Years after diving into the factors and miles world, you might not understand {that a} loyalty program you had neglected might have been considered one of your strongest instruments.
I did not look intently at Virgin Atlantic‘s loyalty program for a very long time as a result of I did not instantly see it taking part in into my journey rewards technique, however Virgin Atlantic provides one thing engaging: enticing associate award charts, a rarity amongst different airline packages these days.
Regardless of adjustments to Virgin Atlantic’s associate award charts, Virgin factors presently stand out for providing unbelievable worth with many makes use of.
Let’s go over the fundamentals of Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership and present you the candy spots that make Virgin factors so useful.
Methods to earn Virgin factors
There are 4 major methods to earn Virgin factors immediately.
Flying
You possibly can definitely nonetheless earn factors the old school means by flying.
If you happen to’re flying on Virgin Atlantic, you should use the airline’s incomes calculator to find out what number of factors you will earn to your flight. If you happen to’re flying one of many service’s companions, akin to Delta Air Traces, Air France or Hawaiian Airways, you possibly can choose to earn Virgin factors by including your Flying Membership membership quantity to your reservation. Virgin Atlantic is now a member of the SkyTeam alliance.
You possibly can examine your working service and fare class on The place to Credit score for the best choice to your flight.
Bank card rewards
You possibly can earn Virgin Factors immediately via the Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard®.
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The data for the Virgin Atlantic Mastercard has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Nonetheless, it is easy to spice up your Virgin factors steadiness with the appropriate bank card, as Flying Membership is a switch associate of each main transferable level foreign money, together with:
Among the above packages provide common switch bonuses to Flying Membership, that means you would possibly want even fewer factors than you first thought.
Many of those packages provide playing cards that characteristic terrific welcome bonuses. This is only a pattern of the journey rewards bank cards that earn these transferable factors that may be transformed to Virgin factors:
Factors Booster
If you happen to’ve flown a Virgin Atlantic-operated flight — whether or not you paid money or factors for it — you should use Flying Membership’s Factors Booster to attain additional factors for affordable. You possibly can normally pay 0.01 British kilos (or $0.013) per level, however this system periodically provides bonus promotions.
You possibly can even use the Factors Booster for flights you may have already taken as much as six months again.
Different incomes companions
There are a number of companions via which you’ll earn Virgin factors by buying or touring:
- Automobile rental companions: Virgin Atlantic companions with Avis, Alamo, Enterprise, Hertz, Nationwide and Sixt to let members earn Virgin factors.
- Heathrow Rewards: You possibly can earn factors for buying or parking at London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and switch them to Flying Membership.
- Rocketmiles: You possibly can earn between 500 and 10,000 Virgin factors per evening for reserving accommodations via Rocketmiles.
- Retailers Away: Earn Virgin factors by making purchases at over 1,000 retailers via Virgin Atlantic’s buying portal.
- The Virgin Group: From Virgin Inns to luxurious Virgin properties, you possibly can earn Virgin factors via a number of Virgin Group companions.
Associated: The inexperienced persons information to airline buying portals
Virgin Atlantic award chart
The award costs Virgin Atlantic costs are affordable. Listed here are the round-trip costs you possibly can count on throughout the usual (i.e., off-peak) season.
If you wish to stretch your factors additional, contemplate reserving journey throughout the next (off-peak) commonplace season dates:
| Customary season dates | Caribbean and Indian Ocean commonplace season dates |
|---|---|
| Jan. 4 to March 21, 2024 | March 4 to 21, 2024 |
| April 16 to June 15, 2024 | April 19 to Might 26, 2024 |
| Sept. 5 to Oct. 24, 2024 | June 3 to July 19, 2024 |
| Nov. 6 to Dec. 6, 2024 | Sept. 3 to Oct. 24, 2024 |
| Nov. 6 to Dec. 6, 2024 |
Spherical-trip costs improve throughout the peak season.
