Virgin Atlantic might not be the biggest airline around, but it partners with airlines around the world to get you where you need to go in comfort and style. Its loyalty rewards program, the Flying Club, is simple and straightforward, giving new members immediate benefits.
Each flight earns you reward points and points towards status tiers, but there are other ways you can earn. We’ll go over the earning and redemption opportunities that are available to Canadians.
Key Takeaways
- The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club rewards members for flying Virgin and other SkyTeam airlines.
- Members accumulate Tier Points to advance their membership status and Virgin Points to spend on free flights, hotel stays, car rentals, merchandise, and more.
- Virgin Points are worth an average of 7.02 cents CAD each.
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What is the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club?
Virgin Atlantic operates the Flying Club rewards program. It’s free for anyone to join, and while Virgin Atlantic is headquartered in the UK, anyone in the world can become a member.
Unfortunately, many of its points-earning methods (like online shopping or Virgin Atlantic credit cards) aren’t available to Canadians. But if you frequently fly across the pond, you can still make use of what matters most – earning Virgin Points on Virgin and SkyTeam flights to spend on future travel.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club overview
Currency: Virgin Points and Tier Points
Reward categories: Charity, Partner flights, Virgin Atlantic flights, Virgin Atlantic flight upgrades, Virgin Hotels, Virgin Red
Pros:
- 19 partner airlines
- 7 ways to redeem points
- 5 ways to earn points
- 3 membership tiers with exclusive perks
- Virgin Points worth as much as 52 cents CAD each
- Can gift, pool, and transfer points
- Free membership
- Virgin Points never expire
Flying Club cons:
- Virgin Points worth as little as 0.6 cents CAD each
- No co-branded credit cards available in Canada
- Limited earning methods available to Canadians
- Loyalty Points expire after 12 months
- Virgin Points can’t be redeemed on fees, surcharges, or taxes
How much are Virgin Points worth?
Virgin Points are the bread and butter of the Flying Club. You’ll earn points on every flight aboard Virgin Atlantic and other SkyTeam airlines, which you can redeem for 7 types of rewards for an average of 7.02 Cents Per Point (CPP).
Value of reward in CAD / cost in points x 100 = value in cents per point (CPP)
Some redemption options can even stretch as high as 52 CPP; it all depends on which reward you pick.
| Redemption option | Categories | Average value* |
|---|---|---|
| Virgin Atlantic flights | * Reward Seats * Saver Reward Seats | 7.02 CPP |
| Virgin Atlantic flight upgrades | * Economy to Premium * Premium to Upper Class * Economy to Upper Class | 8.7 CPP |
| Partner flights | * SkyTeam airlines * Other airline partners | 5 CPP |
| Charity | * Air Ambulances UK * Alzheimer’s Research UK * Change Please Foundation * Disasters Emergency Committee * Guide Dogs * Made By Dyslexia * UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) * Stonewall * Trussell * Virgin Unite | 1.8 CPP |
| Virgin Red | * Virgin Atlantic Holidays * Virgin Experience Days * Virgin Limited Edition * Virgin Trains Ticketing * Virgin Wines * Virgin Voyages * …and other partners | 1.3 CPP |
| Virgin Hotels | * Chicago * Dallas * Edinburgh * Las Vegas * London - Shoreditch * Nashville * New Orleans * New York | 1.07 CPP |
| Virgin Atlantic Holidays | * FlyDrive * Multi-destination * Singe destination | 0.99 CPP |
Flying Club membership tiers
The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has a straightforward membership structure. New members automatically earn Red status and the following benefits:
- Advanced Economy boarding
- Access to a dedicated customer service line
- Access to a household account to pool points
- Access to Virgin Red
- Earn and redeem Virgin Points
- Free Economy seat selection 7 days before travel (with Virgin Atlantic Holidays)
To advance to Silver or Gold tier, you’ll need to collect a certain number of Tier Points in a single calendar year. Earn Tier Points on Virgin Atlantic and airline partner flights – plus Virgin Atlantic Holidays bookings – to unlock the following perks:
| Red | Silver | Gold | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier Points required | None | 400 | 1,000 |
| Bonus Virgin Points per flight | 0% | 30% | 60% |
| Virgin Points earned per £1 spent on Virgin Holidays | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Boarding priority | Advanced Economy | Priority | Priority |
| Extra hold baggage | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| 2,000-point birthday bonus and reward vouchers | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Clubhouse access for you and 1 guest and access to London Heathrow Revivals Lounge | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Extra carry on bag, supplementary Silver membership for a friend, and guaranteed Economy seat on any flight | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Tier points expire after 12 months, so you’ll have to earn at least 400 points per year to maintain Silver status.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses
Many airlines have their own premium airport lounges, where travellers can relax, get a bite to eat, and get a bit of work done. Virgin Atlantic is no exception.
