Although there are ways to maximize Delta SkyMiles on Delta-operated flights, the mileage required to book award tickets can be unpredictable. After all, Delta uses dynamic pricing for SkyMiles redemptions.
However, Virgin Atlantic Flight Club, a Delta SkyTeam partner, offers the solution. With Virgin Atlantic points, you can book Delta flights at a set price based on Virgin Atlantic’s Delta-specific rewards chart. In many cases, Virgin Atlantic Flight Club rewards rates for short flights are lower than what you would pay if redeemed through Delta’s SkyMiles program.
Best of all, earning Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points is relatively easy. So, let’s dive in and discover the benefits of using Virgin points to book Delta short-haul flights.
Why is it special?
Virgin Atlantic offers extremely competitive bonus rates for short Delta flights. Virgin Atlantic rates rewards operated by Delta based on the distance you fly and the number of sectors you fly.
Check out the following chart to see how much you’ll pay per segment when you book Delta flights through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Note Delta flights to and from the UK and other parts of Europe use a different rewards chart.
| Distance traveled | Main cabin economy | First place/Delta One |
|---|---|---|
| 500 miles or less | 7,500 points | 17,500 points |
| 501 to 1,000 miles | 8,500 points | 27,500 points |
| 1,001 to 1,500 miles | 11,500 points | 40,000 points |
| 1,501 to 2,000 miles | 12,500 points | 45,000 points |
| 2001 to 3,000 miles | 15,000 points | 52,500 points |
| 3,001 to 4,000 miles | 22,500 points | 80,000 points |
| 4,001 to 5,000 miles | 27,500 points | 105,000 points |
| 5,001 to 6,000 miles | 35,000 points | 130,000 points |
| 6.001 and up | 45,000 points | 165,000 points |
Delta’s economy class bonus flights are great for non-stop flights up to 1,000 miles, while Delta One and First Class flights are ideal for nonstop flights up to 500 miles.
Consider a concrete example: a direct Delta flight from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). This Delta flight is 337 miles long, so you can expect to redeem 7,500 points for first class economy and 17,500 points for first class if you book through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
However, if you book the same flight via Delta, you need to redeem 12,000 SkyMiles Delta for economy main class and 19,000 SkyMiles for first class.
Prize rates through Delta vary due to the program’s use of dynamic prize pricing. Virgin Atlantic Flight Club doesn’t always come out on top, but it’s a good idea to compare prices every time you book a Delta award ticket.
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Related: Don’t forget to max out Virgin Atlantic points on 22 airlines
How to order
Virgin Atlantic uses a distance-based rewards chart for Delta’s short flights. So start by estimating your flight’s distance by entering your departure and destination airports. Great Circle Mapper.
In this story, let’s look for flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT).
Now, go to Virgin Atlantic website. You must be signed in to your Virgin Atlantic account to book a reward flight, but you can search for flights without logging in.
Enter origin, destination, date and other required information. Make sure you’ve set the price to “Points”. If your date is flexible, check the “Show flexible date” box.
The Virgin Atlantic website is a bit odd in that it won’t show any availability unless the date you search contains available prizes within the same week. So you can save yourself a bit of trial and error if you start searching on Delta’s website because Delta’s price calendar allows you to view an available month. Dates marked as “Lowest” will most likely be available through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (although this is not guaranteed).
Once you find through Virgin Atlantic, a calendar week will appear. Hopefully, your desired date is available.
Note: Virgin Atlantic availability can be viewed on a monthly basis, although you’ll have to tamper with the site’s URL. Change from “dates” to “calendar”, as first suggested by Regular Miller.
This trip between Minneapolis and Charlotte is a 930-mile nonstop flight. That means you’ll pay 8,500 points for economy class and 27,500 points for first class.
If you book the same flight through Delta, you’ll need to redeem 17,000 miles for economy first class or 25,000 miles for first class.
So if you want to fly economy class in main cabin, you’ll get a big boost by redeeming Virgin points instead of Delta miles. However, if you want to fly in first class, you must go ahead by redeeming Delta miles.
Related: When and How to Book a Delta Prize with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
How to earn points for this reward
Unfortunately, there is no co-branding Virgin Atlantic credit card currently accepting applications. So transferable rewards are the best way for you to earn Virgin points via credit card. Fortunately, Virgin is the transfer partner of the following flexible bonuses:
If you don’t have any of these flexible points, consider adding one of the following cards to your wallet:
Registering a new card now will not get you instant rewards. However, doing so can help you build up your balance for future redemption.
Related: Why transferable points are more valuable than other rewards
bottom line
Before booking a short flight with Delta using SkyMiles, check Virgin Atlantic’s rewards rates.
However, it is important to note that Virgin Atlantic Flying Club does not always offer the lowest bonus. Delta sometimes offers extremely low bonus rates that are cheaper than you can book through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. For example, you can sometimes find flights for as low as 4,000 Delta miles one way. So compare prices with both shows before booking.
Additional reporting by Kyle Olsen.
