Winter Is Coming: Stephen Goulding on Virgin Atlantic’s bigger aircraft, bold ambitions in Canada

Winter Is Coming is a special PAX series that offers a glimpse into the war rooms of Canada’s leading travel companies as the winter booking season takes flight. Stay tuned for exclusive interviews with industry leaders as PAX unpacks what’s new and next this season. 

Virgin Atlantic is heading into winter with strong demand, larger aircraft on its Toronto route and a growing focus on connecting Canadians beyond its hub in London. 

After returning to Canada in March 2025 following more than a decade away, the British carrier is continuing to build its presence in the market, with its premium experience playing a key role in how it hopes to stand out.

“The summer is building out very well, and as we get into the winter now, we see a strong demand curve happening,” Stephen Goulding, Virgin Atlantic’s country manager for Canada. 

Speaking to PAX for its annual Winter Is Coming series, Goulding outlined the airline’s winter booking trends, customer experience investments and global connectivity strategy. 

Strong demand, shorter booking windows

Virgin Atlantic currently operates daily between Toronto Pearson and London Heathrow during the summer and Goulding said service will move to three times weekly for the winter season.

He said demand remains strong, even as booking windows shorten. 

“We used to see bookings come in that three to six month window out from travel, but we've seen that the trend has shrunk up a little bit,” he said. “There are a lot of things happening in the world that are creating that sentiment, but demand is still strong.”

India, in particular, is a major market for Virgin from Canada.

“The biggest market that has had demand in Canada continues to be India,” Goulding said. “India is a core focus for Virgin.”

READ MORE: "Canada, we’ve missed you!” Sir Richard Branson launches Virgin Atlantic at YYZ

Goulding said connecting Canada’s large Indian diaspora was one of the factors behind the airline’s return to Toronto. 

Much of that demand is driven by travellers visiting friends and relatives, with bookings building around holiday periods such as Diwali in November, he said. 

Reaching beyond Toronto

Virgin’s partnership with WestJet is helping extend its reach across Canada.

The airlines expanded their codeshare partnership when Virgin returned to Toronto in 2025, allowing travellers to connect on one ticket from Canadian cities through Toronto to London, with baggage checked through to the final destination.

Goulding pointed to Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Ottawa as important feeder markets.

“It broadens our audience beyond the Greater Toronto Area,” he said.

Virgin’s reach expands further through its transatlantic joint venture with Delta Air Lines, Air France and KLM.

“With AFKL Delta, our capacity touches 375 plus destinations globally,” Goulding said. “It’s a pretty strong global reach that I don't know that everybody fully recognizes. It's not just London; it's everywhere else.”

Selling the experience

That broader network is only one piece of Virgin’s pitch.

Goulding sees the airline’s premium positioning and service as key differentiators in a competitive transatlantic market.

“If you talk to anybody at Virgin, we will always say that the people are the core of what makes us different,” he said, “but also our investment into the customer experience as a whole.”

That investment includes a new Virgin Atlantic app, launched earlier this year, with an AI-powered concierge designed to assist travellers with everything from airport wayfinding to managing bookings and finding things to do in London. 

Additionally, the airline unveiled the first phase of a refresh of its flagship Heathrow Clubhouse in April. 

Canadian travellers will also see changes onboard this winter. 

Virgin is operating an Airbus A350 on its Toronto-London route, replacing the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that served the market last winter.

The change brings free Starlink Wi-Fi to the route, something Goulding said wasn't available to Canadian passengers on the 787.

The A350 is one of the largest aircraft in Virgin’s fleet and will remain on the Toronto route through the winter.

“It does make a difference for the Canadian market because what they experienced onboard last winter is going to differ as we get into this winter season,” Goulding said.

More than selling a seat

“Virgin is a very premium product,” Goulding said. “We know that Canadians are investing in memorable experiences, so we want to provide that memorable experience, not just on board but from booking to arrival.”

Goulding said that focus on the complete journey also creates an opportunity for travel advisors.

“We are selling a premium product, and within that comes a premium service that needs to be provided for that customer,” he said.

Rather than simply comparing fares, he said advisors can explain what travellers receive throughout the journey, from lie-flat Upper Class seats to Virgin’s airport lounges and arrival experience.

“There’s so much more than just the actual flight itself,” he said.

Goulding said Virgin’s exceptional customer experience can also help advisors drive repeat business. 

“We see it in our customer results,” he said. “Once they try us, they see it, they feel it, they comment on it. They start spreading the word.”

Virgin Atlantic offers a Partner Hub where advisors can access news and updates, while Delta representatives in Canada can also provide resources and support.

His advice for advisors this winter is to start with the traveller rather than the ticket.

“Understand what that customer needs and really tap into us to find out how we can be more bespoke for that need,” Goulding said. “We aren’t that service that you buy for just a ticket. It's a bigger picture.”

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