This is the entire listing of peak journey dates to pay attention to:
| Peak season dates | Caribbean and Indian Ocean peak season dates |
|---|---|
| Jan. 1 to three, 2024 | Jan. 1 to March 3, 2024 |
| March 22 to April 15, 2024 | March 22 to April 15, 2024 |
| June 16 to Sept. 2, 2024 | Might 27 to June 2, 2024 |
| Oct. 25 to Nov. 5, 2024 | July 20 to Sept. 2, 2024 |
| Dec. 7, 2024, to Jan. 5, 2025 | Oct. 25 to Nov. 5, 2024 |
| Dec. 7, 2024, to March 2, 2025 |
The worth you might save by spending comparatively few factors (i.e., 20,000 round-trip itineraries between the East Coast and the UK) you’ll lose on the outrageous service surcharges Virgin Atlantic tacks onto award flights. Spherical-trip flights between the U.S. and the U.Okay. normally price $450 for financial system flights. In the meantime, Higher Class seats (Virgin Atlantic’s enterprise class) might have nicely over $2,000 in charges spherical journey.
Associated: Methods to keep away from gas surcharges on award journey
Virgin commonly reductions the variety of factors required for Virgin-operated flights by 20% to 50% throughout its Promo Awards provides, although, sadly, the charges, taxes and service surcharges are usually not discounted.
There are many events the place you might discover paid tickets for lower than these gas surcharges, particularly if you happen to aren’t fussy concerning the working service. Your factors will not prevent cash in these eventualities. Even nonstop money fares in Virgin Atlantic Higher Class are available for underneath $3,000 spherical journey, so all the time examine tickets earlier than committing to these excessive surcharges.
Reserving one-way award flights as an alternative of spherical journeys will typically scale back the taxes and charges on award flights, probably by a whole lot of {dollars}. You may additionally profit from reserving Virgin Atlantic flights to London however not from London. Charges are usually increased for flights departing London because of government-imposed surcharges, so if you happen to’ve acquired one other award foreign money you should use to your return flight, go together with that.
Associated: Get monetary savings on Virgin Atlantic award tickets by reserving one-way flights
Flying Membership airline companions
The true magic of Virgin factors lies in associate award charts thanks to almost two dozen further airways to guide along with your rewards.
Virgin Atlantic joined the SkyTeam alliance earlier this 12 months. With the present exceptions of China Japanese (coming later in 2024, in response to Virgin Atlantic), now you can redeem Virgin factors on all SkyTeam airways, together with lately added ITA Airways.
Redemptions on SkyTeam airways are distance-based. Excluding flights operated by Air France-KLM and Delta Air Traces, you will have the next Virgin factors every means per particular person on all dates (no peak/off-peak pricing):
| Flight distance (miles) | Financial system | Premium financial system | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-500 | 5,500 | 9,000 | 14,500 |
| 501-1,000 | 7,000 | 12,500 | 15,500 |
| 1,001-1,500 | 10,000 | 16,000 | 21,500 |
| 1,501-2,250 | 11,500 | 22,000 | 35,000 |
| 2,251-3,000 | 15,500 | 26,500 | 40,000 |
| 3,001-4,000 | 20,500 | 37,500 | 60,000 |
| 4,001-5,000 | 25,500 | 47,500 | 75,000 |
| 5,001-6,000 | 31,000 | 57,500 | 85,000 |
| 6,001-7,000 | 37,000 | 70,000 | 100,000 |
| 7,001-12,000 | 50,000 | 95,000 | 140,000 |
You possibly can solely redeem Air France-KLM, Delta Air Traces, China Airways, Korean Air, Center East Airways, ITA Airways and Xiamen Air on-line.
Virgin makes use of three completely different Delta award charts on its web site:
- U.S. to U.Okay. nonstop flights (be aware availability in premium cabins could be very uncommon)
- U.S. to Europe (excluding the U.Okay.) nonstop flights (be aware availability in premium cabins could be very uncommon)
- All different Delta award flights
Whereas there are some sharp will increase for redemption costs in 2024, Flying Membership will nonetheless cost fewer factors than Delta’s SkyMiles program might cost for a similar flights because of SkyMiles’ dynamic pricing. Due to this fact, it’s value checking the costs of each packages the place you may have transferable bank card factors, as there’s nonetheless worth available.
Companion redemption charts don’t embrace top quality. This implies you possibly can’t redeem your Virgin factors for SkyTeam airways that supply top quality, together with Garuda Indonesia, Korean Air, Saudia and Xiamen.
Air France additionally provides top quality however restricts redemptions to elite members of its personal Flying Blue program.
Along with the 16 SkyTeam airways you possibly can redeem your Virgin factors with, you can even guide award flights with the next airways utilizing Virgin factors:
You too can earn Virgin factors — however not redeem them — with companions Scandinavian Airways, IndiGo and LATAM.
