Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: The Ultimate Guide to Virgin Points

Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club is the airline’s official frequent flyer program, offering Virgin Points as its loyalty currency. It’s free to join, and new members are automatically enrolled in Virgin Red, Virgin’s broader rewards club, which means you can earn points not just from flights but also from everyday activities.

Unlike many airline miles, Virgin Points never expire, giving travelers flexibility to save up for big redemptions. 

Flying Club caters to both U.S. and international travelers – whether you often fly transatlantic, connect via partner airlines, or rack up credit card rewards, this program can unlock high-value rewards worldwide.

Flying Club Overview and Features

Key terms

Flying Club is Virgin Atlantic Airways’ frequent flyer program. Now that Virgin Atlantic is part of the SkyTeam airline group (since March 2023), you can earn Virgin Points when you fly with them or their partner airlines. As you earn more points, you can get perks like upgrades or access to airport lounges.

People like the program because the points are worth quite a bit. You can use these points for free flights, upgrades, vacation deals, and even special stuff through Virgin Red.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club uses Virgin Points (they used to be called Flying Club miles) as its currency. Virgin Points don’t ever expire.

Key Features

Something cool they did recently is let you book any seat on any Virgin Atlantic flight with points – even the very last seat! They were the first airline in the UK to do this in 2024. The number of points you’ll need changes based on how popular the flight is. So, you’re not just stuck with award seats. If they’re selling a ticket, you can use points to pay for it.

If you’re trying to save points, Virgin Atlantic also has Saver reward seats on every flight. These seats have lower, set prices. For example, a one-way Saver award from New York to London starts at just 6,000 points for an eмconomy seat (or 30,000 points for Premium Class) during less busy times. Finding these Saver seats can be tough on popular flights, but they can save you a lot of points.

One thing to remember is that you still have to pay taxes and fees when you use points. Also, Virgin Atlantic charges pretty high fuel fees on their own flights, especially if you’re flying in a nicer cabin. Using points for Upper Class to London can still cost you hundreds of dollars extra. The good news is that if you use your points on some of their partner airlines, the extra charges are much lower.

SkyTeam Alliance and Partners

Being part of SkyTeam means Virgin Atlantic gives you more ways to earn and use your points all over the world. You can get Virgin Points (and Tier Points to move up in status) not just when you fly Virgin Atlantic, but also on any SkyTeam airline (like Delta, Air France/KLM, Korean Air, Aeromexico, and others), plus some airlines that aren’t in SkyTeam. This is awesome if you fly internationally – for example, you could fly Delta or Air France and put those miles toward your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club account, or use your Virgin Points to fly those airlines.

Flying Club also has partners outside the alliance:

• All Nippon Airways (ANA),
• Hawaiian Airlines,
• Singapore Airlines,
• Virgin Australia,
• Air New Zealand,
• South African Airways
• EI AI
• IndiGo
• ITA
• Latam Airlines
• South African Airlines

Because of these partnerships, you can use your Virgin Points for some really great deals. For instance, you can book a round-trip First Class ticket on ANA (Japan) for way fewer points than other programs charge, or get short Delta flights for as little as 4,000 points each way. I’ll talk about more of these great ways to use your points in the redemption section.

Joining and Account Management

Joining Flying Club is easy and free. Just fill out the form on Virgin Atlantic’s site. After you sign up, be sure to the tie your account to Virgin Red — or just use the same email for both. This lets you easily earn and combine Virgin Points on both sites. You can handle your account, see how many points you have, look for reward flights, and even use a cool points calculator to figure out how many points you’ll earn on a flight. It’s all on the Virgin Atlantic website and app, and the earning depends on the route, fare, and your member level.

Earning Virgin Points

Flying Club offers many ways to earn Virgin Points, making it easy to build up your balance:

Flying on Virgin Atlantic

When you fly Virgin Atlantic, you earn Virgin Points based on the distance traveled and ticket class, as well as bonuses for premium cabins and elite status. Instead of a complicated table, Virgin provides an online calculator to determine your earnings.

In general, the number of points earned is a percentage of the actual miles flown, multiplied by a coefficient that depends on the ticket type and elite status.

