You’re considering signing up for the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, but you’re not sure if it’s worth it. We can understand your hesitation—after all, there are a lot of loyalty programs out there. So, we’re going to explain all the lucrative perks and limitations of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club in the UK to help you figure it out.
Who are Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic is a British airline founded by Sir Richard Branson in 1984. The airline is headquartered in Crawley, West Sussex, England, near London Gatwick Airport. It operates long-haul flights between the United Kingdom and North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. The airline also operates flights to destinations in Europe and the United States and is currently jointly owned by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Delta Air Lines.
The airline runs a range of services from London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester to countries across North America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia; they operate a mixture of Boeing 787s, 747s, Airbus A330s and A340s & A350 aircraft boasting brand new seats for Economy, Premium (Premium Economy) and Upper Class (Business).
What about the Flying Club?
The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is the airline’s loyalty program. Members can earn miles by flying with Virgin Atlantic and their partner airlines, as well as through other partners such as hotels, car rental companies, and credit cards. These miles can then be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and other rewards. The program has different tiers, such as Red, Silver, and Gold, which offer increasing benefits and perks. For example, Silver and Gold members can access exclusive lounges, receive priority check-in and boarding, and have additional baggage allowance. The program also allows members to pool miles with family and friends, and the miles don’t expire as long as the member has activity in their account every 24 months.
How to Earn Virgin Flying Club Points
The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is the airline’s loyalty program, which allows members to earn miles through a variety of activities. These miles can then be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and other rewards. In this article, we will discuss the different ways to earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles, as well as how to make the most of the program.
Earning Miles Through Flying
The most obvious way to earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles is by flying with the airline. Members earn miles based on the distance flown and the fare class. For example, a round-trip economy class flight from London to New York would earn a member 4,150 miles. The more you fly with Virgin Atlantic, the more miles you will earn.
Earning Miles Through Partner Flights
Virgin Atlantic partners with a number of other airlines, including Delta Air Lines, Air France, and KLM. Members can earn miles when flying with these partner airlines, as well as when booking flights with other partners such as Hawaiian Airlines and Virgin Australia. To earn miles on partner flights, simply provide your Flying Club number when booking your flight.
Earning Miles Through Credit Cards
Earning Virgin Atlantic Points with a credit card is an effortless way to accumulate Virgin Points fast. For instance, the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card has an annual fee of £160 and a welcome bonus of 15,000 points after you make a purchase with it within 90 days of opening the account.
Plus, you can receive 1.5 points per pound on Virgin Atlantic purchases and 0.75 points per pound on all other purchases. Furthermore, it’s possible to transfer points from many major currencies at a 1:1 ratio apart from Capital One. Another transferable option comes through Hilton Hotels at 1,500 Virgin Points per 10,000 Hilton points (10,000 point minimum).
Earning Miles Through Hotels and Car Rental
Members can also earn miles when booking hotels and car rentals through Virgin Atlantic’s partners. Virgin Atlantic has partnerships with major hotel chains such as Marriott and Hilton, as well as car rental companies such as Avis and Budget. To earn miles, simply provide your Flying Club number when making your reservation.
Earning Miles Through Shopping
Members can also earn miles by shopping online through Virgin Atlantic’s shopping portal. The portal features a wide variety of retailers, including major department stores, fashion brands, and electronics retailers. Members can earn anywhere from 1 to 15 miles per pound spent, depending on the retailer.
To gain access to the Virgin Atlantic shopping portal, you have to be a Flying Club member first; once enrolled, make sure you are logged in, then click through their website link to shop at your favourite store – your purchase will be tracked within five business days and any additional miles will be added on top of your rewards card miles.
Earning Miles Through Dining
Members can earn miles by dining at participating restaurants. Virgin Atlantic partners with a number of restaurant reservation and loyalty programs, such as OpenTable, which allow members to earn miles for every pound spent on dining.
Earning Miles Through Non-flight activities
Members can earn miles for activities such as spa treatments, golf, and other activities with Virgin Atlantic’s partners. Some of these partners are Virgin limited edition, Virgin holidays, Virgin wines, Virgin experience days.
