Virgin Atlantic launches its first direct flight from Heathrow to Phuket today, Sunday 18 October, opening the UK's only non-stop route to Thailand's largest island.
The airline confirmed in its own press release that the new seasonal service operates three times a week on a Boeing 787-9, running through the winter season to meet demand for long-haul beach holidays. Flights depart from Heathrow Terminal 3.
Heathrow's own blog, published in August, confirmed the same start date and frequency, describing the Phuket link as the airport's only direct connection to the island. Both the airline and the airport agree this is a new, standalone route rather than a resumption of a previous service.
Package holidays through Virgin Atlantic Holidays have been on sale since October last year, with flight-only bookings available since late November. Prices for holiday packages started from £999 per person when the route was announced.
For travellers flying out on the inaugural service or in the weeks ahead, the practical change is a new long-haul option from Terminal 3 alongside Virgin's existing Asia network. Passengers should check in via Terminal 3 and allow the usual extra time for a long-haul departure.
What this means for your journey: if you are flying out from Terminal 3 today, compare taxi options on our /taxis/ page against driving yourself and booking ahead on /parking/, especially with reduced Piccadilly line and Elizabeth line services running this weekend.