You’ll get bar or restaurant service, sophisticated relaxation spaces, free WiFi, shower facilities, and luggage storage at the following 5 airports:
- London, Heathrow Airport
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- New York, NY
- San Francisco, CA
- Washington, D.C.
You can still kick back in a comfortable lounge even if you’re not passing through one of these destinations. Virgin Atlantic partners with airlines around the world to offer shared lounge access, including Ireland, Great Britain, the U.S., the Caribbean, India, China, Israel, and South Africa, just to name a few.
How to earn Virgin Points
There are 5 ways to earn Virgin Points, not all of which are available in Canada:
- Book other travel
- Book vacation packages
- Boost, buy, pool, or transfer points
- Convert points from other loyalty programs
- Fly Virgin Atlantic
- Fly partner airlines
To save you time, we’ve ordered them from most to least effective.
Fly Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic doesn’t give travellers a flat base rate of points for flying with the airline. Instead, the number of points you get depends on your booking class, elite Flying Club status, and the distance you fly.
Here’s a simplified overview of points earning rates for Virgin Atlantic flights:
| Red | Silver | Gold | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper | 300% to 50% | 390% to 650% | 480% to 800% |
| Premium | 175% to 250% | 228% to 325% | 280% to 400% |
| Economy Delight | 150% | 195% | 240% |
| Economy Classic | 50% to 150% | 65% to 195% | 80% to 240% |
| Economy Light | 25% | 33% | 40% |
To determine your exact earnings, multiply your distance in miles by the fare’s booking class percentage. Then add a 30% bonus if you're a Silver member or a 60% bonus if you’re a Gold member.
Fly partner airlines
You can still earn and spend reward points when flying to destinations that Virgin Atlantic doesn’t directly fly to as long as you fly with a partner airline. Virgin Atlantic is a member of SkyTeam, which is made up of dozens of carriers serving thousands of destinations.
Current SkyTeam partners include:
- Aerolineas Argentinas
- Aero Mexico
- Air Europa
- Air France
- China Airlines
- China Eastern
- Czech Airlines
- Delta
- Garuda Indonesia
- ITA Airways
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- MEA
- SAS
- Saudia
- Tarom
- Vietnam Airlines
- Xiamen Air
Virgin Atlantic also partners with airlines that aren’t members of SkyTeam, like Hawaiian Airlines, IndiGo, and Singapore Airlines, so you can still earn points on qualifying flights.
Book other travel
The ability to earn points doesn’t end when you step off the plane. You can earn Virgin Points by booking a hotel, rental car, British train ticket, or European travel upgrade with your Flying Club membership.
Although many of the travel options are for Great Britain and Europe, Canadians can earn rewards by booking hotels and rental cars in North America. Points earning varies by company and offers:
| Travel booking | Partner companies | Earning rates |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels | * Best Western * Hilton * IHG * Kaligo * Marriott Bonvoy * Rocketmiles * World of Hyatt * Virgin Hotels * Virgin Limited Edition | * Up to 10,000 points per night AND/OR * Up to 750 points per stay AND/OR * Up to 5 points per $1 CAD spent |
| Car rentals | * AVIS * Alamo Rent-A-Car * National Car Rental * Enterprise Rent-A-Car * Sixt | * 250 - 1,000 points per rental AND/OR * Up to 10% off AND/OR * Up to 5 points per £1 spent |
| Train tickets | * Virgin Trains Ticketing | |
| Other | * Eurostar * Heathrow Rewards * Holiday Extras * No1 Lounges * Purple Parking | * Up to 750 points per booking AND/OR * Up to 10% off AND/OR * Up to 3 points per £1 spent |
Book vacation packages
If you’ve got a big trip planned or are hoping to earn more Flying Club status points, check out the vacation packages available through Virgin Atlantic Holidays. Flying Club members earn 2 - 4 points for every £1 spent, plus 20 Tier Points per £500 spent.
You can search for a particular destination on the website or search the deals of the month for destination inspiration (and a great value for your points).
