The platform will be followed in the autumn by a new self-service portal. Both developments are part of the new Virgin Atlantic for Business initiative detailed to 300 agents and partners flown in from across the globe to London on Thursday (2 March).
Chief commercial Officer Juha Jarvinen signalled a new direction for the carrier. He told the Global Insights event: “Virgin Atlantic has for decades been known for brilliant mastery of leisure travel. This shows we are dead serious about business travel. We are just warming up.”
He promised “personalised service” for both customers and agents with better technology and bigger loyalty scheme benefits. “It’s business that’s personal,” he said.
Virgin Atlantic for Business would be based on an “exceptional traveller experience” that promoted commercial travel as a force for good, he said, with loyalty rewards for both employee and the corporate.
The airline’s interim vice-president of global sales, Rach Wilton, said the new corporate portal would enable sustainability reporting, and provide tools to improve marketing support. Personalised newsletters and an enhanced WhatsApp service will be among the benefits.
Wilton added developments would also include a live chat facility for corporate bookers, and said TMCs could be rewarded with “once-in-a-lifetime experiences”.
Details for agents and travel managers about accessing Virgin Atlantic for Business will be published next week on the airline’s Partner Hub.
The initiative comes as the airline continues to gear up following the pandemic. Jarvinen said it planned to reach 2019 capacity levels by September. “We already have a record number of flights to New York and Los Angeles,” he said.
The carrier used the Insights event to mark its formal entry into the SkyTeam alliance, which with Virgin’s membership now links 1,000 destinations and 32 hubs. Virgin Flying Club members will now be able to redeem and earn points with other alliance members.
Jarvinen revealed the carrier’s corporate traffic reached 81% of pre-pandemic levels last year. However, this has since slipped back to around 70% this year, he admitted.
