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According to our calculations based on the Virgin site, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles are worth about 1.5 cents per point on average.
No, provided you keep your account active by earning or spending miles at least once every 36 months.
You can earn Flying Club miles most easily in two ways: flying with Virgin Atlantic or making purchases with eligible credit cards.
Virgin Atlantic’s cobranded card offers a way to jump right into the Flying Club by taking advantage of its welcome offer. You’ll earn 30,000 Flying Club bonus miles when you spend $1,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
Virgin Atlantic currently offers just one cobranded credit card, the Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard®. On top of the 30,000-bonus mile welcome offer, you’ll earn 3x miles on top of standard earnings when you make Virgin Atlantic purchases and 1.5x miles on all other purchases.
If you want to earn additional bonus miles for your Flying Club account but don’t want to invest in the Virgin Atlantic cobranded card, you’re in luck. Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards all transfer to your Flying Club account at a 1:1 ratio.
This means you have a wide variety of cards to choose from and can pick the card that best suits your spending habits and reward preferences.
Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club elite status features three tiers: Red, Silver and Gold. To progress to subsequent elite levels, you’ll need to earn a certain number of Tier Points during the calendar year.
| Tier level | Tier Points required |
|---|---|
| Red tier | – |
| Silver tier | 400 Tier Points in a year |
| Gold tier | 1,000 Tier Points in a year |
Data obtained April 2019. Values are subject to change and should be used only as a general guide.
The way Tier Points work is a little confusing, but the points you’ll earn on each flight depends on the ticket type and cabin.
Chief among earned benefits is an increase to the number of miles you’ll earn during Virgin Atlantic flights.
| Red tier | Silver tier | Gold tier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonus miles earned | – | 30% | 60% |
Progressing through the elite status ranks also earns you a variety of travel benefits based on your level.
Red tier serves as the base Flying Club level you gain for signing up. Your base perks include:
Silver tier earns all of the benefits of Red tier, plus the following additions:
Gold tier earns all the benefits of the Silver tier, plus the following additions and changes:
As a Gold tier member, you can also earn bonuses on Virgin Atlantic partner airline flights. These vary by airline, but can include bonus miles when flying with a partner, priority baggage and boarding, priority check in and additional lounge access.
Virgin Atlantic rewards you for renewing your status tier each year, incentivizing sticking around in the higher tiers.
You’ll earn an extra 2,000 bonus miles when you renew Silver each year and for renewing Gold tier status you’ll earn one companion ticket. And if you’ve been a Gold member for 10 consecutive years and earned 7,500 Tier Points in that time, you’ll earn Gold status for life.
If you live near a Virgin Atlantic hub, consider adding the Flying Club to your rewards club repertoire. A healthy mile value, flexible and varied earning options — including a solid cobranded card — and status benefits may make this program worth keeping an eye on.
If you’re not located near a Virgin Atlantic hub or you prefer a different airline, compare airline credit cards to find a program that suits your travel and purchasing needs.
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