Convert points from other loyalty programs
Flying Club members can convert points from 8 other loyalty programs to Virgin Points and increase their balance without ever leaving the ground. Conversion rates vary from partner to partner.
| Program | Minimum points required | Points to Virgin Points |
|---|---|---|
| American Express Membership Rewards | 1,000 points | 1:1 |
| Tesco Clubcard | £2.50 in Clubcard vouchers | 1:2 |
| Heathrow Rewards | 250 points | 1:1 |
| Hilton Honors | 10,000 points | 20:3 |
| Hyatt Hotels and Resorts | 5,000 points | 5:3 |
| IHG One Rewards | 10,000 points | 5:1 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 9,000 points | 3:1 |
| E-Rewards | N/A | N/A |
Boost, buy, pool, or transfer points
Infrequent travellers can boost their points by a magnitude of 100 – 300% on a single trip for $0.018 CAD per point or pool points with up to 9 friends and family members. By pooling points, you’ll all earn rewards faster, but you’ll keep your own separate Tier Points balances.
You can also log into your Flying Club account to buy or transfer points. Every 1,000 points costs £15 (approximately $27 CAD), plus a £15 transaction fee. Similarly, points transfers between members cost £10 ($18 CAD) apiece.
Right now, Flying Club members can earn up to 70% bonus points by purchasing up to 200,000 points.
How to redeem Virgin Points
The Flying Club offers its members 7 redemption options:
- Charity
- Partner flights
- Virgin Atlantic flights
- Virgin Atlantic flight upgrades
- Virgin Atlantic holidays
- Virgin Hotels
- Virgin Red
From best to worst, here are the most valuable uses for your points.
Virgin Atlantic flight upgrades
Average value: 8.7 CPP
Categories: Economy to Premium, Premium to Upper Class, and Economy to Upper Class
Best option: An Economy to Premium upgrade on a peak Reward Seat from London (LHR) to Cancun (CUN) for $2,081 CAD or 4,000 points (52 CPP)
You can make your next flight a little more enjoyable by upgrading from Economy to Premium, Premium to Upper Class, or Economy to Upper Class. The benefits include more legroom, better seating, and more amenities.
On Reward Seats, the cost of an upgrade is the difference in points between two cabins, plus the cash difference between any charges, fees, and taxes. Using the flights we researched in the previous section, we found an average value of 8.7 CPP.
To upgrade, manage your booking online, call Virgin Atlantic at 1-800-862-8621 (US), or visit the customer support desk at the airport.
Virgin Atlantic flights
Average value: 7.02 CPP
Categories: Reward Seats and Saver Reward Seats
Best option: An off-peak Economy flight from London (LHR) to Atlanta (ATL) for $2,807 or 13,500 points (20.79 CPP)
Virgin Atlantic doesn’t place restrictions on the fares you can book using your Flying Club points. Reward Seats start at just 6,000 points one-way, but you’ll have to pay for government fees and taxes out of pocket.
To book a reward flight, log into your Flying Club account and search destinations. If you’re looking to get the most value for your points, keep an eye out for Saver Reward Seats or play around with the Reward Seat Checker tool to see all the best reward seats for a particular destination over the course of a month.
We compared the value of 7 of the most popular Virgin Atlantic flight routes during peak and off-peak seasons and found an average value of 7.02 CPP. You can get at least 2 CPP no matter which route and seat you book, but for the best deal, stick to Economy seats during off-peak travel dates.
Flying Club members can trade 3,000 points for a £16.50 discount on any flight, providing 0.99 CPP.
Partner flights
Average value: 5 CPP
Categories: SkyTeam airlines and other airline partners
Best option: A one-way, non-stop flight from London (LHR) to Boston (BOS) aboard Delta Airlines for 15,000 points + £183 (12.88 CPP)
With Virgin Points, you can use 27 airline partners to travel to over 1,000 global destinations.
Your choices include SkyTeam partners such as Air France, China Easter, and Delta Airlines, or other partners like Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia. Some airlines provide extra benefits for Silver and Gold Flying Club members – think priority baggage handling, priority standby, lounge access, and free extra bags.
To book, use the Virgin Atlantic website. You can maximize your points using promotional offers, such as 4,000-point Economy flights from London to Paris, and one-way from Delta UK to Boston or New York for 15,000 points.
Virgin and WestJet recently announced significant expansion to their codeshare partnership to include new routes and destinations, which allows customers of both airlines to purchase tickets under one booking. It allows Virgin Atlantic passengers easier access to Canadian destinations and opens up destinations like India for WestJet customers.
Charity
Average value: 1.8 CPP
Categories: Air Ambulances UK, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Change Please Foundation, Disasters Emergency Committee, Guide Dogs, Made By Dyslexia, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Stonewall, Trussell, and Virgin Unite
Best option: Any for 1.8 CPP
Through Virgin Red (more on that later), Flying Club members can donate Virgin Points to 10 different charitable organizations. Every 1,000-point donation turns into £10 ($18 CAD), giving you 1.8 CPP.
