Name: American Express® Gold Card
Brand: American Express

Despite switching to dynamic pricing in 2024, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club continues to offer noteworthy Saver-level fares and attractive partner award charts. Though booking through this U.K.-based carrier loyalty program can sometimes be costly when factoring in taxes and fees and additional surcharges on award tickets, some sweet spots remain.

Plus, since Flying Club partners with major credit card rewards programs, points and miles enthusiasts can easily book and take advantage of these promotions.

Whether you're planning a trip to Europe or hoping to book a domestic flight on Delta Air Lines, a fellow SkyTeam partner, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club should be on your radar. Here's what to know about earning, redeeming and maximizing your Flying Club points.

How to earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points

You can earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points in a variety of ways. Here are the ones to focus on.

Virgin Atlantic aircraft — BEN SMITHSON/THE POINTS GUY

Fly with Virgin Atlantic

You can earn Virgin points by flying with Virgin Atlantic itself. The number of points you earn is based on the flight distance, your ticket's booking class and whether you hold Flying Club elite status. To calculate how many points you will earn on your flight, use the airline’s earning calculator.

Since Virgin Atlantic is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, you can also earn Virgin points when flying with one of the carrier’s partners, including Delta Air Lines, Air France and KLM, among others. To find out the number of points you can earn on partner airlines, be sure to navigate to Virgin Atlantic’s partner page and click on the airline you are flying. You will earn redeemable points based on the cabin, booking class and distance flown.

We booked Virgin Atlantic's Retreat Suite. Check out TPG's review:

Earn Virgin points through credit card rewards

Flying Club partners with most major credit card rewards programs. Therefore, it’s easy to boost your Virgin points balance if you have a rewards credit card that earns points or miles within the following programs:

American Express Membership Rewards (points transfer at a 1:1 ratio)
Bilt (points transfer at a 1:1 ratio)
Chase Ultimate Rewards (points transfer at a 1:1 ratio)
Citi ThankYou Rewards (points transfer at a 1:1 ratio)
Marriott Bonvoy (points transfer at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-point bonus for transferring 60,000 points)
Wells Fargo Rewards (points transfer at a 1:1 ratio)

Note that Capital One miles transfer to Virgin Red, not directly to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. However, you can easily connect your accounts and use your Virgin Red points with Flying Club.

If you earn transferable rewards with a program, be on the lookout for transfer bonuses.

Here are a few of our favorite travel rewards cards with notable welcome bonuses that earn transferable rewards:

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see ): Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see ): Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
American Express® Gold Card: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Bilt Palladium Card (see ): Earn 50,000 Bilt Points plus Gold status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days from account opening. Plus, earn $300 of Bilt Cash upon approval (up to $100 of Bilt Cash earned rolls over to the next year).
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Purchase Virgin points

Virgin Atlantic allows you to purchase up to 200,000 Virgin points per calendar year at a rate of 2.5 cents each in increments of 1,000 points, plus a transaction fee of $22, regardless of the number of points purchased.

TPG values Virgin points at 1.3 cents per point, according to our April 2026 valuations. Since the cost of purchasing points is significantly higher than their valuation, it's not a good deal to buy them at full price. However, Virgin Atlantic sometimes runs bonus promotions on purchasing points. This can bring the price down to a more reasonable cost and may be worth it to top off your account or to book a specific upcoming award flight.

Virgin Atlantic Points Booster

If you're on a Virgin Atlantic-operated flight — whether you paid cash or redeemed points for it — you can use Flying Club’s Points Booster to earn extra Virgin points inexpensively. You can usually find deals for just about 1.3 cents per bonus point.

You can even use the Points Booster for flights taken up to six months ago.

Other Virgin Atlantic earning partners

There are several partners through which you can earn Virgin points by shopping or traveling:

Hotels: You can earn Virgin points by booking stays with Virgin Hotels, Virgin Limited Edition, Marriott, Best Western, Hilton, Kaligo, IHG, Rocketmiles and Hyatt.
Car rental partners: Virgin Atlantic partners with Avis, Alamo, Hertz, Enterprise, National and Sixt.
Virgin Trains Ticketing and Eurostar: Earn points for train trips across Great Britain and Europe.
Heathrow Rewards: You can earn points for shopping or parking at Heathrow Airport (LHR) and transfer them to Flying Club.
Shops Away: Earn Virgin points when you choose to shop at over 1,000 retailers through Virgin Atlantic’s shopping portal.

There are also ways to earn Virgin points through airport lounge purchases, online surveys and airport parking.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club elite status

Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at London's Heathrow Airport. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY — CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club offers three elite status tiers: Red, Silver and Gold. When you fly with Virgin Atlantic or its partners, you earn tier points, and the higher the status you have with the airline, the more perks you’ll receive.

You’ll receive the following benefits at each elite status tier:

Red (new member)

Board first in economy
Pool your Virgin points in a household account
Dedicated phone support
Free economy seat selection seven days before departure with Virgin Atlantic Holidays
Discounts with Holiday Extras and Hertz Car Hire

Silver (400 tier points required)

You’ll receive the same benefits as Red members, as well as the following benefits:

Premium check-in for everyone on your booking when flying in any cabin class
Priority boarding
Priority baggage delivery when flying with Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Air France and KLM
30% more bonus points on flights and bonus points on Virgin Atlantic Holidays
30% bonus points when you fly with SkyTeam partners
Status extension for maternity, paternity and adoption
Member benefits with Virgin Hotels
One additional checked bag
Advance seat assignment, including on select partner airlines
Priority phone support
Complimentary room upgrade with Virgin Hotels

Gold (1,000 tier points required)

You’ll receive the same benefits as Silver members, as well as the following:

60% more Virgin points on flights and 4 points per 1 euro spent on Virgin Atlantic Holidays
Upper Class check-in when you fly from Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic or Delta
Additional checked and cabin luggage allowance
Free standard seat selection when flying with Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Air France and KLM
Free economy exit-row seat selection on Virgin Atlantic flights
Preferred seat selection on Virgin Atlantic flights
Lounge access for you plus one guest
Access to Heathrow's Revivals Lounge
2,000 bonus points on your birthday
The ability to gift Silver status to a friend for 12 months
Guaranteed economy seat on any flight (even if it's sold out)
Lounge access
Complimentary breakfast with Virgin Hotels

For a comprehensive list of benefits, visit Virgin Atlantic's website.

Additionally, Flying Club has introduced High Five rewards, which will award elite members with 12,000 Virgin points if they have flown with the program for five years, starting in January 2021.

How to redeem Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points

Virgin premium economy — BEN SMITHSON/THE POINTS GUY

Every seat on a Virgin Atlantic-operated flight is, in theory, bookable with Virgin points. As with cash fares, seats booked with Virgin points are priced according to demand. However, the number of Virgin points required to book an award seat is not linked to the cash price; this has resulted in some excellent and some poor redemption rates.

When searching for award redemptions, look for Saver seats marked with a red tag. These award seats are now the most affordable options, although they will not be available on every flight.

You can use Virgin Atlantic’s handy Reward Seat Checker to find the lowest-priced seats.

Unfortunately, the downside of dynamic pricing is that the number of points required can be astronomical if you want to travel on peak dates, such as school holidays and during the summer. For some routes, the number of points required for a single flight can reach 150,000 in economy or 350,000 in business class.

At these rates, check the cash fare prices, as you may find a better deal than redeeming your Virgin or credit card points.

A downside to booking with Virgin Atlantic is the carrier-imposed surcharges it adds to your ticket. If you are booking a business-class ticket from the U.S. to the U.K., expect to pay over $600 in additional fees. Additionally, when departing the U.K., you must pay the U.K. Air Passenger Duty.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club airline partners

Aside from Saver fares, which are strictly limited in capacity and may not be available on peak travel dates, the real magic of using Virgin points lies in partner award redemptions.

