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Virgin Atlantic adds new Riyadh and Accra flights for 2025

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Virgin Atlantic has announced two more new routes for 2025, on top of the earlier launch of Toronto.

It’s good news for people who feel that Virgin Atlantic is focused too much on the United States, although I’m not sure these two new destinations will win them over.

The airline is launching flights to Riyadh and Accra.

It is possible (says our friend @SeanM1997 on X) that these flights signify the end of the two daily scheduled Tel Aviv services. Tel Aviv flights are currently due to resume on 24th September.

Virgin Atlantic adds Riyadh and Accra flights

The Riyadh service will launch on 30th March, using a new A330neo aircraft with the best version of the new Upper Class Suite.

Flights will operate daily.

Connections to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi will be available as codeshares with fellow SkyTeam member Saudia, with further codeshare destinations within Saudi Arabia and to Bangladesh and China to follow.

Virgin Atlantic already codeshares with Saudia on its flights from Heathrow and Manchester to Riyadh and Jeddah. I assume that Saudia will add its code to the new Virgin Atlantic service.

Virgin Atlantic adds new Riyadh and Accra flights for 2025

Accra will follow on 1st May, using a Boeing 787 with the ‘not great’ old Upper Class seat. Those with long memories will remember that Virgin Atlantic used to fly to Ghana until 2013.

Flights will operate daily.

British Airways is currently the only airline flying directly between London and Accra. Virgin Atlantic believes that the route offers good cargo opportunities for fresh produce and that – intriguingly – around 10% of passengers will connect to a Virgin Atlantic or Delta Air Lines flight to New York JFK.

As a reminder, Toronto is already on sale with the first flight on 30th March 2025. WestJet will offer connections to other Canadian destinations, and the flights are timed to offer good connections to/from Virgin’s flights to Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi.

Flights to Riyadh and Accra are NOT on sale yet. You will need to wait until 12th September to make cash or Virgin Points bookings.

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How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (April 2025)

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):

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Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard

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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.

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The Platinum Card from American Express comes with 50,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 50,000 Virgin Points.

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Small business owners should consider the two American Express Business cards. Points convert at 1:1 into Virgin Points.

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Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Virgin Points. 

Category

Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club

Comments (101)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • RobH not Rob says:
    2 Sep2 September 15:09

    Underwhelming. I guess there’s a method to the madness.

    • AL says:
      2 Sep2 September 15:12

      I’ve been trying to find the right words, and you’ve nailed it. I am sat here thinking, “what?”. As you say, it must make sense, but… I don’t see it. I am praying for them to start a BNA direct.

    • mnlbay says:
      2 Sep2 September 15:15

      I suspect that Riyadh is subsidised by the KSA Government under their air connectivity programme – other than this, I don’t necessarily see a reason that Virgin would launch a route to another Middle East destination other than Dubai.

      • Super Secret Stuff says:
        2 Sep2 September 19:33

        Lots of rich Saudis live and study in the UK, plus the onward connectivity is good for other countries. Having said that, anyone who connects onto Saudia is in for a culture shock, it’s not westernised like Emirates, Qatar and Etihad

      • James says:
        2 Sep2 September 22:34

        More and more business travel going to KSA – especially in media/sport (e.g. the recent Esports World Cup)

  • NC says:
    2 Sep2 September 15:13

    “I Am What I Aaaaam…”

    *flying to Saudi Arabia*

    What on earth?

  • Tim says:
    2 Sep2 September 15:15

    They tried to make me go to Riyadh but I Saudi no no no…

  • aq.1988 says:
    2 Sep2 September 15:28

    Probably underwhelming for most here, but not for me. Was highly disappointed when VS dropped their ISB service, and this also gives other options to connect on Saudia, which is also useful to me. And an opportunity to try the new neo seats, and avoid old CW seats to ISB on BA.

    • aq.1988 says:
      2 Sep2 September 15:29

      I was expecting them to increase their Dubai to all-year round, rather than still seasonal, though.

    • Super Secret Stuff says:
      2 Sep2 September 19:35

      If you enjoy alcohol or generally good service, don’t fly on Saudia

  • Tiberius says:
    2 Sep2 September 15:50

    Great news for me as I had been hoping to holiday in Riyadh next year. Although for cash /direct prices, Saudia is very competitive during their sales periods (which if you are subscribed to their emails seems to occur every 2 weeks).

    If booking with Virgin points then flying with ITA booking through Virgin – Rome FCO to Riyadh/Jeddah still has very low taxes, albeit you would need to position, but the savings make it worthwhile.

  • RR says:
    2 Sep2 September 16:27

    With this new codeshare in mind, can you use the Virgin Reward voucher on Virgin flights that are operated by Saudi? Or is it valid on Virgin flights only

  • HampshireHog says:
    2 Sep2 September 16:44

    It seems a bit like the dieing days of BMI under Lufty ownership when they scratted about with an odd pic n mix of oddball routes trying to pick up the crumbs that fell of the bird table.
    No synergies nor consistency in their route structure under Delta ownership. Are we in the same death spiral?

    • Rob says:
      2 Sep2 September 16:49

      Accra is a bit random but they know historically it can work and perhaps feed from Delta gives them confidence it can work better even better now.

      There are reports that the Riyadh flight is being underwritten by the Saudi Government.

      • Chabuddy Geezy says:
        2 Sep2 September 17:14

        I think there is a decent VFR market there, fares from West Africa to Western Europe are typically high, with the price conscious using the ME3 or Turkish. Royal Air Maroc does well here with its more direct routings.

      • kt74 says:
        2 Sep2 September 22:05

        Accra makes a LOT more sense than Riyadh (unless it is heavily underwritten, as everyone is guessing)… large VFR volumes, high business fares, existing BA monopoly, and large underserved ACC-NYC passenger flows that will also help fill VS’s daytime JFK-LHR and last LHR-JFK flight of the day (in the same vein as existing Lagos/India connections)

        • Venturelog says:
          3 Sep3 September 08:44

          I agree it doesn’t fit the Virgin vibe or branding to be holiday destinations, but makes business sense. Like everyone has said, being underwritten by govt, alliance partner, wealthy and growing middle class, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, UK being a popular holiday & education for Saudis

  • Paul says:
    2 Sep2 September 17:16

    I wonder if starting Riyadh is linked to Delta’s agreement with Riyadh Air.
    With VS’s track history, can’t help but think, how long before the routes are dropped?

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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