Virgin Red
Average value: 1.3 CPP
Categories: Virgin Atlantic Holidays, Virgin Experience Days, Virgin Limited Edition, Virgin Trains Ticketing, Virgin Wines, Virgin Voyages, and other partners
Best option: A 2-night stay in the Virgin Limited Swiss Alp Lodge for $3,564 or 200,000 points (1.78 CPP)
Flying Club is Virgin Atlantic’s frequent flyer program, while Virgin Red is Virgin’s company-wide rewards program. Each one uses Virgin Points as currency; by linking your accounts, you can earn and transfer points across both programs.
A Virgin Red membership opens the door to earning points on the Virgin Red App and retail partner offers, and redeeming points on charity and special promotions from other Virgin companies.
Current Virgin Red offers include:
- 2 nights at a Swiss Alp Lodge in the Virgin Limited Edition collection for 200,000 points (1.78 CPP)
- A Sea Terrace cabin aboard the 10-day "Puerto Rican Daze & Caribbean Nights" cruise from Virgin Voyages for 325,000 points (1.55 CPP)
- A 6-pack of Aussie Shiraz wines from Virgin Wines for 12,000 points (1.36 CPP)
- A £200 Eurostar voucher for 40,000 points (0.9 CPP)
- A £10 gift card from Virgin Experience Days for 2,000 points (0.9 CPP)
Although not as valuable as flights, there are plenty of exciting things to find on the Virgin Red website, so we encourage you to take a look.
Virgin Hotels
Average value: 1.07 CPP
Categories: Chicago, Dallas, Edinburgh, Las Vegas, London - Shoreditch, Nashville, New Orleans, and New York
Best option: A 2-night stay at Virgin Hotels New Orleans in December for $956 CAD or 37,500 points (2.55 CPP)
Virgin operates 8 luxury hotels in major cities in the UK and US under the Virgin Hotels brand, offering members the chance to book a Basic Chamber room with points. Classy, contemporary, and set in stunning locations, bookings at Virgin Hotels yield an average of 1.07 CPP.
Virgin Atlantic Holidays
Average value: 0.99 CPP
Categories: FlyDrive, Multi-destination, and Single destination
Best option: Any for 0.99 CPP
Let Virgin Atlantic Holidays do all the work planning your next big trip. Choosing a single-destination or multi-destination flight + hotel or flight + car FlyDrive package gives you the option to pay in points and cash at the checkout.
Trading 3,000 points will take £16.50 off your total at checkout for a fixed value of 0.99 CPP.
If you’ve already booked a vacation package, click on "Manage My Booking" in your account to pay down your balance with rewards points.
How to get the most out of your Virgin Points
If you’re trying to earn enough points for a big trip, there are a few strategies you can use to maximize your Virgin Points:
- Avoid booking travel on major holidays: Your points won’t go as far on the busiest travel days of the year, like the Friday before Christmas and the days leading up to New Year’s.
- Check Virgin Red for new offers: The Virgin Red website gathers the best deals on travel, merchandise, and experiences available, saving you the trouble of bargain hunting.
- Earn Silver or Gold status: Not only will you earn 30% or 60% more points for qualifying travel, but you’ll also get more perks and benefits when you travel.
- Use the fare finder tools on the site: Virgin Atlantic’s website highlights monthly travel deals offering some of the best value for your points.
FAQ
How do you join the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club?
To join the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, head to the Virgin Atlantic website and fill out the online form. It’s free and only takes a minute to get set up. You’ll enter an email address and Virgin Atlantic will verify it. Then, enter personal details to complete the setup.
How much does Virgin Atlantic Flying Club cost?
Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club is free to join! Although rewards points never expire, tier points that count toward status do expire if your account hasn’t been active in the past 12 months.
Can I use my Virgin Atlantic miles on Delta?
Yes, you can use Virgin Points towards flights with Delta. To book a flight operated by Delta, you’ll actually want to start at the Virgin Atlantic site. Search for your flight and select the "Show Price in Points" option to see available flights. Choose the Delta flight you want and finish booking.
Who is eligible for Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse?
Upper class passengers plus 1 guest each are allowed to use the Clubhouse for up to 3 hours. Since Virgin Atlantic partners with other airlines, you may also be able to get into the Clubhouse if you’re flying Delta One on Delta or Clase Premier on Aeroméxico. Additional status levels with these airlines might also get you in, so check at the Clubhouse desk.
Is Virgin Atlantic part of Star Alliance?
No, Virgin Atlantic is a member of SkyTeam, which it joined in 2023.
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