Base Points = Distance flown × Fare Class Multiplier

Virgin Points earned = Base Points × (1 + Status Bonus)

Cabin	Fare Classes	Base Earning (% of miles flown)
Upper Class	J, C, D	400%
	I	200%
Premium Economy	W, S	200%
	H, K	150%
Economy Delight	V	150%
Economy Classic	Y, B, R	150%
	L, M, U	100%
Economy Light	O, N	25%

Status Level	Bonus on top of base
Red (default)	0%
Silver	+30%
Gold	+60%

Example Calculation

NYC–London: 3,442 miles

You book a Premium Economy W fare (200% earning) as a Silver member (30%).

1. Base points: 3,442 × 200% = 3,442 × 2,0 = 6,884
2. Total points: 6,884 × (1 + 30%) = 6,884 × 1,3 = 8,949.2 → 8,949 points

You can use Virgin’s online calculator to avoid calculating this manually.

For flights, you also receive tier points (separate from Virgin Points), which count toward elite status — we will discuss these in the section on status.

Flying on Partner Airlines

One of the advantages of Flying Club is the ability to earn points when flying with other airlines. And Flying Club Silver and Gold members receive bonus points on partner flights as well as on Virgin flights (Silver receives +30%, Gold +60% points).

As a SkyTeam Elite member, you can earn Virgin points (and tier points) on any SkyTeam member flight, which are credited to Flying Club. This is usually a percentage of the distance or a fixed number of points, depending on the cabin class.

Virgin Atlantic also has partnerships outside of SkyTeam, including airlines such as ANA, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand, LATAM, and others. With these partners, you can earn Virgin points in the same way, according to the tables on the Virgin website. 

Example: Earning Virgin Points on a Delta Flight

From Virgin Atlantic’s Delta partner chart:

• Main Cabin (Y, B, M, S, H, Q, K, L, U, T) earns 100% of miles flown.
• Basic Economy (E) earns 25%
• Comfort+ (W) earns 150%
• First/Business Class (J/C/D/I/Z) earns 200%

Let’s take a real example:

• Route: New York (JFK) → Los Angeles (LAX)
• Distance: 2,475 miles
• Airline: Delta Air Lines

For Main Cabin K fare :

• Distance: 2,475 miles
• Multiplier: 100% (1.0)

If Delta Comfort+ (fare class W) multiplier 150%:

• Base points: 2,475 × 1.5 = 3,712 points
• Silver total: 3,712 × 1.30 = 4,825 points
• Gold total: 3,712 × 1.60 = 5,939 points

Or for Delta First (J/C/D) multiplier 200%:

• Base: 2,475 × 2.0 = 4,950 points
• Silver: 4,950 × 1.30 = 6,435 points
• Gold: 4,950 × 1.60 = 7,920 points

Each partner has their own earnings table. To find it, go to the partners page, select the desired partner, and scroll down to Earn Tier and Virgin Points.

Credit Card Transfer Partners and Bonuses

Credit card rewards are the fastest way for many to earn tons of Virgin Points. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is a transfer partner of all major transferable points programs in the U.S., including American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Miles. Each of these programs lets you convert points to Virgin Points at a 1:1 ratio, usually instantly or within a day. 

Take advantage of periodic transfer bonuses. Sometimes the banks offer promos like 30-40% extra Virgin Points on transfers. During such a promo, those same 10,000 Amex points would net you 14,000 Virgin Points (Amex → Virgin Atlantic 40% Transfer Bonus).

Chase → Virgin Atlantic Up to 40% Bonus for Transfers by November 20 (Then 30% Until December 5)

Additionally, Marriott Bonvoy is a hotel partner where you can transfer points to Flying Club. Marriott transfers at a 3:1 ratio (with a 5,000-point Virgin bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred). This isn’t the most lucrative method, but it’s useful if you have a surplus of Marriott points.

Currently (as of 2025), only the Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard credit card is available. This card allows you to earn Virgin points for everyday spending and can be linked to your Flying Club account, as Virgin Red and Flying Club points are interchangeable.

But even without a special Virgin card, most travelers will get more value by using mainstream travel cards from Amex, Chase, Citi, etc., and then transferring points to Flying Club as needed.

