VS Launches ICN

The long anticipated route to Seoul has finally been announced as launching in March 2026:

https://corporate.virginatlantic.com/gb ... seoul.html

Seoul, Let’s roll! New daily flights to Seoul, South Korea will launch on 29th March 2026 creating new East Asian connections to Japan, Greater China, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand

Interesting! Looks like going to Japan will be accomplished with a connecting Korean Air flight. Presumably, it'll be all be do-able via the VA website as opposed to buying individual tickets for each flight. As a JP citizen, the price of direct flights out of JP have been ridiculously expensive as of late, so more options are certainly welcome and I do prefer the ICN route if I have to do a connection due to the relative shortness of the ICN-HND route time.

Of course, I would welcome a HND-LHR direct route all on VA alone just like the great old days when VA flew to Narita, but this will do for now!

[mitchja]

Revenue flights now loaded and available to book. No sign of reward flights yet so far though.

VS208 departs LHR 09:45 arriving ICN 06:05 B789
VS209 departs ICN 08:35 arriving LHR 15:05 B789

There is an advisory on the VS website that sales of this route are on pause:

https://www.virginatlantic.com/where-we ... outh-korea

Seoul’s calling - just not quite yet

We’re gearing up to launch new flights to Seoul from 29th March 2026. While we’re putting the final touches in place, sales are on pause. We’ll be up and running again soon, and can’t wait to welcome you onboard.

I have booked that first flight but I don't think they are giving this route a chance. Early morning departure in both directions is pretty much a route killer.

[mitchja]

I wonder if there's a delay to VS getting government approvals etc as a' subject to government approval' footnote was always displayed on all VS ICN flights?

I noticed the flight times where also insane for ICN which I I guess is down to not being able to fly over Russian airspace. VS were quoting 14.5 Hrs on the return flight

Not the first time VS have had to delay a new route launch due to them not getting approval/paperwork in place in time - I got stung by this with booking a VS flight to BGI when that route first launched. We were transferred onto another carrier so anyone already booked may find themselves rebooked on the codeshared KE flight.

I found a really good miles saver redemption about a week ago for next year. I didnt bother booking it at the time, but I hope it's still there when they reopen sales!!

How long ago was the BGI launch Mitchja?

[mitchja]

How long ago was the BGI launch Mitchja?

It would be around 1997 or 1998 from LGW as VS officially launched BGI in Sept 1998. We booked via Virgin Holidays which included VS flights, however, I remember receiving a letter from V Hols informing us that VS had not received the licence in time and we were transferred onto a BA flight.

Edit - found my V Hols booking ref which ends in /S97 so it must have been 1997 (the old V Hols refs always ended with the season + year code).

I suspect delays are much more down to 789 engine issues still into next year and them looking at what routes are needed and the numbers they have. ICN will also mean longer cycles to usual so their change cycles will be impacted on the T1000s.

Does anyone know if this is actually likely to come off? If yes, when do we think its possible to book?

[mitchja]

Yes it should do as I believe VS have to operate this route for at least 2 years because they have given binding agreements to the UK Competition & Markets Authority to launch these flights as part of a deal to allow the UK Government approval of the Korean Air and Asiana merger.

VS are already codesharing on the Korean Air flight on this route.

Ah ok thanks. Good info.

If its a code share does that mean I can use my flying club points.....?

[mitchja]

If its a code share does that mean I can use my flying club points.....?

Yes, you can spend points on all SkyTeam member airlines including Korean Air (some airline reward flights may not be bookable online though).

I have booked that first flight but I don't think they are giving this route a chance. Early morning departure in both directions is pretty much a route killer.

When they're given slots to use for a specific route, I don't think they have much choice over when and how to use them until the compulsory requirement to fly the route eases. Then VS can do what they want.

[Nottingham Nick]

This morning I got an email from VS saying my flight times for my Seoul booking have changed !

Hopefully this means that a) It is actually going to happen and b) bookings (including points flights) may re-open soon.

The flight times actually suit better on the outbound - it's now an afternoon flight, so more Clubhouse time

The return is fairly late into LHR, but that not a disaster. Old flight times:
LHR 09:45 – ICN 06:05
ICN 08:35 – LHR 15:05

New flight times
LHR 14:10 – ICN 10:30
ICN 12:20 – LHR 18:50

Nick

The route is now back on sale.

[Nottingham Nick]

Revenue flights went back on sale yesterday, and today (5 Nov) a lot of points flights have been loaded.

There are some REAL bargains in Premium. I was able to book our return in May on my first choice date for 13.5K points each !

As far as I can see there are no saver flights in Upper (yet) and every day is around 225k per flight


Nick

[mitchja]

Saver flights now showing for Upper as well on many dates (<120,000 points return).

That's also looking using the booking engine and not the reward seat checker which I now found useless as it's always wrong.