Virgin Atlantic may always be a boutique airline thanks to its lovable quirks and innovative on board service, but it’s beginning to outgrow the boutique moniker, at least in terms of size.
Virgin has spent the year adding exciting new services including Tel Aviv and Sao Paulo, and after today’s announcement – they’re clearly not done yet. Mumbai has been announced as Virgin Atlantic’s newest daily route, adding a second city to its India route map. That’s something to chaat about.
In fact, Pav Bhaji here we come…
Starting October 27th, 2019, Virgin Atlantic will operate a daily flight between London Heathrow (LHR) and Mumbai (BOM), India. The daily flight will be operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with 31 upper class seats, 35 premium economy seats and 192 economy seats. Departing London, customers will depart at 10:15AM, with a landing time in Mumbai just after midnight. The return flight will depart Mumbai at 2:55AM, arriving in London at 7:35 the same morning.
This is a huge move from Virgin Atlantic, especially as joint venture partner Delta is supposedly firming up plans to operate a new flight from New York to Mumbai as well. The timings of the Mumbai flights have been coordinated to offer seamless onward travel connections for Delta and Virgin flights between the UK and the USA. Of course, at the same time, this does call into question whether Delta will actually stick with long-term service to Mumbai, given that this strategic feeder flight is in place.
Virgin Atlantic previously served Mumbai via partner Jet Airways, but with suspended operations, that partnership was no longer feasible. The move sees Virgin now operating out of Delhi and Mumbai, offering increased connectivity to both the North and South of India.
Mumbai is a fascinating city with incredibly proud heritage and is an ideal jumping off point for trips further afield. From the famed Elephanta Caves to Alibaug or Lonavala, there are so many exciting areas to explore nearby, even if your time is limited. As to Mumbai itself, no trip is complete without a walk along Marine Drive, or a tour of the incredible working spice markets. That, and a pav bhaji or nice crispy chaat too…
Virgin Atlantic flights to Mumbai will go on sale Tuesday, May 28th for flights beginning October 27th. For any points fans, it’s fairly safe to assume that the new route would require a similar, if not identical number of points to the current Delhi flight.
