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Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard® review
A frequent flyer credit card with a $90 annual fee.
- Get this card if you want to earn rewards for your loyalty to Virgin Atlantic.
- Pick something else if you preffer other airlines.
- Apply with a good credit score of 670 or higher.
3x miles on Virgin Atlantic and 1.5x miles on all other purchases
Rewards
$90
Annual fee
15.99% to 23.99% variable
Purchase APR
670
Minimum Credit Score
Review by
Jennifer Gimbel
jennifer.gimbel@finder.comExpert review
The Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard® comes with a generous signup bonus of 30,000 miles earned after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days from account opening. You’ll get 15,000 bonus miles on each account anniversary and up to another 5,000 points when you add authorized card users to your account.
If you travel a lot outside the US, you’ll save even more by avoiding the foreign transaction fees that come with other cards. And if you spend $25,000 on purchases annually, you’ll get a second reward ticket for half the Flying Club miles when you redeem them for a Virgin Atlantic Economy reward ticket.
Whether the $90 annual fee is worth it depends on how often you fly with Virgin Atlantic and its many partners.
How to apply for the card
1. Go to the Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard® product page and click Apply Now.
2. Provide your personal and financial information and click Review your information.
3. Confirm that your information is correct and submit your application.
What credit score do I need?
An good credit score of 670 or higher increases the chances of your application’s approval.
Card benefits
- Signup bonus. Earn 30,000 miles after you spend $1,000 within the first 90 days when you open your account. Earn an additional bonus miles up to 15,000 on your account 5,000 points when you add authorized card users to your account.
- Miles rewards. Earn 3x Flying Club miles when you spend with Virgin Atlantic and 1.5x miles on all other purchases. Spending with Flying Club partners accelerates your earnings, with some partner hotels offering miles for every dollar.
- Tiered benefits. Earn 25 tier points for every $2,500 you spend on purchases, with a limit of 50 points in a month. Depending on how many tier points you collect, you can progress from red to silver to gold. Gold-level benefits include 60% bonus miles on every flight, extra carry-on and checked baggage privileges, exclusive clubhouse passes, guaranteed economy seats on any flight and a complimentary companion ticket at your annual renewal. For more on these elite status perks, check out the full Virgin Atlantic Flying Club guide.
- Complimentary concierge service. Available 24/7, their concierge service helps you secure dinner reservations, get tickets to events, coordinate business arrangements and more.
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance. If your trip is cancelled or interrupted due to a covered accident or sickness, you can be reimbursed for the unused, non-refundable portion of the fare, whether it’s a flight, bus, train or cruise — up to $1,500 per year.
- Trip delay insurance. If your trip is delayed more than six hours due to a covered loss, you can be reimbursed for reasonable expenses — up to $250 per trip.
- Rental car insurance. You can decline the rental company’s collision insurance and instead get covered for damages to your rental vehicle through Mastercard when you use it to pay for the rental transaction.
- Travel accident insurance. You’re covered for Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance on your flight, bus trip, train ride or cruise excursion when using your Mastercard to pay for the fare.
- Baggage delay insurance. Reimburses you for emergency purchases of essential items like toiletries and clothing if your baggage is delayed four or more hours on a covered trip.
- Discounted companion tickets. Spend $25,000 on purchases in an anniversary year to qualify for an economy companion reward ticket at half the typical miles.
- $0 foreign transaction fees. You don’t have to worry about paying yet more fees when you use this card overseas.
- Points transfer. Easily transfer your miles to other Flying Club members.
- Security and protection. This chip-enabled card offers enhanced protection in more than 130 countries. It also comes with $0 liability guarantee as a safeguard against fraudulent transactions.
What to watch out for
- Annual fee. Paying the $90 annual fee won’t be worth it if you’re not a frequent traveler.
- Penalties. Making a late payment will set you back up to 40%, and returned payments cost up to $29. Also watch out for a penalty APR of up to 29.99% variable.
What to know before you apply
Apply for the Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard® if you’re:
- At least 18 years old.
- A US citizen or permanent resident.
Compare Bank of America credit cards
I got the card. Now what?
- Make timely payments. Register your account online with Bank of America to monitor your spending and make payments.
- Avoid interest. Make use of the 25-day grace period after each billing cycle to avoid paying interest on purchases.
- Avoid unnecessary fees. Ensure that there are adequate funds in your bank account when making payments to avoid stiff late fees and bounced-payment penalties.
- Customer service. Online help is available in the form of BofA’s Ask Jenn, or call 800-732-9194 for support. You can also connect with Bank of America on Facebook @BankofAmerica or Twitter @BofA_Help.
Bottom line
The $90 annual fee for the Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard® could be well worth it if you frequently fly with Virgin Atlantic and its partners or even travel at all. It offers multiple rewards for your spending, including bigger returns for travel purchases. If you don’t fly that often or tend to use other airlines, consider a more flexible rewards card.