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Continental Ending Relationship With Virgin Atlantic February 13

Jan. 21, 2012
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3 min read
Continental Ending Relationship With Virgin Atlantic February 13
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Continental announced it is ending its partnership with Virgin Atlantic on February 13, 2012, which is a huge blow to the new United program, in my opinion. Virgin Atlantic has always had great award availability, which made transatlantic (and beyond) travel much more easy to book with Continental miles than almost any other mileage currency.

Per Continental.com (soon to be United.com):

Effective February 13, 2012 we will discontinue our OnePass partnership with Virgin Atlantic. Mileage accrual benefits are valid for travel through February 13, 2012. Please refer to the Mileage Credit Request Form for information regarding obtaining missing mileage credit.

For redeeming awards: OnePass reward reservations for travel on Virgin Atlantic must be confirmed and ticketed by February 13, 2012, and they are valid one year from the date ticketed. So if you were thinking of using your OnePass miles to book a flight on Virgin Atlantic, you've got to do it by February 13 for travel within a year or you're out of luck.

I've never flown Virgin Atlantic, so I'm going to use my OnePass miles to book an award on the airline before then for travel within the next few months. One of the things I like about Continental/United is that they let you route via Europe to Asia. So you can fly Virgin Atlantic Chicago to London (stop for a couple days/weeks) and then London to Hong Kong, for example for only 65,000 miles in economy or 120,000 in business class. Continental/United is a 1:1 transfer partner of Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Bold cards, both of which have current 50,000 limited time sign-up bonuses.

New York- London- Hong Kong on Virgin Atlantic for only 65,000 miles and $180 in fees.

Once this partnership ends, you can still book Virgin Atlantic awards with other partners, such as:

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1. Using ANA miles, which will still be possible thanks to the airlines' continuing partnership, though you'll still have to pay steep fuel surcharges ($400+).

2. Transferring Amex Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic and using those to book travel, though again, you'll still have those fuel charges levied on the ticket. They often run transfer bonuses, which can make this worthwhile.

Not great, but still, these are better than no options at all.

There's nothing worse than a breakup that comes the day before Valentine's Day, and this is one that will be hurting well into 2012.

Hat tip: Lucky.

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  • Annual Fee

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  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.