson and London Heathrow (LHR). Also, the expansion of the codeshare between WestJet and Virgin Atlantic at the end of 2024 will enable WestJet customers to reach new horizons to destinations not previously accessible via WestJet, such as India, Africa and the Middle East. From 2025, the partnership between the two airlines will give way to more opportunities to earn and redeem points for flights on WestJet and Virgin Atlantic, although details will be announced at a later date.

For the latest news on WestJet :