Other Ways to Earn Points

Beyond flying and credit cards, Flying Club provides numerous other earning avenues:

• Hotels and Car Rentals: Virgin Atlantic works with many hotel chains and car rental places. For example, you can get 750 Virgin Points for each stay at Hyatt hotels, 500 for IHG or Best Western, and different amounts for Marriott’s Villas & Edition spots. Car rental partners like Hertz, Avis, National, and Alamo give Virgin Points for each rental (usually 500–1,000 points). If you’re booking a hotel or car, check the Flying Club website to see if you can add your member number for extra points.
• Virgin Atlantic Vacations: If you book a vacation (flight + hotel or car) with Virgin Holidays, you’ll get Virgin Points for the total cost (2 points per £1, or even double points if the trip includes a Virgin Atlantic flight). Actually, until March 2026, Virgin is giving extra Tier Points for vacation bookings over certain amounts. It’s a good way to boost your status while on vacation.
• Shopping and Daily Spending: Because Flying Club is part of Virgin Red, you can get points for things you do every day. For example, the Virgin Red app has a shopping area (Virgin Shops or Retail Therapy) where you get points when you shop online at many stores (usually 2 points for every £1 you spend). Other partners include gas stations, parking (get 200-500 points with Purple Parking), and even e-Rewards surveys (turn survey credits into Virgin Points). You won’t get as many points as you would from flights or credit cards, but these are simple ways to add to your points.
• Buying Points: If you need a few more points to get something, you can just buy Virgin Points. It usually costs $25 for 1,000 points (plus a $22 fee). Buying points isn’t cheap – about 2.5 cents per point – so it’s only a good idea if you just need a few more to book an award. One cool thing Virgin does is Points Booster, which lets you buy extra points for flights you’ve taken or will take (sometimes with a little bonus or discount to get you to buy more).

Virgin Atlantic’s New “High Five”: 12,000 Points For Flying In Five Different Years (Backdated To 2021)

Redeeming Virgin Points

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club offers a variety of high-value redemption options, especially for flights. Here’s an overview of the best ways to spend your hard-earned Virgin Points:

Redeem for Virgin Atlantic Flights

Using Virgin Points for award flights on Virgin Atlantic is straightforward and now very flexible. You can search and book reward flights directly on Virgin’s website by selecting the “Show price in points” option when looking up fares. Thanks to the move to dynamic pricing, any seat that is for sale can also be booked with points. Essentially, your points can act as a currency to pay for tickets, with the point price roughly correlated to the cash price (high-demand flights cost more points, off-peak flights cost fewer). This means you’re never completely locked out of using points on a Virgin Atlantic flight – a huge plus if you need a specific itinerary.

However, for maximum value, aim for the Saver reward seats that Virgin Atlantic releases on each flight. These are limited award fare buckets (in Economy, Premium, and Upper Class) that cost the minimum points. The Saver prices are significantly lower than fully dynamic rates. For example, the lowest Saver one-way prices on popular routes are: 6,000 points Economy from London to NYC (off-peak), 10,500 points Premium, or 28,500 points Upper Class. Longer routes, like West Coast USA, run higher (e.g. 15,000/27,500/40,500 points one-way off-peak to Los Angeles). These rates are incredibly competitive – 6k points for a transatlantic flight is almost unheard of with other airlines. Do note that Saver availability can sell out, especially in Upper Class. The website now highlights Saver seats with a special label, and you can use Virgin’s Reward Seat Checker tool to scan for the lowest-price award seats on routes you’re interested in.

When booking Virgin Atlantic awards, be prepared to pay out-of-pocket for taxes, fees, and surcharges. Economy redemptions often have modest fees, but Premium and Upper Class tickets departing the UK can have £400+ in surcharges due to fuel and UK Air Passenger Duty. Even so, many travelers find it worthwhile – for instance, a round-trip Upper Class to London for ~95k points plus $700 in fees can still beat paying a $5,000 cash fare. If you’re fee-averse, consider one-way awards originating in the US (lower UK departure taxes) or using points on partner airlines that have lower surcharges.

