Transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Virgin Atlantic With a 25% Bonus
In the return of a promotion that'll pop up from time to time, Citi is offering a 25% bonus for transferring Citi ThankYou points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles. The promotion runs now through March 2, but if you're looking to redeem Flying Club miles for peak travel times, you'll want to jump on this promo within the next week.
Virgin Atlantic is in the midst of a program devaluation announced last October. As part of the change, you can no longer redeem Virgin Atlantic miles for Virgin America flights, leaving Delta as the only partner available for US domestic flights. This change was the major catalyst that led TPG to reduce our valuation of Flying Club miles from 1.5 cents per mile to 1.3 cents each.
For redeeming miles on Virgin Atlantic's own flights, there's 10 more days until the award chart goes through a mixed bag of changes. With the addition of off-peak awards, Flying Club miles will become more valuable than before for certain redemptions. However, other award prices are generally going up.
If you're looking for a once-in-a-lifetime redemption, one of the absolute best uses of Virgin Atlantic miles is redeeming 1,200,000 miles for a seven night stay on Richard Branson's Necker Island. With this 25% transfer bonus, you'll only need to transfer 960,000 Citi ThankYou points to have enough for this luxurious redemption.
No matter what you plan to do with your Flying Club miles, there's no lack of transfer partners. Virgin Atlantic is a 1:1 partner with all four major transferable currencies: American Express Membership Rewards (value: 1.9 cents), Chase Ultimate Rewards (2.1 cents), Citi ThankYou points (1.6 cents) and Starwood Preferred Guest (2.7 cents). Based on current TPG valuations, you can see that Citi ThankYou points are already the best source. With this transfer bonus, ThankYou points are the clear winner.
That said, if you want to snag some award bookings using the current award chart, you'll want to start transferring Citi ThankYou points soon. Our testing shows that points take about 2 days to transfer to Virgin Atlantic, and the last day to book awards using the current award chart is January 15.
Bottom Line
This transfer bonus isn't a great deal. But if you're looking to top off your Flying Club account for some last-minute redemptions before the award chart changes, this is a great opportunity to do so.
H/T: One Mile At A Time
[card card-name='Citi Prestige® Card' card-id='221410589' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
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| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.