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American Express and Virgin Atlantic transfer bonus: Get 30% more Virgin points when transferring Membership Rewards points
Ben Smithson is a senior writer for TPG and is based in London. Originally from Australia and a qualified lawyer with a financial services background, he has almost a decade of experience writing about a broad range of travel and loyalty topics.
May 2, 2024 • 8 min read
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Quick summary
A 30% bonus is available when transferring certain flexible points to Virgin Atlantic's loyalty program through May 31.
This promotion allows travelers to book flights to London and other destinations for fewer points than usual, with options in economy, premium and business-class cabins.
Virgin Atlantic's award chart offers fixed rates by route and cabin, making it easier to estimate the points needed for flights, though taxes and fees apply.
Points can also be used for upgrades or to book flights on partner airlines within the SkyTeam alliance.
What to consider
You must be enrolled in Virgin Atlantic's loyalty program to participate and transfers are not reversible.
Award availability is limited and subject to taxes, fees and carrier-imposed surcharges, which can be significant for premium cabins.
Transfers must be made in increments of 1,000 points and may take up to 72 hours to process.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed examples of high-value redemptions, upgrade opportunities and tips for maximizing this transfer bonus.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Looking to travel to Europe? Is an island vacation on your bucket list? Want to take that dream trip for fewer points than you thought you could?
Usually, card members can transfer Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at a 1:1 ratio, but the 30% bonus available through May 31 means you’ll receive 1,300 Virgin points for every 1,000 Membership Rewards points you transfer.
Here’s how this transfer bonus works and ways you can use it to travel more for less.
Transfer Amex Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for a 30% bonus
With access to the most point transfer partners of any major U.S. credit card loyalty program, American Express is the go-to issuer for many travelers. Here are several popular American Express cards that earn transferable Membership Rewards points:
The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
American Express® Gold Card
American Express® Business Gold Card
If you have one of these cards or another eligible card that earns American Express Membership Rewards points, you can utilize this transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic. If you aren’t yet familiar with how to transfer Membership Rewards points to participating hotel and airline partners, such as Virgin Atlantic, here’s a guide to that process.
Virgin Atlantic is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, meaning you can earn and redeem points flying with Virgin Atlantic and even use them to fly the carrier's partner airlines, including Delta Air Lines, Air France and KLM. This gives you a vast array of flight options when using points.
Fly to London for just 8,000 transferred points
Unlike many other airlines that make it hard to know what the award price will be ahead of time since redemption rates vary, Virgin Atlantic still uses an award chart separated by route, cabin class and peak or standard (off-peak) season.
Flights to London from the eastern U.S. during the standard season start at 10,000 Virgin points — excluding taxes, fees and carrier-imposed surcharges of around $150 — each way for Economy Classic seats.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
This rate applies for flights departing New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) and arriving at Virgin Atlantic's home at London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR). It includes checked baggage, a full-size carry-on and onboard food and beverages. In other words, it’s a full-service ticket rather than one that just barely gets you on the plane.
During Amex's 30% transfer bonus offer, you only need to transfer as few as 8,000 American Express Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic to book this 10,000-point Virgin reward flight to London.
BEN SMITHSON/THE POINTS GUY
Virgin also offers a cabin they call Premium (which may compare to what you might think of as premium economy). Virgin Atlantic Premium is available on all flights to and from North America for guests wanting additional cabin space, a welcome glass of bubbly, elevated meals served on real china, a premium check-in experience and priority boarding.
Flights from the eastern U.S. to London in Virgin Atlantic’s Premium cabin start at 17,500 Virgin points (excluding taxes and fees) one-way on standard dates, while flights from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to LHR in the same cabin cost as little as 27,500 points (plus taxes and fees) each way on standard dates.
At the 17,500-point level, you would only need to transfer 14,000 Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic during the 30% bonus.
For the ultimate indulgence, there’s Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class cabin, which has lie-flat beds, direct aisle access for all passengers, multicourse gourmet dining with Champagne and fine wines, luxurious bedding, and onboard social spaces to unwind and relax.
As you might’ve guessed, these are the seats we really love.
Upper Class redemptions to London from the eastern U.S. start at 47,500 Virgin points or just 37,000 Membership Rewards points transferred during this promotion, which is a pretty outstanding price for a lie-flat seat across the Atlantic.
Do note that the fees, taxes and surcharges for these tickets come to about $998, so factor that into your decision-making process.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
Also, keep in mind that Membership Rewards points can only be transferred in increments of 1,000; therefore, you would need to transfer 37,000 Membership Rewards points to book this 47,500-point award.
How to maximize Membership Rewards points for Virgin flights
Though Virgin Atlantic is based in London, it flies to 32 destinations across five continents. You can connect to destinations in South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, India, Nigeria, Israel and even the Maldives, among other locales.
There are plenty of other ways to redeem Virgin points, including:
A round-trip first-class seat to Japan in one of All Nippon Airways' fancy suites for just 170,000 points — if paying with cash, this seat typically costs upward of $20,000.
Use the Membership Rewards transfer bonus to book an upgrade
Virgin Atlantic has a new plane: the A330-900neo. On it, there are two exclusive Retreat Suites that I’ve found to be an incredibly luxurious way to cross the Atlantic.
There are sliding doors for maximum privacy, ottomans so you have the option to dine with a friend, high-definition flat-screen TVs and more noteworthy extras you won’t find in many business-class cabins.
While you can’t book these seats outright with points right now, you can use your Virgin points to book Upper Class seats and then upgrade from there to the Retreat Suites for a surcharge of about $250 per seat if there’s availability within 14 days of travel.
The A330-900neo is now flying on select routes from Boston, New York and Tampa to London.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
Bottom line
Until May 31, eligible American Express card members can receive a 30% bonus when transferring Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club program.
Before transferring Membership Rewards points, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Airline tickets are subject to availability, so check this before transferring Membership Rewards points.
Transfers are usually immediate, but allow up to 48 hours for the transfer to be completed, as you cannot book flights using transferred Membership Rewards points until the transfer is complete.
Transfers are not reversible and are subject to the terms and conditions of the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club program.
With this Virgin Atlantic points transfer bonus, your travel dreams might be closer than you think.
Terms and conditions:
Terms and Conditions for the Membership Rewards® program apply. Visit membershiprewards.com/terms for more information. Participating partners and available rewards are subject to change without notice.
The value of Membership Rewards points varies according to how you choose to use them. To learn more, go to www.membershiprewards.com/pointsinfo.
You must be an eligible Membership Rewards® Card Member enrolled in Virgin Atlantic Flying Club in order to participate in this offer, visit https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/flying-club.html to enroll. If INVEST for Amex by Vanguard, American Express® Rewards Checking, and/or American Express® Business Checking are your only Membership Rewards® Products, you are not eligible for this offer at this time. American Express is not responsible for availability of flight, accommodations or any other rewards in the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Once you have transferred Membership Rewards points, they become subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and cannot be transferred back to your Membership Rewards program account. Taxes, fees, charges and surcharges, including airline surcharges, apply on Virgin Atlantic redemption flights and upgrades. See Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Terms and Conditions for details. Individual air carrier restrictions may apply.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
