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Guide to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club rewards program
Plenty of travel benefits and three major transfer partners.
As a smaller airline, Virgin Atlantic hasn’t always received much attention for its loyalty program, the Flying Club. Look past its size though and you’ll find this rewards program is quite versatile thanks to its large number of credit card partners and solid elite status perks.
How much are Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles worth?
According to our calculations based on the Virgin site, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles are worth about 1.5 cents per point on average.
Do Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles expire?
No, provided you keep your account active by earning or spending miles at least once every 36 months.
How do you earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles?
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.
Compare Virgin Atlantic credit cards
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.
Other cards that can earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles
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.
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Loyalty program elite levels
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.
Tier benefits
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.
Renewal bonuses
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.
Bottom line
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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