Finally, Virgin Points can also be used for upgrades on Virgin Atlantic flights. You can upgrade a paid ticket (or even a reward ticket) to the next cabin class using points, provided there’s reward space in that cabin. For example, taking an Economy booking to Premium, or Premium to Upper Class, costs a certain number of points (and sometimes a fare difference). Upgrades can be a good deal if you snag a cheap cash fare and have points to burn for a taste of Upper Class. Just ensure the fare class you book is upgrade-eligible (usually not the absolute rock-bottom economy fares).

Redeem for Partner Airline Flights

You can use your Virgin Points to travel with many partner airlines to places all over the world. Each airline has its own rules for using points with Virgin. To book, you’ll usually need to check Virgin’s partner award charts on the Flying Club website. Sometimes, if you can’t book online, you might have to call Virgin Atlantic.

Here are some popular partner redemptions that offer outstanding value:

• All Nippon Airways (ANA) – Perhaps the most valuable gem among Flying Club’s lucrative offers. You can redeem just 90,000 Virgin points for a round-trip business class ticket from the US to Japan or 110,000–120,000 points for a round-trip ANA first class ticket. The same flights can cost 2–3 times more when booked through other programs such as United or Aeroplan. 
• Delta Air Lines (within the US) – Although Delta is a close partner of Virgin, Delta’s own SkyMiles program can be expensive for reward tickets. But Flying Club uses a distance-based chart for Delta. Trips up to 500 miles cost only 7,500 Virgin points round-trip, and longer domestic flights are often a good deal too. In fact, a one-way Delta award in economy class can cost as little as 4,000 points for short flights, while Delta may charge 10,000+ SkyMiles for the same flight. Even transcontinental Delta One (business class) can sometimes be booked for fewer points through Virgin than through the Delta program. Tip: You can now search for Delta award seats on the Virgin website for many routes; if not, search for “Saver” award tickets on the Delta website, then call Virgin to book.
• Air France/KLM (Flying Blue) – Since Virgin Atlantic joined SkyTeam, using awards on Air France and KLM flights has become more convenient. Rates for using miles through Flying Club are often the same or similar to those applied by Flying Blue. For example, a one-way Air France business class ticket from the US East Coast to Paris may cost ~48,500 Virgin miles (if discounted seats are available) – a great deal. You will also avoid the sometimes higher fuel surcharges that Flying Blue charges its members. 
• Virgin Australia – If you are traveling to Australia or across the Pacific, Virgin Atlantic has a partnership agreement with Virgin Australia. You can use Virgin points for domestic flights in Australia or even for a long route from Sydney to Los Angeles. For example, it’s about 75,000 points one way in business class from Australia to the US, which can be a good deal for a 13-hour flight (if seats are available).
• Other partners: You can also redeem points on Hawaiian Airlines (e.g., flights to Hawaii or between islands), Singapore Airlines (except for their ultra-premium cabins, which have restrictions), South African Airways, ANA (mentioned above), and others. Each has unique fares — for example, a flight from London to Cape Town on SAA via Johannesburg can be very advantageous in business class compared to other programs. 

Please note that there is no telephone booking fee for booking rewards through the call center.

Whenever you redeem on partners, you still must pay taxes/fees, but many partners have low surcharges. For example, ANA awards via Virgin have minimal fees (often under $200 even in first class), and domestic U.S. awards on Delta only incur tiny airport taxes.

Other Ways to Use Virgin Points

While flight rewards deliver the best value, Flying Club offers additional ways to spend points:

• Points plus cash: If you don’t have enough points for a full reward, you can use a combination of Virgin points and cash to book Virgin Atlantic tickets. To use this option, you must have at least 3,000 points. Essentially, you “pay” for part of the ticket price with points at a rate that is usually lower (~0.6 cents per point in many cases). This is only recommended if you are a few points short and want to use what you have, as booking exclusively for rewards or accumulating points gives you more value per point.
• Transferring to other programs: Virgin Atlantic allows you to convert Virgin Points to some hotel programs, including Hilton Honors, at a 2:3 ratio (minimum 10,000 points). For example, 10,000 Virgin points become 15,000 Hilton points. While this isn’t the worst rate, it’s usually better to save Virgin points for award flights, as they tend to exceed the value you’ll get from hotel points.
• Using Virgin Red points: Since Virgin Points are shared with Virgin Red, you can redeem them for a variety of non-flight rewards on the Virgin Red portal. This includes things like entertainment (concerts, afternoon tea, Virgin Voyages cruise credit), Virgin Trains tickets (in the UK), or even special merchandise and gift cards. This “experience” use of points can be a fun way to spend a small balance of points. For example, for 15,000 points, you can get a day at a spa or a hot air balloon ride from the Virgin Red catalog. The value per point varies and is often lower than when redeeming for flights, but since Virgin Points never expire, you can afford to save them up for something unique or spend them on something enjoyable if you don’t plan on traveling.
• Donations and upgrades: You can donate points to charity through Virgin Atlantic’s partnership with Free The Children (Virgin Unite).

