How 5,000 credit card points saved me over $650 on a flight to London
While Virgin Atlantic is not always my go-to choice when it comes to award travel redemptions due to its incredibly high taxes and fees, the carrier is offering a 50% points discount on all flights to London. For bookings made through March 20 for travel between March 14 and June 30, Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club program will reduce the points needed for all Virgin-operated flights between the U.S. and the United Kingdom by 50% in all cabins.
Unfortunately, I still have to pay the fees, taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges, but this is still an excellent award deal, especially since I purchased an economy ticket. Keep reading to find out how 5,000 credit card points saved me more than $650 on my flights from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR).
How I'm flying to London for just 5,000 points
Since I need to fly from New York City back to my home in London in April, this Virgin Atlantic promo deal came at the perfect moment and has helped me save money on my flight.
A one-way ticket flying in Economy Light (basic economy) on Virgin Atlantic on my travel dates was priced at $739 when I researched my options. A ticket for my preferred option, Economy Classic, which includes seat selection and a checked bag, was priced higher at $829.
Related: Is Virgin Atlantic premium economy worth it on the A330-900neo?
While you can find round-trip tickets to Europe for less than the cash price of a Virgin Atlantic ticket, these fares required a Saturday night stay, which didn't work for me.
If you think spending more than $700 for a one-way flight to Europe in economy is expensive, take a look at what it costs to book a flight in the other direction. You can expect to pay three times this amount for a comparable itinerary in the opposite direction.
Luckily, Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club still operates using award charts, a rarity among loyalty programs. According to its award chart, Flying Club charges just 10,000 points plus $152.80 in fees, taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges for a one-way redemption from JFK to LHR on off-peak dates.
While other programs don't impose surcharges, other carriers use dynamic pricing, meaning you'll pay far more than 10,000 points. For example, Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles program is charging 48,000 miles for this Virgin Atlantic flight.
Knowing this, I couldn't ignore this great 50% points discount offer from Virgin. So, I booked my flight to London through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for just 5,000 Virgin points plus $152.80 in fees, taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges.
Since Virgin Atlantic award redemptions book in Economy Classic, I'll be able to select a standard seat for free and check a bag in if I wish ahead of my flight in April. Because Virgin Atlantic is a full-service airline, I'll also enjoy inflight entertainment, plus food and drinks during the flight.
Related: TPG reviews all cabins on Virgin Atlantic's brand-new Airbus A330-900neo
After deducting the $152.80 out-of-pocket cost from the same Economy Classic cash fare of $829, I come to a savings of $676 by using 5,000 Virgin points to book the flight. This means I obtained more than 13 cents from each Virgin point I redeemed, which is almost 10 times TPG's current valuation of Virgin points.
How to earn and redeem Virgin Atlantic points
If you don't have Virgin points, don't fret. They are among the easiest of any currency to earn, as Flying Club is a transfer partner of every major transferable point currency, including:
- American Express Membership Rewards (1:1)
- Bilt Rewards (1:1)
- Capital One (1:1)
- Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1)
- Citi ThankYou Rewards (1:1)
- Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 with a 5,000-point bonus for transferring 60,000 points and a 48-hour transfer time)
Keep in mind that Capital One is a transfer partner of Virgin Red, so you'll need to link the two accounts (i.e., Virgin Red and Flying Club) to transfer points from Capital One to Flying Club.
Many of these programs offer cards that feature terrific welcome bonuses. Here's just a sample of the travel rewards credit cards that earn these transferable points that can be converted to Virgin points:
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- American Express® Gold Card
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees)
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees)
Bottom line
Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club has long been an underrated gem. It offers a great mix of airline partners, as well as various non-flying redemption options, including Virgin Voyages cruises. Plus, the program makes it easy to use points thanks to it being a transfer partner with every major transferable points currency.
While the taxes and fees can cost you a lot out of pocket, Virgin's latest award promotion is definitely worth considering. It's hard to argue the value of points and miles when you can transfer as few as 5,000 credit card points to Flying Club to redeem for an international flight that would otherwise cost an extra $676.
To take advantage of this excellent offer, you must book online by March 20 for travel between March 14 and June 30, 2024.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees