“Virgin Atlantic to delay Accra launch and its return to Tel Aviv” (The Times)

The Times had an article yesterday (paywall) on the problems facing both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic as they struggle with unreliable Rolls-Royce engines on their Boeing 787 fleets.

We covered the problems at British Airways earlier this week.

Kuwait and Bahrain flights will be cancelled from April, potentially permanently, whilst American Airlines is taking over BA’s Dallas-Fort Worth service and one of the two daily Miami flights. We have already seen the launch of Kuala Lumpur postponed by six months.

Virgin Atlantic has been very quiet about the state of its own Boeing 787 fleet.

However, according to The Times, the airline is planning to:

• delay the launch of flights to Accra in Ghana, due to start on 1st May

• delay the return to Tel Aviv, which is currently due on 30th March

The implication in The Times is that this will not be enough and that other services will also be chopped.

The 17-strong Boeing 787 fleet at Virgin Atlantic is reportedly one aircraft down, presumably due to parts being used to keep other aircraft flying, and this is expected to increase to two next year.

There is no quick fix to the issue, with Rolls-Royce struggling to obtain spare engine parts from its suppliers.

According to The Times, airlines have been able to cover Boeing 787 routes with other aircraft but it is not sustainable. The extra flying hours means that those aircraft now need to go for maintenance earlier than planned, reducing fleets further.

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (December 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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is increased to 30,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 30,000 Virgin Points. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

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

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card from American Express is increased to 80,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 80,000 Virgin Points! The spend requirement is changed to £10,000 in six months for this offer. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

Huge 80,000 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.

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up 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.)