Since the Covid-19 pandemic and the various volatile political situations that have rocked the planet, airfares have been at an all-time high. This is certainly the case for the popular London–Dubai route, which sees hundreds of thousands of expats and tourists fly across the world to and from the emirate and the UK capital, on airlines like Emirates and British Airways. Now, a new player has entered the market, with the promise of more competition, and with it, slightly lower fares. British airline Virgin Atlantic has returned to Dubai, once again operating its popular London Heathrow-DXB route.
The route will run four times a week seasonally from now through 25 March, with the service making its come back on 30 October. The airline expects the new route to be popular with the season’s UK leisure travellers looking for winter sun escapes, and for British expats travelling to and from the UK for the festive season. Virgin Atlantic flights to Dubai were last operated in March 2019.
Travellers will be able to enjoy the route aboard the airline’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which offers customers a wide arrange of flexibility with 31 Upper Class, 35 Premium and 192 Economy Delight, Classic and Light seats. The new service will also offer seamless connections and a consistent long-haul onboard experience for those customers connecting from Dubai via London Heathrow to destinations throughout North America across both the Virgin Atlantic and Delta networks, including New York, Seattle, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Return flights will start from AED2,533 per person.
‘We’ve long wanted to return to Dubai when the time was right, and we know our customers will be over the moon with the reintroduction of this popular route,’ said Liezl Gericke, head of international at Virgin Atlantic. ‘Nothing sets our hearts soaring like a new destination or reintroducing an old favourite. We look forward to welcoming our customers back on board, whether travelling for business or leisure or heading back to the United Kingdom to reconnect with friends and family.’
‘We’re thrilled to welcome VirginAtlantic to Dubai International (DXB), the world’s busiest and one of the most iconic aviation hubs,’ said Rob Whitehouse, vice president of research at Dubai Airports. ‘Dubai Airports’ partnership with Virgin Atlantic goes back many years and this launch marks an exciting chapter in our joint vision of providing travellers with an exemplary guest experience, on the ground and in the air. This new addition strengthens our connectivity and enhances the global appeal of Dubai as a destination and gateway to other cities.’
