One of Delta's primary focuses over the past few years has been building their joint ventures in various regions. With a joint venture, airlines work closely together and align schedules, pricing, etc., allowing them to dominate markets. Delta does a good job of offering SkyMiles Medallion members benefits when they're flying on a joint venture…
Continue reading: Virgin Atlantic Adds Benefits For Delta Silver Medallion Members
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
For Gold Medallions, there’s also lounge access (all Clubhouses in the US plus the No.1 Lounge at T3 in Heathrow).
But be very careful how you book. If you book with a Skyteam member other than Delta but fly on Virgin, you will not get credit for mileage. Only Delta ticketed flights are eligible for Delta medallion and base miles when flying on Virgin. Virgin is not aSkyteam member.
Are you sure platinum/diamond Skymiles elites have access to the Revivals lounge? I thought that was only available to Upper Class/Delta One, (and Virgin flying gold members)...?
Yeeaaa, more benefits for Delta FFs while Delta gives Virgin's FC Gold even less! Great deal, Virgin! <-------sarcasm
What happened to James the contributor on this blog? He just vanished and has never been mentioned again.
@Dave.
Thats not true. All VS operated flights are eligible for SkyMiles earning, regardless the booking method, if it is VS-marketed.
What I think you mean is that VS flights marketed as AF/KL are not eligible.
For example, VS001 (LHR-EWR) has the following codeshares:
(AF) 6750
(DL) 4380
(KL) 4818
(SQ) 2581
On the DL partner earnings site its clearly listed that KL-marketed flights are only earning miles if its SkyTeam-operated. However, on AF it is written that any AF-marketed flight earns, except a few exceptions, but VS is not listed among those. So if you fly VS-operated AF-marketed flight, and credit them to DL, and they don't give you the miles, you can refer to their website, because according to it, you shall receive them.
And otherwise, no matter where you book, if its VS-operated and marketed, you always get your DL miles.
VS recently started partnership with many many airlines, (BE,BA,TK,AZ,AF,KL,EI etc) to fill their longhaul routes. I always fly BUD-LHR (on BA), LHR-JFK (on VS). Its on the same ticket, issued by British Airways, but since they have no codeshare on VS, the transatlantic sector is marketed by VS. And I always earn miles for DL, and I can use the lounges (I am SkyMiles plat.). I can even ask the check-in agent to manually enter my Alaska MVP number to the BA-operated (and marketed) segment, and the Skymiles number to the VS-operated segment.
@Lucky
"Diamond and Platinum Medallion members get access to the Virgin Atlantic Revivals Lounge, and either the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse or No.1 Lounges Heathrow Terminal 3"
When I first read this, I thought its a great devaluation. I just looked after it, turns out nothing has changed, so here is the actual, true loung access methods:
(flying in economy or premium eco)
-Diamond/Plat: All VS lounges (including LHR, LGW), but NO access to No.1 Lounge in T3 (who cares, if you can use the clubhouse)
-Diamond/Plat: Vs revivals lounge.
-Gold: VS lounge only in US airports.
-Gold: No.1 Lounge in LHR
-Gold: what if you fly from LGW? I have no idea. they have a clubhouse, but I guess they won't let you use it, as its outside of the US. probably you get entry to a contract lounge?
When will Virgin launch a decent European operation? I would love to fly Virgin to Europe, but they dead end in London. Why don't they do a feeder network?0