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Delta Takes Over Flights as Virgin Atlantic Grounds Dreamliners

Oct. 13, 2017
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2 min read
Virgin Atlantic 787
Delta Takes Over Flights as Virgin Atlantic Grounds Dreamliners
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Virgin Atlantic has been forced to ground some of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft to fix an ongoing engine issue. So, while those planes are out of service, Virgin Atlantic is relying on Delta to fly some of its passengers to and from Europe. According to a Bloomberg report, Delta will operate one daily nonstop flight between London Heathrow (LHR) and New York (JFK) on behalf of its joint-venture partner through October 31, 2017.

In August, Dreamliner engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce said that as many as 500 Trent 1000s would have to undergo maintenance earlier than anticipated. The fan blade issue was first identified by ANA in 2016, and has forced Virgin to take some of its 787s out of service for urgent repairs.

Delta will fly its 767 between New York-JFK and London.

While those planes are on the ground, Virgin is relying on Delta to transport to its passengers. As of this Thursday, Delta's been flying 767s between JFK and LHR for Virgin Atlantic — the carrier may upgrade to a 777 for some flights.

"It's a substitution that gives us a little bit more resilience as we've had some parts issues with our 787 engines," Virgin Atlantic CEO Craig Kreeger explained in an interview with Bloomberg. "This ensures that we'll have sufficient capacity. It's circumstantial, it's not a strategy."

In all, Virgin Atlantic has a total of 13 787s in its fleet. It took some of those aircraft out of service for this same repair in April, and now it's pulling more planes out of the sky in order to get the issue fixed. Rolls-Royce said that not all 787 engines will need the fix.

Back in 2012, Delta bought a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic. In a statement, Delta said the route changes "show the benefit of the Delta and Virgin Atlantic partnership and how we work together."

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
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  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
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  • Annual Fee is $325.
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