Virgin Atlantic and China Eastern have announced a new codeshare agreement, improving connections for both business and leisure travelers to East Asia and providing better access to destinations across mainland China.

The initial phase allows Virgin Atlantic customers to book travel from London Heathrow to Shanghai (Pudong – PVG) and onward to various cities in China on a single ticket, including Chengdu, Changsha, Qingdao, Shenzhen, and Xi’an.

“China and East Asia is a vital market for Virgin Atlantic. We were thrilled to restore our Heathrow service to Shanghai last year, providing essential links to one of the UK’s primary trading partners for passengers and cargo,” said Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic’s Chief Commercial Officer.

As part of the agreement, China Eastern travelers will soon have the chance to connect via Heathrow to various Caribbean and African destinations, including Jamaica, Nassau, Lagos, Capetown, and Johannesburg.

China Eastern is a member of SkyTeam, the alliance that Virgin Atlantic joined last year. Since November, both airlines operate from Terminal 1 at Pudong International Airport, allowing Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club Gold and Silver members and China Eastern’s Thousand members to enjoy SkyPriority services like expedited check-in and boarding.

This expanded codeshare is expected to allow Flying Club customers to earn points on all flights operated by China Eastern soon. Virgin Atlantic restarted operations to Shanghai on May 1, 2023, emphasizing the ongoing importance of China as one of the UK’s major trading partners, particularly with Shanghai being a leading global financial hub.