Are you wanting to travel to Europe? Is an island vacation on your bucket list? Want to take that dream trip for less points than you thought?
If so, there’s good news — for a limited time, American Express® Membership Rewards loyalty card members Members can receive a 30% bonus when transferring Membership points Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Terms apply.
Normally, card members can transfer Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flight Club at a 1:1 ratio, but the 30% bonus available until May 31 means you’ll get 1,300 points Virgin for every 1,000 Membership Rewards points you transfer.
Here’s how this transfer bonus works and the ways you can use it to travel more for less.
Transfer Amex Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flight Club for a 30% bonus
With the most access to points transfer partners of any major U.S. credit card loyalty program, American Express is the issuer of choice for many travelers. Here are some popular American Express cards that earn transferable Membership Rewards points:
If you have one of these cards or another eligible card that earns American Express Membership Rewards points, you can use this bonus transfer to Virgin Atlantic. If you’re unfamiliar with how to transfer Membership Rewards Points to participating hotel and airline partners, such as Virgin Atlantic, here’s a guide guide that process.
Virgin Atlantic is one member of the SkyTeam alliance, meaning you can earn and redeem points when flying with Virgin Atlantic and even use them to fly its partner airlines, including Delta Air Lines, Air France and KLM. This gives you more flight options when using points.
Fly to London for just 8,000 transfer points
Unlike many other airlines, it is difficult to know in advance what the award price will be because redemption rates vary, Virgin Atlantic still uses award charts divided by route, cabin class and peak or standard (off-peak) season.
Daily newsletter
Gift your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers to get breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive offers from TPG experts
Flights to London from the eastern US during the standard season start at 10,000 Virgin points – excluding taxes, fees and carrier-imposed surcharges of about $150 – each way for a Classic Economy seat.
This price applies to flights departing from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), and Washington, DC’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) and arriving Virgin Atlantic’s Heathrow Airport (LHR). It includes checked baggage, large carry-on baggage, and in-flight food and drinks. In other words, it’s a full-service ticket, not a ticket that just gets you on the plane.
During Amex’s 30% transfer bonus offer, simply transfer at least 8,000 American Express Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic to book this 10,000 Virgin points bonus flight to London.
Virgin also offers a cabin they call Premium (comparable to what you might think of as premium economy). Virgin Atlantic Premium is offered on all flights to and from North America for passengers who want more space in the cabin, a welcome glass of premium, bubbly food served on real china, Premium check-in experience and priority boarding.
Flights from the eastern US to London in Virgin Atlantic’s Premium cabin start at 17,500 Virgin points (excluding taxes and fees) one-way on standard dates, while flights from the International Airport Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to LHR in the same cabin costs just 27,500 points (plus taxes and fees) each way on standard days.
At 17,500 points, you only need to transfer 14,000 Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic during the 30% bonus period.
Related: Is Virgin Atlantic’s premium economy worth the A330-900neo?
For the ultimate indulgence, there’s Virgin Atlantic’s Upper class The cabin features lie-flat beds, direct aisle access for all passengers, delicious multi-course meals with champagne and fine wines, luxurious bedding and social spaces on board for relaxation and rest.
As you might guess, these are our seats Actually Love.
Elite redemptions to London from the eastern US start at 47,500 Virgin points or just 37,000 membership rewards points transferred in this promotion, which is quite an outstanding price for a The chair lies across the Atlantic Ocean.
Please note that fees, taxes, and surcharges for these tickets are approximately $998 USD, so consider that in your decision-making process.
Also, remember that Membership Rewards points can only be transferred in 1,000 increments; therefore, you will need to transfer 37,000 Membership Rewards Points to book this 47,500 point bonus.
How to maximize membership rewards points for Virgin flights
Although Virgin Atlantic is headquartered in London, it flies to 32 destinations across five continents. You can connect to destinations in South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, India, Nigeria, Israel, and even the Maldives, among other locales.
There are plenty of other ways to redeem Virgin points, including:
Related: How 5,000 credit card points saved me over $650 on a flight to London
Use your Membership Rewards transfer bonus to book an upgrade
Virgin Atlantic has a new plane: A330-900neo. Up there there two exclusive Retreat Suites which I found to be an extremely luxurious way to cross the Atlantic.
There are sliding doors for maximum privacy, couches where you can choose to dine with friends, high-definition flat-screen TVs, and many other notable extras you won’t find otherwise. in many business class cabins.
While you can’t currently book these seats outright with points, you can use your Virgin points to book Premium seats and then upgrade from there to Retreat Suites for an additional charge of around $250 per seats if available within 14 days of travel date.
The A330-900neo currently flies on select routes from Boston, New York and Tampa to London.
Bottom line
Through May 31, eligible American Express card members can receive a 30% bonus when transferring Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic’s Flight Club program.
Before transferring Membership Rewards points, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- you have to signed up to Virgin Atlantic’s Flight Club to participate in this offer.
- Airfares are subject to availability, so check this before transferring Membership Rewards points.
- Transfers are usually instant, but it can take up to 48 hours to complete because you can’t book flights using transferred Membership Rewards points until the transfer is complete.
- Transfers are irreversible and are subject to the terms and conditions of the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club program.
With this Virgin Atlantic points transfer bonus, your travel dreams may be closer than you think.
Terms and conditions:
Member Rewards® program terms and conditions apply. Visit memberrewards.com/terms for more information. Participating partners and available rewards are subject to change without notice.
The value of Membership Rewards Points varies depending on how you choose to use them. To learn more, visit www.membershiprewards.com/pointsinfo.
You must be an eligible Member Rewards® Card Member registered to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to take part in this offer, visit https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/flying-club.html to register. If INVEST for Amex by Vanguard, American Express® Rewards Checking and/or American Express® Business Checking are your only Membership Rewards® Products, you are not eligible for this offer at this moment. American Express is not responsible for the availability of flights, accommodations or any other rewards in the Virgin Atlantic Flight Club. Once you have transferred Membership Rewards points, they will be subject to the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Terms and Conditions and cannot be transferred back to your Membership Rewards program account. Taxes, fees, charges and surcharges, including airline surcharges, apply on Virgin Atlantic redemption and upgrade flights. See Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Terms and Conditions for details. Individual airline restrictions may apply.
Minimum transfer is 1,000 membership reward points. Redeem this exclusive offer from 12:00am MT on April 21, 2024 to 11:59pm MT on May 31, 2024 to receive 30% more Virgin Points. Additional Virgin Points will be awarded at the time of transfer. Generally, transfers are instant, but please allow up to 72 hours for the transfer to complete. POID: GHVO:0002
©2024 American Express Travel Related Services Inc. All rights reserved.
