SIA to Codeshare on Virgin America Domestic Flights

Virgin America has agreed a codeshare deal under which Singapore Airlines will codeshare on select Virgin America flights.

This new agreement is only the second international codeshare deal for San Francisco-based Virgin America.

The codeshare agreement offers seamless booking by allowing Singapore Airlines to have its ‘SQ’ flight code on single tickets for passengers traveling between Asia and various Virgin America destinations in the U.S.

Virgin America operates 10 Airbus A319s and has 52 A320s in service and on order, as well as 30 A320neos due to be delivered from 2020. Persistent losses persuaded the carrier to cancel orders for 20 additional A320s in the third quarter of 2012

These destinations include San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago O’Hare, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, Seattle and Washington Dulles.

Singapore Airlines operates non-stop flights between the U.S. and Toyko, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore and Frankfurt.

Virgin America says its recent move to a new reservations system allowed the carrier to initiate new codeshare alliances and significantly expand its roster of interline partnerships.

Codeshare flights are available for purchase and the first travel date is December 18. The move will give Singapore Airlines travelers more options when connecting in the U.S., according to Virgin America.

Singapore Airlines was the first airline to operate the Airbus A380 superjumbo, operating its first commercial flight with the type between Singapore and Sydney in October 2007

From December 13, flights can be booked through all the major global distribution systems for travel from December 18 (in U.S. time zones).

In addition to the new Singapore Airlines agreement, Virgin America has codeshare agreements with Virgin Australia and Hawaiian Airlines and interline agreements with China Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Air New Zealand, Emirates, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific, South African Airways, El Al, Qantas, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Pacific, Japan Airlines, SATA, Thai Airways and Air China.

Singapore Airlines currently operates 45 flights per week to five points in the United States: Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, New York and San Francisco.