Every non-SkyTeam associate has a unique award chart. Some are distance-based, and others are zone-based, so every airline can have completely different phrases and circumstances. You could name Virgin Atlantic at 800-365-9500 to guide award tickets for carriers that don’t seem on-line.
Nonetheless, you possibly can nonetheless seek for availability on different web sites. For instance, the United Airways web site is superb for locating accessible seats on Star Alliance carriers. As soon as you discover what you need, be aware the journey dates and flight numbers. Then, name Virgin Atlantic and feed that info to the customer support consultant.
Associated: Methods to guide Delta award flights with Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership factors
Greatest makes use of of Virgin factors
With 23 completely different airline companions, these are the very best methods to make use of your Virgin factors.
SkyTeam airways
If you wish to fly from North America to Europe, attempt discovering Air France-KLM availability. It is because you will have fewer Virgin factors than different SkyTeam airways require.
SkyTeam is powerful in Asia, with members like Korean Air, China Airways, Vietnam Airways and Xiamen Air flying nonstop between the U.S. and Asia. You possibly can fly from the West Coast to Korea with Korean Air in enterprise class for 85,000 Virgin factors every means, plus charges, taxes and surcharges. This can be a respectable redemption, although see beneath for the improbable ANA candy spot to Japan.
Bear in mind, Virgin costs per phase, not per journey, so if you’re connecting on, say, China Airways from New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) via to Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) in Bangkok by way of Taiwan Taoyuan Worldwide Airport (TPE) in Taipei, you’d be charged a whopping 160,000 factors every means in enterprise class, which isn’t an ideal redemption.
So, when redeeming on SkyTeam airways, goal for direct flights and reduce connections to avoid wasting factors.
All Nippon Airways
Virgin Atlantic’s unbelievable redemption charges for ANA-operated flights ought to all the time be thought of if you wish to get between the U.S. and Japan. This route is among the finest award journey candy spots and sure the one finest use of Virgin factors — even with this 12 months’s devaluation of first-class pricing.
Associated: The brand new gold commonplace: Overview of The Room, ANA’s new enterprise class on the Boeing 777-300ER
Check out Virgin Atlantic’s award chart for ANA flights. These costs are for round-trip journey. Open-jaw bookings are allowed, so you possibly can examine award availability on different routes in case your most popular route is not accessible. It is also value noting that you may guide one-way awards for half the round-trip ticket price.
If you happen to had been to guide a round-trip, first-class seat to Japan in considered one of ANA’s fancy suite seats, you’d spend simply 170,000 factors for a seat costing $20,000 or extra. Enterprise class can be a wonderful deal at simply 95,000 factors.
It is also value noting that round-trip award flights are extremely low cost for infants underneath 2 years outdated who do not want a seat of their very own:
- Financial system seats price 2,000 factors.
- Enterprise-class seats price 10,000 factors.
- First-class seats price 14,000 factors.
Air France-KLM
Virgin Atlantic has a number of award charts for each KLM and Air France. You possibly can go to this web page to see all of them. It divides the world into 10 zones and calculates your award worth primarily based in your origin and vacation spot zones. Listed here are some highlights from the U.S.:
- One-way financial system flight to Europe from the West Coast for 15,000 factors
- One-way financial system flight to the Center East from the East Coast for 25,000 factors
- One-way business-class flight to Europe from the East Coast for 48,500 factors
- One-way business-class flight from the East Coast to North Africa for 66,500 factors
You may typically incur gas surcharges to your flights, however they don’t seem to be almost as excessive as for Virgin Atlantic awards. In my expertise, surcharges are just below $300 for a one-way business-class ticket from the U.S. to Europe, making Air France-KLM a less expensive choice for business-class redemptions to Europe.
Virgin Australia
The Virgin Atlantic award chart for Virgin Australia flights is usually distance-based, that means it might be a very good worth for brief and costly intra-Australia flights, as flights begin from simply 8,000 Virgin factors every means.
This present award chart signifies that you may now solely guide financial system seats. Nonetheless, it does worth toddler rewards at 2,000 factors in financial system and 10,000 factors in enterprise class. You will have to succeed in out to Virgin Atlantic when reserving your flight to be taught the business-class worth of your route.