Redemptions on SkyTeam partner airlines are distance-based, excluding flights operated by Air France, KLM and Delta. You will need the following number of Virgin points each way per person (though note that some airlines do not offer premium economy):

Flight distance (miles)	Economy	Premium economy (where offered)	Business
0-500	5,500	9,000	14,500
501-1,000	7,000	12,500	15,500
1,001-1,500	10,000	16,000	21,500
1,501-2,250	11,500	22,000	35,500
2,251-3,000	15,000	26,500	40,000
3,001-4,000	20,500	37,500	60,000
4,001-5,000	25,500	47,500	75,000
5,001-6,000	31,500	57,500	85,000
6,001-7,000	37,000	70,000	100,000
7,001-12,000

As for Air France-, KLM- and Delta-operated flights, be sure to check the award charts for these carriers on Virgin Atlantic’s website.

You’ll notice that partner redemption charts do not include first-class fares. This means you can’t redeem your Virgin points for SkyTeam airlines that offer first class.

In addition to redeeming your Virgin points with the SkyTeam airlines, you can also book award flights with the following airlines using Virgin points:

Air New Zealand
All Nippon Airways
El Al
LATAM
South African Airways
Virgin Australia

You can also earn Virgin points — but not redeem them — with partner IndiGo.

Each non-SkyTeam partner has a different award chart. Some are distance-based, and others are zone-based, so each airline can have different terms and conditions.

Best ways to redeem Virgin points for maximum value

Virgin Atlantic A330neo — ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

With so many different airline partners, here are some of our favorite ways to redeem your Virgin points.

Saver fares on Virgin Atlantic

On dates with low demand, Saver fares for flights from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK); Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C.; and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Heathrow Airport (LHR) start at 6,000 Virgin points in economy, 10,500 Virgin points in premium economy and just 29,000 Virgin points in business class.

Taxes, fees and carrier-imposed surcharges for Saver fares are substantial at approximately $162 in economy, $294 in Premium and $690 in Upper Class on a flight from New York City to London. Remember that taxes for flights departing from London will be more expensive than those to London due to the U.K. Air Passenger Duty.

These are the lowest redemption rates for flights to London among any major airline loyalty program.

All Nippon Airways

Consider Virgin Atlantic’s incredible redemption rates for ANA-operated flights if you want to travel between the U.S. and Japan. This route is one of the best award travel sweet spots, though availability is difficult to find.

Take a look at Virgin Atlantic’s award chart for ANA flights. These prices are for one-way travel; double them for a round-trip redemption.

If you were to book a round-trip, first-class trip to Japan from the U.S. West Coast in one of ANA’s fancy suite seats, you’d spend just 145,000 points for a seat costing $20,000 or more. A round-trip business-class seat from the West Coast to Japan would cost 105,000 points.

Air France-KLM

Virgin Atlantic has several award charts for both KLM and Air France. It divides the world into 10 zones and calculates your award price based on your origin and destination zones. Here are some notable price highlights from the U.S. on off-peak dates:

One-way economy flight to Europe from the West Coast for 15,000 points
One-way economy flight to the Middle East from the East Coast for 25,000 points
One-way business-class flight to Europe from the East Coast for 48,500 points
One-way business-class flight to North Africa from the East Coast for 66,500 points

Bottom line

Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club program is intricate, and the dynamic pricing model favors those who are flexible and can travel during off-peak periods. Those who want to travel over major holidays and peak summer months may now need to look to other programs for decent award redemptions.

However, the program remains highly valuable for international travel, particularly for those flying ANA, Air France or KLM in premium cabins when availability allows.

Additionally, because the program has so many transfer partners, it's easy to earn points, so don't overlook this loyalty program.

TPG featured card

American Express® Gold Card

TPG editor's rating

at American Express's secure site.
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.

Rewards rate

Rewards rate
Rate	Category
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	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.

Intro offer

As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

Annual fee

$325

Regular APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Recommended credit

Excellent to Good

Pros + cons

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

More details

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.
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.
$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.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status 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.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
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.

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.
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.
$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.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status 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.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
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.

Plus, since Flying Club partners with major credit card rewards programs, points and miles enthusiasts can easily book and take advantage of these promotions.