Maximizing your points
It’s important to note that the amount of miles earned can vary depending on the activity and the member’s tier level. Additionally, some of the earning options are only available to certain members tiers. To maximize your earning potential, it’s important to take advantage of all the earning opportunities available to you.
Also, consider flying on Virgin Atlantic’s partner airlines to earn more miles and tier points. Also, it’s important to keep track of your miles and redeem them before they expire. Miles typically expire after 24 months, so it’s best to redeem them before that time.
In conclusion, the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club offers
The Flying Club Benefits
The main benefit of the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is the ability to earn miles through a variety of activities, such as flying with the airline, booking flights with partner airlines, and shopping through the program’s partners. These miles can then be redeemed for flights, upgrades, hotel stays, car rentals and other rewards.
Other benefits of the program include priority check-in and boarding, additional baggage allowance, and access to exclusive lounges for higher tier members. Additionally, members can take advantage of discounted upgrades and companion tickets on certain flights.
The program also has a tier system, which rewards members for their loyalty to the airline. As members move up the tiers, they will have access to more benefits and perks.
Another benefit of the program is the ability to redeem miles for flights with partner airlines such as Delta, Air France, and KLM.
Redeeming Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Points
The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club allows members to redeem their miles for a variety of rewards. Here are a few ways to redeem miles:
- Flights: Members can redeem miles for flights with Virgin Atlantic and its partner airlines. The number of miles required for a flight will vary depending on the route and the fare class. Members can use the Virgin Atlantic website to search for flights and check the miles required for redemption.
- Upgrades: Members can redeem miles for upgrades to premium cabins on Virgin Atlantic flights. The number of miles required for an upgrade will depend on the route, fare class, and the type of upgrade.
- Car rentals and Hotels: Members can redeem miles for car rentals and hotel stays through Virgin Atlantic’s partners such as Avis, Hilton, and Marriott.
- Merchandise: Members can redeem miles for merchandise such as electronics, jewelry, and gift cards.
- Experiences: Members can redeem miles for experiences such as spa treatments, golf and activities with Virgin Atlantic’s partners.
- Convert miles to Cash: Members can redeem their miles for cash, which can be used for any purpose.
It’s important to note that redemption options and the number of miles required may vary depending on the member’s tier level and the availability of the reward. Additionally, some rewards may have blackout dates or other restrictions.
To redeem miles, members can log in to their Flying Club account on the Virgin Atlantic website and browse the available options. Once you find an option you like, you can redeem your miles and follow the instructions provided to complete the redemption.
Redeeming Points On Flights
One of the most popular ways to redeem miles with the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is for flights with the airline and its partner airlines. The number of miles required for a flight will vary depending on the route and the fare class.
To redeem miles for a flight, members can log in to their Flying Club account on the Virgin Atlantic website and search for flights. The search results will show the miles required for redemption, as well as the cash fare for comparison.
When redeeming miles for a flight, it’s important to note that there may be a limited number of seats available for redemption on each flight. Additionally, some flights may have blackout dates or other restrictions.
Members can also use the miles to redeem a flight for a companion, however, the number of miles required for a companion redemption is usually higher than for an individual redemption. Additionally, some flights may not be available for companion redemption.
It’s also worth noting that members can redeem miles for flights with partner airlines such as Delta, Air France, and KLM. To redeem miles for a partner flight, members need to provide their Flying Club number when booking the flight and make sure the partner airline is part of the Virgin Atlantic program.
In summary, redeeming miles for flights with Virgin Atlantic and its partners is the most popular and best way to redeem your Flying Club points.
Examples of points requirements for flights
The number of miles required for a flight with Virgin Atlantic will vary depending on the route, fare class, and the time of booking. However, here are some examples of the number of miles required for a round-trip flight on Virgin Atlantic:
- London to New York in Economy class: 40,000 miles
- London to Las Vegas in Economy class: 45,000 miles
- London to Hong Kong in Premium Economy class: 70,000 miles
- London to Johannesburg in Upper Class: 110,000 miles
- London to Sydney in Premium Economy class: 90,000 miles
It’s important to note that the above examples are only rough estimates and the number of miles required may change based on the availability of flights and the time of booking. Additionally, the miles required will vary depending on the route, class and fare type.