Much less useful Flying Membership companions
Whereas having a protracted listing of incomes and redemption companions is nice, some key companions do not present a lot redemption worth for Flying Membership members.
- Air New Zealand: Releases just about no award area to companions like Virgin Atlantic.
- Delta Air Traces: Usually solely releases economy-class area to Virgin Atlantic.
- Singapore Airways: Solely permits a restricted variety of routes to redeem Virgin factors on, and you’ll solely redeem in financial system.
- Hawaiian Airways: Requires charges much like Hawaiian Airways and JetBlue, so there’s little motive to guide with Virgin factors.
Distinctive Virgin factors redemptions
If you end up with a whole lot of 1000’s (or hundreds of thousands) of Virgin factors, you possibly can commerce them in for a rare stage of luxurious — or altitude:
- Virgin Voyages: Look ahead to occasional discounted cruises the place you possibly can sail as much as 12 nights for as little as 80,000 Virgin factors.
- Necker Island: Keep at Richard Branson’s personal island residence for 4 nights for 540,000 Virgin factors, plus $5,400.
- Mont Rochelle: Keep at Branson’s Cape City vineyard for 3 nights for between 120,000 and 200,000 Virgin factors.
- Kasbah Tamadot: Spend three nights in Branson’s Atlas Mountain retreat in Morocco for between 240,000 and 280,000 Virgin factors.
- The Lodge: Keep three nights in a single bed room of Branson’s nine-bedroom Swiss Alpine resort for 380,000 Virgin factors.
- Mahali Mzuri: Spend three nights in a luxurious tent at a Kenyan safari camp for 600,000 Virgin factors or 5 nights for 950,000 Virgin factors.
- Ulusaba Non-public Sport Reserve: Use 600,000 Virgin factors for a three-night keep for 2 folks in a Safari Lodge room or 950,000 Virgin factors for a five-night keep for 2 folks in a Safari Lodge room.
Or, you possibly can enter a raffle for an opportunity to fly in area on Virgin Galactic for a cool 2,000,000 Virgin factors — however all of these factors will need to have been earned from Virgin Atlantic flights.
Methods to redeem Virgin factors
Now that you recognize why you must care about Virgin factors, let’s present you how one can redeem them for award flights. You possibly can simply seek for seats on Virgin Atlantic’s homepage. Simply click on “Superior Search” and choose the “Factors” choice.
You may then be proven availability on the date you chose and three days on both facet.
The place there’s a couple of flight accessible in your chosen day, you possibly can select the schedule and service that fits your wants after which proceed to guide on-line, paying charges, taxes and surcharges concurrently.
There’s additionally a useful Reward seat availability checker by month for Virgin Atlantic- and Delta-operated flights.
Concerning associate award searches, the Virgin Atlantic web site can fall quick. Virgin Atlantic solely means that you can search award flights to or from airports loaded into its system — and plenty of of its companions aren’t bookable on-line.
If you cannot discover what you are searching for, head to a different web site that does present availability for that airline. For instance, the United Airways web site reveals Singapore Airways and ANA flights. As soon as you discover what you are after, copy the flight info and journey date and name Virgin Atlantic to guide.
The small print
Vacationers can change their journey date, routing and/or class of service earlier than journey for a service price of simply $50 (plus mileage distinction, if relevant) for flights originating within the U.S.
You possibly can cancel your ticket and obtain all of your factors again for a cancellation price of $50 for flights originating within the U.S. so long as you cancel at the least 24 hours earlier than departure. When you’re inside 24 hours, factors turn into nonrefundable.
Flying Membership costs one-way awards at half of the award chart worth for many companions. This consists of ANA flights, which used to require round-trip bookings.
If you cannot discover award availability each methods on the route you need, you possibly can guide an open-jaw award — which suggests you are flying into or out of a unique airport in your return leg. There is no penalty for doing this, and the mileage costs out as half of the round-trip price for every of the 2 legs booked.
Backside line
Virgin Atlantic is intricate — and a few of its luster has disappeared after devaluations and diminishing availability from its companions. Nonetheless, this system continues to be extremely useful for worldwide journey, significantly for flying ANA, Air France or KLM in premium cabins when yow will discover availability.
The addition of SkyTeam companions additionally offers enticing redemption alternatives. Moreover, as a result of this system has so many switch companions, its factors are straightforward to earn. Due to this fact, this loyalty program shouldn’t be neglected.
