VSbulletin COVID-19 Ongoing Travel Disruption - Update 14 May
14 May 2021
News
Virgin Atlantic
There continues to be ongoing disruption to travel following the national lockdown in the UK and travel restrictions to and from many of the countries we operate to.
As a result of the dynamic and fast-moving travel environment, we continue to make schedule changes which will affect our Flying Programme for the coming weeks.
We are reducing frequencies on several routes and to ensure impacted passengers can continue with their travel plans, they will be reprotected to the most suitable alternative departure.
Where a flight is cancelled, and to due limited operations to these destinations, there will be no reprotection option available, these sectors will appear as UN.
We’re continually reviewing our flying programme and holiday schedules and in response to the ongoing impact of Covid-19 restrictions, we have taken the difficult decision to delay the restart of some of our services. These include London Heathrow to Cape Town and Las Vegas and Manchester to Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles. We will also be delaying the launch of our new service from London Heathrow to St Vincent. We remain committed to launching our St Vincent route, with flights now starting on 13 October 2021.
Bookings affected by these changes will be updated in your GDS on Saturday 15 May 2021. Our most up to date flexibility policy can be found here
The following flights are cancelled:
Cancellations
Effective Until and including
Caribbean
ANU-SVD-ANU
12 October
USA
LHR-LAS-LHR
30 June
MAN-LAX-MAN
30 June
MAN-ATL-MAN
30 June
MAN-JFK-MAN
19 June
China
LHR-PVG-LHR
1 June
South Africa
LHR-CPT-LHR
5 June
LHR-JNB-LHR
2 June
Pakistan
MAN-ISB-MAN
2 June
We are also making some frequency updates for May, June and July on selected routes.
During May we plan to maintain operations on the following routes, subject to late changes:
Operating
Frequency
Caribbean
LHR-BGI-LHR
2 per week
LHR-MBJ-LHR
18-31 May, 3 per week
USA
LHR-ATL-LHR
3 per week
LHR-BOS-LHR
1 per week
LHR-JFK-LHR
7 per week
LHR-LAX-LHR
5 per week
LHR-MIA-LHR
1 per week
India
BOM-LHR only
1-19 May, 2 per week 20-31 May, 3 per week
LHR-DEL
1 flight on 17 May
DEL-LHR
1-17 May, 3 per week 19-31 May, 2 per week
Pakistan
LHR-LHE-LHR
3 per week
LHR-ISB-LHR
3 per week
Hong Kong
HKG-LHR only
3 per week
Nigeria
LHR-LOS-LHR
7 per week
Israel
LHR-TLV-LHR
4 per week
We will continue to keep our website up to date with all the latest updates to schedule and travel restrictions.
Please check here regularly for updates and here for specific flight status.
We encourage agents with customers booked to travel over the next few days to check the official Government advice for the UK and the destination, before heading to the airport.
Please ensure the latest traveller contact information is available within the booking. Travelling from England
From 17 May, non-essential international travel will be permitted again, and customers won’t need to fill in a Declaration to Travel form.
However, if they're travelling from England to anywhere outside the UK up to and including 16 May, they must carry evidence of a legally permitted reason to travel and a completed declaration form.
Customers must check the testing and quarantine requirements they need to comply with for their destination country before they travel.
Travelling to England
The United Kingdom is taking steps to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Customers arriving in England up to and including 16 May, are required to have two PCR tests, on day 2 and day 8 of their 10-day quarantine. If arriving from a 'red list’ country, passengers will also need to quarantine in a government-approved hotel.
It is vital that all arriving customers comply with these testing and quarantine requirements and complete the online Passenger Locator Form here before arriving at the departure airport. Customers must declare all countries they have visited or transited through in the 10 days prior to their arrival on their form.
From 17 May, all persons (including UK nationals and residents) aged 11 years and over arriving in the UK from outside the common travel area must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 3 days of departure to the UK. This includes transiting passengers.
Everyone must complete an online passenger locator form before they board their flight to the United Kingdom. Customers must declare all countries they have visited or transited through in the 10 days prior to their arrival on their form.
The UK Government has now introduced a risk-based ‘traffic light system’, designating countries either Green, Amber or Red status; the list of countries must be checked before departure as it can change regularly.
If customers have travelled through a red list country in the last 10 days, they must enter through a designated port and have a valid managed quarantine facility booked prior to departure. For more information please visit: www.gov.uk/travel-quarantine-and-testing
Where customers are arriving from an Amber country, everyone aged 5 years and over is required to take a COVID-19 test on days 2 and 8 of 10-day home quarantine, unless their job qualifies for a travel exemption. They must have these tests booked prior to departure. They can also utilise the Test to Release scheme to take a further PCR test on day 5 and end self-isolation early. Customers must make plans to self-quarantine in private accommodation for 10 full days after arrival (or full duration of stay if less than 10 days).
Customers arriving from a Green country do not need to self-isolate but must take a PCR test on or before day 2 in England. Customers must follow these rules even if you have been vaccinated.
Please note, these UK Government public health measures will be enforced using financial penalties. Please visit www.gov.uk/uk-border-control for detailed public health advice and requirements for entering the UK.
Stay Current on Travel Restrictions and Entry Requirements Many of the countries we fly to and from have put strict entry requirements in place. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and people is always our top priority, and we continue to follow the advice of the UK Government and international health organisations.
While we are constantly reviewing the information available to us, which is available here , please make sure you and your customers stay up to date by visiting the relevant government's website for the very latest travel updates and advice. It's really important to check the latest travel restrictions in place at the destination before going to the airport, including eligibility for entry and screening. If travellers do not meet the requirements, they may not be allowed to fly.
Please ensure the latest traveller contact information is available within the booking so the latest instructions reach the traveller via SMS and email. Essential information to enter the USA
All air passengers from the UK to the USA aged two years and above, must provide a negative Covid-19 test result from a PCR, LAMP or antigen test taken within 72 hours before departure.
Everyone must print and complete a Passenger Disclosure and Attestation form before they travel to the airport as they will need to provide it to our airport staff to collect.
Everything our customers need to know before they head to the airport can be found here, but it’s also important to check the latest official travel advice and entry requirement; The latest UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) foreign travel advice is available at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice .
Flexibility Policy We offer significant flexibility through our rebooking policy, having extended its rebooking horizon all the way until 30 April 2023, for all booking periods.
Still Planning to Travel? We will continue to provide vital international connectivity from/to London Heathrow Terminal 2 for customers that are permitted to travel for work, education or other legally permitted reasons, and if that’s the case, we’re here and ready to help your customers fly safe and fly well. Please check here for specific flight status.
Travellers Stuck Away from Home? For customers who are mid-trip and away from home please check here for instructions.
