Virgin Atlantic launching flights to Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan
Links on Head for Points may support the site by paying a commission. See here for all partner links.
Virgin Atlantic has announced it is launching three new routes to Pakistan in December 2020.
Both Heathrow and Manchester will gain new flights to Islamabad whilst Heathrow will also see the introduction of a service to Lahore. Virgin Atlantic will be the only airline offering direct flights to Lahore from Heathrow.
The exact schedules and frequencies have not yet been announced. The new services will go on sale in September.
Pakistan has seen an increase in flights from the UK in recent years, with British Airways returning to Islamabad last year after a ten year hiatus.
The route hasn’t been without its challenges, however. Pakistan International Airways was recently blocked from flying to EU and UK airspace after it was found that over 30% of its pilots held fraudulent licences.
It recently re-launched services to Birmingham, London and Manchester by wet leasing an aircraft from Hi-Fly. This meant that PIA did not have to use its own pilots or crew.
Whilst launching three routes at once to Pakistan may seem an aggressive move, there a few reasons why Virgin Atlantic may have decided to do so:
- It genuinely thinks there is enough demand between the UK and Pakistan for three airlines to offer direct services in addition to connecting airlines such as Emirates. People of Pakistani descent make up the second largest ethnic minority population in the UK.
- It thinks it can capitalise on PIA’s shaky reputation
- It is attempting to diversify its route network away from the US, which is likely to remain closed to foreign nationals for some time
- It believes there is enough cargo demand to make this route worthwhile and any passenger bookings are simply the icing on the cake
It is likely that Virgin Atlantic saw an opportunity based on a combination of these factors, and also has its fingers crossed. Let’s see how it goes.
How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (September 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 great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
Small business owners should consider the two American Express Business cards. Points convert at 1:1 into Virgin Points.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased to up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 80,000 Virgin Points. You will receive 8 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased to up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 40,000 Virgin Points. You will receive 4 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. The card is FREE for your first year. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.
American Express Business Platinum
Up to 80,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
Get up to 40,000 points as a sign-up offer 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.)
Anna 
Rob 
Zed 
BSI1978 
ChrisW 
John 
Andrew 
Anna 
Alex Sm 
John 
Johnny Tabasco 
Catalan 
Ali M 
Andrew 
J 
Novice 
Oh! Matron! 
Comments (34)