Flying Club Elite Status: Red, Silver, Gold

Flying Club has a three-tier elite status structure: Red, Silver, and Gold. All new members start at the Red level (entry tier), and by flying and earning Tier Points, you can climb to Silver or Gold for additional perks.

Here’s a quick overview of each tier and its benefits

Benefit	Red	Silver	Gold
Tier Points to qualify (12-month period)	0 – entry level when you join Flying Club	400 Tier Points	1,000 Tier Points
Bonus Virgin Points on flights (Virgin Atlantic + SkyTeam partners)	0% bonus (earn base only)	+30% Virgin Points	+60% Virgin Points
Virgin Atlantic Holidays earn rate (lead booker, per £1)	2 pts/£1	3 pts/£1	4 pts/£1
Seat selection	Free Economy seat selection 7 days before travel on Virgin Atlantic Holidays bookings	Free Economy seat selection 7 days before travel on Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Air France & KLM	Complimentary standard seat selection in Economy Light/Classic and free selection in Economy Delight & preferred seats in Premium (where offered)
Check-in & boarding	Advanced Economy boarding – board early in Economy on Virgin Atlantic	Premium check-in in any cabin + priority boarding	Upper Class check-in in any cabin + priority boarding and SkyPriority at many airports
Extra checked baggage (beyond ticket allowance)	None	+1 checked bag (max 23 kg) on Virgin Atlantic and many SkyTeam flights	Additional baggage allowance – at least +1 checked bag (23 kg) plus an extra cabin bag on Virgin Atlantic; extra allowance on SkyTeam as Elite Plus
Lounge access	None (pay or card-based lounge access only)	None from status (can access lounges via cabin class or card)	Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses + partner lounges for member + 1 guest when flying Virgin Atlantic or SkyTeam; access to Heathrow Revivals Lounge on eligible arrivals
SkyTeam recognition	No SkyTeam status	SkyTeam Elite – priority check-in/boarding, extra baggage on SkyTeam airlines	SkyTeam Elite Plus – lounge access on international SkyTeam itineraries + full priority services
Other key perks	Virgin Points never expire; earn & spend with Virgin Red and partners; can earn reward voucher via VA credit card	Dedicated Flying Club phone line, Hertz & Holiday Extras discounts, complimentary Virgin Hotels room upgrade, 12-month status extension for maternity/paternity/adoption, 2,000 Virgin Points on renewal	Clubhouse & SkyTeam lounge access, priority baggage handling, SkyPriority, extra hand luggage, Virgin Hotels upgrades with breakfast, 12-month family leave extension, ability to gift 12-month Silver to a friend, access to high-value Flying Club reward vouchers

Once you have achieved Silver or Gold status, your membership is valid for 12 months from the date of acquisition. To maintain your status, you must earn the required number of points again in the new membership year. If you fail to do so, you will drop down one level (Gold will become Silver, Silver will become Red).

There are no lifetime statuses in the Flying Club, so you must use your qualifying flights every year; otherwise you will lose them. Virgin Atlantic occasionally runs promotions with status matching or accelerated progression — for example, inviting elite passengers from other airlines to try the Flying Club at an equivalent level during a trial period.

Final Thoughts

In the game of points and miles, Flying Club is one of those programs that goes above and beyond, providing great value and memorable travel experiences for those in the know. Virgin Points never expire, there are many ways to use them (with the potential for extraordinary value with partners), and thanks to SkyTeam, its coverage is global. Whether you’re an American traveler looking to redeem your credit card points for a ticket to London with a reclining seat or you fly internationally frequently and are looking for a unique program that feels like home, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club deserves a place in your loyalty portfolio.