In order to get a more accurate estimate of the number of miles required for a specific flight, members can use the Virgin Atlantic website to search for flights and check the miles required for redemption. Also, they can check the fare classes and their availability before redeeming the miles.
It’s also worth noting that members can use a combination of cash and miles to book a flight, known as “Miles plus Money”, where members can use some of their miles and pay the rest in cash.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Tier System
The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has a tier system that rewards members for their loyalty to the airline. The program has three tiers: Red, Silver, and Gold. Each tier offers increasing benefits and perks to members.
- Red: This is the entry-level tier of the Flying Club program. Members in this tier earn miles for flying with Virgin Atlantic, as well as through other activities such as shopping and dining. They also have access to exclusive fares and discounts on flights.
- Silver: To reach Silver status, members must earn at least 25,000 tier points or fly 25 flights in a calendar year. Silver members enjoy benefits such as priority check-in and boarding, additional baggage allowance, and access to exclusive lounges. They also earn 25% bonus miles on flights with Virgin Atlantic and partner airlines, and they can take advantage of discounted upgrades.
- Gold: To reach Gold status, members must earn at least 50,000 tier points or fly 50 flights in a calendar year. Gold members have access to all the benefits of Silver members, as well as additional perks such as a dedicated Gold member phone line, complimentary upgrades, and a free companion ticket for certain flights. They also earn 50% bonus miles on flights with Virgin Atlantic and partner airlines.
It’s important to note that the tier level of a member is determined by the number of tier points you earn in a calendar year, not the number of miles you earn. Additionally, members can maintain their tier status by earning a minimum number of tier points in the following year or by flying a minimum number of flights.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club vs Avios
Avios and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club are two loyalty programs that offer rewards to frequent flyers. While both programs have similarities, they also have some key differences. In this article, we will compare and contrast the two programs, highlighting the pros and cons of each to help you decide which one is right for you. Check out our Avios guide here
Earning Miles
Both Avios and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club allow members to earn miles through flying with the airline and its partners. However, there are some differences in the earning structure.
Avios is a distance-based program, which means that members earn a set number of Avios for each flight based on the distance flown and the fare class. This can make it easier to understand how many Avios a member will earn for a given flight, but it also means that shorter flights may not earn as many Avios as longer flights.
On the other hand, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is a revenue-based program, which means that members earn miles based on the fare class and the money spent on a flight. This can make it more difficult to understand how many miles a member will earn for a given flight, but it also means that more expensive flights will earn more miles.
Redeeming Miles
Both Avios and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club allow members to redeem miles for flights, but there are some differences in the redemption options available.
Avios offers a wide range of redemption options, including flights with oneworld airlines, hotel stays, car rentals, and experiences. Additionally, Avios can be used to upgrade flights, or even pay for flights partially with Avios and cash.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, on the other hand, focuses mainly on flights, allowing members to redeem miles for flights with Virgin Atlantic and its partners, as well as upgrades to premium cabins. Additionally, they can redeem miles for car rentals, hotel stays and experiences through partners.
Partners
Both Avios and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club have partnerships with other airlines and companies, but the partners and the earning and redemption options may vary.
Avios is part of the oneworld alliance, which includes airlines such as American Airlines, British Airways, and Cathay Pacific. This means that members can earn and redeem Avios with these airlines. Additionally, Avios has partnerships with hotel chains and car rental companies, which allows members to earn and redeem Avios for stays and rentals.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, on the other hand, has partnerships with Delta Air Lines, Air France, and KLM, as well as hotel chains and car rental companies.
Tiers
Both Avios and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club have a tier system that rewards members for their loyalty to the airline. However, the requirements and benefits of each tier may vary.
