Virgin Atlantic Reduces Capacity to Orlando in 2023

Virgin Atlantic will substantially revise its transatlantic routes for next year, reducing the number of flights to Orlando, one of its most popular destinations. 

The British carrier has confirmed that it plans to reduce its flights to the South Florida holiday destination from London Heathrow and Manchester. In contrast, the Orlando to Belfast route will be cut completely. 

Meanwhile, the Orlando to Edinburgh route—expected to begin on April 1—will be pushed back until June 21.

Virgin Atlantic has reassured any customers who have flights booked in and out of Orlando next year that they would be offered a voucher, a re-scheduled flight, or a full refund. “We’d like to apologize for any inconvenience caused and ask customers not to call our contact center but reassure affected customers that they will be contacted in the coming days with their options,” said an airline’s spokesperson. 

“Where a flight is canceled, customers have the choice to request a voucher or full refund. If re-routing is a suitable and available option, we can also rebook customers on alternative services. Those who booked via a third party such as a travel agent should contact them directly for their options.”

Caribbean Cuts and Modifications

The airline’s updated schedule to Orlando comes just a week after Virgin Atlantic confirmed the cancellation between London and Tobago, expected to end on January 11. 

Likewise, the airline will downsize the number of flights between London Heathrow and Antigua to just one per week.

However, some other Virgin Atlantic routes will be boosted. For example, flights from London Heathrow to New York JFK will increase to six in April, while the Heathrow to Miami flights will also increase to ten per week. Lastly, the Heathrow to Atlanta route will go up to seven per week over the summer of 2023.

Photo: Virgin Atlantic, Airbus A350-1000 departing Atlanta. Courtesy of Aric Cheng / Unsplash

Virgin Atlantic has said the upcoming changes reflect changes in customer demand following the post-pandemic reopening of destinations worldwide. The airline recently announced dropping its historical link to Hong Kong and shutting down its offices in the Asian city in favor of more profitable routes.

“As customer demand continues to return strongly after the Covid-19 pandemic, we’re making adjustments to upcoming flying schedules to support the ramp-up of our operation and to reflect changes in customer demand outlook,” said a spokesperson.

“We have a commitment to fly the routes where our customers most want to travel and [are] responding to continued demand for our US heartland.”