Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is a hidden gem that provides various valuable redemption options. Specifically, the program boasts some of my preferred niche award deals globally. In 2023, Virgin Atlantic became part of SkyTeam, which significantly broadened the possibilities for redeeming points through the program. Moreover, Flying Club features several other unique partners with appealing redemption values. Best of all, accumulating Virgin Atlantic points is relatively easy, which is a key reason why people should pay attention to this program.
In this article, I aim to explore how you can utilize Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points for optimal value.
### How to earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points
A crucial factor in determining the worth of a frequent flyer program is the ease of accumulating points with the currency. For those in the United States with access to transferable points currencies, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points rank among the simplest to earn.
To start, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club collaborates with Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou.
Additionally, we frequently see transfer bonuses from these currencies to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club ranging from 25-40%, which allows for even greater value. In some situations, it may be worthwhile to make a speculative points transfer to capitalize on this, in my view.
Furthermore, Flying Club often offers points for sale at a reasonable price, creating another opportunity for significant value.
### How to redeem Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points
Now let’s examine some of the top methods to redeem Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points. One complicating factor is that Flying Club lacks a single award chart that is uniform across all airlines. Instead, the program has varying award pricing for different airlines, and in certain instances, even multiple award charts for the same airline. Specifically:
– Flying Club employs dynamic award pricing for Virgin Atlantic travel, although maximum charges apply when saver award space is accessible
– Flying Club utilizes a zone-based award chart for each individual non-SkyTeam partner airline
– Flying Club features both zone and distance-based award charts for travel on Delta, with separate peak and off-peak pricing for certain awards
– Flying Club incorporates both a zone and distance-based award chart for travel on Air France-KLM, with peak and off-peak pricing available for selected awards
– Flying Club has a distance-based award chart for SkyTeam partners (excluding Virgin Atlantic, Delta, and Air France-KLM, which maintain their own charts as previously mentioned)
Before detailing some of my preferred redemption values, I’ll cover a few essential logistics for redeeming Flying Club points:
– Awards can be booked online for travel on Air France-KLM, China Airlines, Delta, Garuda Indonesia, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, and Xiamen Air; other partner awards require phone booking
– Regarding Flying Club’s change and cancellation policy, altering or redepositing an award incurs a cost of £70 in the UK or $100 in the United States, and this cannot be completed within 24 hours of departure
– Flying Club typically permits you to hold award tickets for one day, but this must be done over the phone
– Flying Club points do not expire, regardless of any activity
With that covered, let me present my preferred methods for redeeming Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points, in no specific order.
#### Redeem for travel on Virgin Atlantic
The most straightforward way to use Flying Club points is for travel with Virgin Atlantic. In late 2024, the program revamped its award pricing for Virgin Atlantic flights and adopted dynamic pricing. While this may seem negative, there is a significant upside, as some redemption rates are now better than ever.
Although you can redeem points for a seat on any Virgin Atlantic flight, the value may not always be favorable. Fortunately, a large majority of flights generally have at least some saver-level award seats available. While they may not have consistent pricing, they do come with a pricing maximum, and you can identify these awards by a “saver” tag during your search.
Below is the maximum amount you’ll pay one-way for a saver award during off-peak periods.
Below is the maximum amount you’ll pay one-way for a saver award during peak periods.
The good news is that in certain instances, redemption rates are even lower than these amounts, making them more enticing than before. For instance, here is the one-way award pricing I observe from New York to London: 29,000 points for Upper Class? Count me in!
These awards incur carrier-imposed surcharges (in addition to the UK Air Passenger Duty on many types of awards), and these charges can vary significantly. The absolute lowest cost for a New York to London award includes approximately $583 in taxes &