And the new Flybe brand will be ….
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Flybe has just announced its new brand, following its takeover by a Virgin Atlantic and Stobart Air consortium.
And it is ….
Virgin Connect.
This was my guess, and indeed much of the industry (the new holding company is called Connect Airways, after all). What I didn’t know is that there was a Russian mobile operator using this brand so it took a lot work to get hold of it!
I am the only media representative at the Flybe leadership conference in Exeter today where the new brand was announced.
I am not allowed to report much of what is being discussed, for obvious reasons, but the new CEO Mark Anderson, who comes from Virgin Atlantic, has a sound plan for driving the company forward – and it is certainly not ‘pie in the sky’. There will also be a new loyalty scheme which will integrate with Virgin Flying Club, although the details of that have not yet been announced.
You will not see the new brand in action for a while. The new owners, sensibly, want to ensure that the business is fully on the right track.
When people see the Virgin brand they come with expectations and Flybe knows that it is not yet ready to meet them – but it should be soon. We are talking about punctuality (already much improved), aircraft cleanliness, clearer baggage rules, a loyalty programme etc, albeit it all within the confines of what can be done on a 78-seat Dash 8.
When the roll out starts, the last place you will see the new brand is on the outside of an aircraft. Painting aircraft takes time and reduces capacity, so you will see a new website, new signage etc before you see a red aircraft. Change is a coming though ….
How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (April 2024)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Virgin Points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.
You can choose from two official Virgin Atlantic credit cards (apply here, the Reward+ card has a bonus of 18,000 Virgin Points and the free card has a bonus of 3,000 Virgin Points):
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard
18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review
Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard
3,000 bonus points, no fee and 1 point for every £1 you spend Read our full review
You can also earn Virgin Points from various American Express cards – and these have sign-up bonuses too.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for a year and comes with 20,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 20,000 Virgin Points.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express comes with 40,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 40,000 Virgin Points.
The Platinum Card from American Express
40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review
Small business owners should consider the two American Express Business cards. Points convert at 1:1 into Virgin Points.
American Express Business Platinum
40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Virgin Points.
(Want to earn more Virgin Points? Click here to see our recent articles on Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club and click here for our home page with the latest news on earning and spending other airline and hotel points.)
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