Avios has three tiers: Blue, Bronze and Club. Members in the Blue tier earn Avios for flying and can redeem them for flights and upgrades. Bronze members have access to priority services such as priority check-in and baggage handling, and Club members have access to additional benefits such as lounge access and complimentary upgrades.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has three tiers: Red, Silver and Gold. Red is the entry-level tier, Silver members enjoy benefits such as priority check-in and boarding, additional baggage allowance, and access to exclusive lounges, and Gold members have access to all the benefits of Silver members, as well as additional perks such as a dedicated Gold member phone line, complimentary upgrades, and a free companion ticket for certain flights.
In conclusion, Avios and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club are both loyalty programs that offer rewards to frequent flyers, but each program has its own strengths and weaknesses. While Avios offers a wide range of redemption options and is part of the oneworld alliance, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club focuses mainly on flights and has partnerships with specific airlines such as Delta, Air France, and KLM. Avios has a distance-based earning structure, while Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is revenue-based.
Additionally, Avios has a more complex tier system with more benefits, while Virgin Atlantic Flying Club’s tier system is more straightforward. Ultimately, the choice between the two programs will depend on your travel habits, the destinations you fly to, and the types of rewards you are looking for. It may also depend on the availability of flights, partners and earning and redemption options that suits your needs.
Which is better? Flying Club or Avios?
It is difficult to say which loyalty program is better, as it depends on an individual’s travel habits and preferences. Both Avios and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club have their own strengths and weaknesses.
If you frequently fly with oneworld airlines such as American Airlines, British Airways, and Cathay Pacific, Avios may be a better choice as it is part of the oneworld alliance and allows you to earn and redeem Avios with these airlines. Additionally, Avios offers a wide range of redemption options, including flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and experiences.
On the other hand, if you frequently fly with Delta Air Lines, Air France, and KLM or other partners of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, it may be a better choice as it allows you to earn and redeem miles with these airlines. Additionally, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club’s revenue-based earning structure may be more beneficial for those who frequently book more expensive flights.
It’s worth noting that both programs have similar earning and redemption options and the benefits and perks of the program are subject to change. The best choice ultimately depends on your travel habits, the destinations you fly to, and the types of rewards you are looking for. It’s recommended to compare the options and benefits of both program to make an informed decision
How to Sign Up for Virgin Atlantic Flying Club UK
Signing up for a free Virgin Atlantic Flying Club account is easy and barely an inconvenience. With just a few steps, you’ll be on your way to being a part of the Virgin Atlantic Flying club and enjoying its benefits. All you have to do is enter personal information, such as your name and email address, into the sign-up form and create a unique password. After that, you can start earning points and get all the benefits of “Red” tier members. And then you can start your way up on the Tier ladder.
Once your flight is confirmed, your points will automatically be credited to your account. Plus, if you sign up for the Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card, you will be rewarded with additional points for every purchase you make. You’ll also get bonus points when signing up for these cards.
FAQs
Is the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club free?
Yes, the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club UK is free to join. You can sign up for an account online or at any Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays store.
What are the benefits of joining the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club UK?
The main benefit of joining the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is that you can earn and redeem Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles on Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays flights and holidays. You can also use your miles to upgrade your seat or to book flights with Virgin Atlantic’s partner airlines. Other benefits include access to exclusive Virgin Atlantic Flying Club events and offers and the ability to earn points when you shop with Virgin Atlantic’s retail partners.
How many Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles do I need to book a flight?
The number of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles you need to book a flight depends on the route, the time of year, and the availability of Virgin Atlantic flights. This airline rewards system is sophisticated enough to be applied in any flight situation. So convenience is something they don’t lack here. You can usually find Virgin Atlantic flights for as little as 5,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles.
Bottom Line
So there you have it. As you can see, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is filled with flight perks, and you can take the maximum benefit if you tour very frequently. The rewards are generous, and the program is easy to use. Not only that, but the team at Virgin Atlantic are always on hand to help, so you can rest assured that you’re in safe hands. Is it worth signing up for? Sign up today and see for yourself!
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