News: TLFL party update, get Skyteam status with one flight and Virgin Atlantic adds new codeshare partner

TLFL party update

The first TLDL reader event is nearly here with the event taking place tomorrow from 6pm on Thursday 21 November. Demand for tickets was extremely high so if the feedback is good from the first event we plan to hold another much bigger event early next year. If you have tickets but can’t make it, please do let us know as we have a waiting list! The TLFL look forward to meeting you all there! 

There will be a prize draw for all ticket holders which will be drawn at 7.45pm. There will be representatives from British Airways and Vietnam Airlines at the event for you to chat to, who both kindly donated some of our prizes.

The prizes are now finalized and consist of:

• 2 business class tickets to British Airways newest destination, Antalya in Turkey.

The seats will be in Club Europe and you will fly to Antalya, a beautiful upscale resort on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. Antalya is a Turkish resort city with a yacht-filled Old Harbor and beaches flanked by large hotels. It’s a gateway to Turkey’s southern Mediterranean region, known as the Turquoise Coast for its blue waters.

British Airways has recently announced the launch of flights between London Gatwick and Antalya, Turkey. The summer route, which will operate on an Airbus A320 and run six times a week starts on April 30, 2020, and is available to book on Avios and cash now via ba.com. This will be a summer-only service and finish at the end of Summer 2020. The good news is that BA have confirmed that this will get 160 tier points return making an ideal tier point break destination. Flights take approximately 4.5 hours. 

• 2 Premium Economy tickets to Vietnam (excluding taxes and surcharges) with Vietnam Airlines

Vietnam Airlines fly to a number of destinations across Asia and this week introduced the new Hanoi-Macau service. Other new destinations include Bali and Phuket from Ho Chi Minh City. This makes Vietnam Airlines perfect for a multi centre holiday in Asia. They also fly to Australia and have a handy range of complimentary transit-without-visa tour programmes. These are for passengers travelling from London to Australia who have long stopovers in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City and include airport assistance, transit visa, transportation, tour guide, sightseeing fees, meals and/or hotel accommodation. Flights from Hanoi and Macau will depart on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 7:45 PM from Hanoi and at 11:50 PM from Macau. Flights on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday will depart from Hanoi at 4:00 AM and from Macau at 8:35 AM.

Vietnam Airlines has also announced the implementation of its new ‘Zero Waste 2020’ plan, starting from 1 January 2020. According to the new plan, Vietnam Airlines – already the most fuel-efficient airline in SE Asia – will gradually eliminate plastic bags and wrappers used on inflight amenities like headphones, blankets and cosmetics etc, replacing them with eco-friendly non-woven fabric bags, cardboard and paper.

Vietnam Airlines operates one of the world’s youngest fleets, largely comprising new generation Boeing B787s, Airbus A350s and A321neos which use up to 25% less fuel and reduce emissions by up to 30% compared to the older aircraft they replaced.

• Cooking lesson at Sauce, The Langham London’s new cookery school.

• One pair of TrueConnect true wireless headphones worth £150

These feature:

• • 5+20 hours battery, with fast charging
  • IPX5 sweat, splash and weather resistance
  • Secure, comfortable fit; ideal for active use
  • Stem design maximises call quality
  • Full device and digital assistant control via touch and mic
  • Durable flip charging case carries 4 charges
  • Supplied with Comply™ TrueGrip Plus and RHA TrueConnect tips
  • International 3-year warranty

We will be reviewing these in full shortly – look out for another pair we will be giving away soon! If you want to have a look in the meantime, you can visit the RHA website here.

Get Skyteam Elite status in one flight

Vietnam Airlines are part of Skyteam and have their own loyalty program called LotusMiles. Vietnam Airlines is currently offering LotusMiles members who book flights from Europe to Vietnam a free upgrade to the next membership tier. Valid for new round-trip ticket bookings for travel completed by 31 May 2020. There are two ways to do this:

• Lotus Miles Gold with a business class flex roundtrip to Vietnam (booking class J/C)
• Lotus Miles Titanium with a premium economy roundtrip to Vietnam

Gold is higher status than Titanium. The Elite status does not give access to Skyteam lounges although you would get access to Vietnam Airlines lounges in any class at the LotusMiles Gold level. However, you would get other benefits such as extra luggage allowance and priority check-in. Flights must be booked and flown from the UK, Germany, France or Russia. 

Full details here: www.vietnamairlines.com/gb/en/lotusmile/news-and-promotion/promotions/2019/nov19-fly-EU-VN-get-higher-tier

Virgin Atlantic announces new partnership with WestJet

Virgin Atlantic has announced a new codeshare partnership with WestJet. From Tuesday 19^th November, customers will be able to book with Virgin Atlantic and fly to four key airports and connect onwards to 28 further domestic destinations in Canada with the new partnership.

WestJet flies year-round from Gatwick to Calgary and Toronto and offers services from Gatwick to Halifax and Vancouver in the summer season. It’s the third largest carrier on the UK-Canada market. Further destinations customers will be able to connect to on the new partnership include Montreal, Quebec, Edmonton and Deer Lake.

If you were thinking of trying them, Westjet actually have a good business class seat on their B787 which flies from Gatwick. It’s an intimate cabin with just 16 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. This will also give Flying Club members another way to earn miles and tier points. 

Juha Jarvinen, EVP Commercial at Virgin Atlantic said:

“We’re committed to working with the best airline partners around the world and we’re delighted to add WestJet to our growing portfolio. This new partnership will open up a plethora of Canadian destinations to our customers and offer more choice for those looking to fly directly to Canada. Customers will have the security and ease of booking through a codeshare and we are sure our customers will enjoy flying with WestJet.”

Brian Znotins, WestJet Vice-President Network Planning and Alliances, commented:

“WestJet welcomes Virgin Atlantic guests on board our flights to and from London, Gatwick and throughout our Canadian network. Canada is a desirable tourism destination with thriving business centres and vast scenic wilderness. We believe Virgin Atlantic codeshare, offering seamless connections, one itinerary, and WestJet’s caring onboard experience will inspire global travellers to choose Canada.”

From Tuesday 19 November, Virgin Atlantic will put its code on the following WestJet (WS) services from London Gatwick to Canada, for travel from Thursday 21 November:

 For more information visit: www.virginatlantic.com. For more information about everything WestJet, please visit westjet.com.