Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles get a new name, no longer expire
Editor's Note
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that the double points offer has been extended.
Say goodbye to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles and say hello to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Virgin Points.
On Thursday, Virgin Group unveiled Virgin Red, which is the new Virgin-wide rewards club. And as the new currency is being rolled out across businesses in the Virgin Group, Virgin Atlantic is renaming its Flying Club miles to take on the name of Virgin Points. As of Thursday, your Flying Club miles are now known as Virgin Points.
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But the name change isn't the only thing of note. Here's what else we know so far about the future of Virgin Points and how yours might soon become more valuable.
Virgin Points no longer expire
Along with the name change, Flying Club is adding a passenger-friendly amendment to its terms and conditions in that Virgin Points will no longer expire. Previously, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles expired after 36 months if the member had no account activity.
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the downturn in travel, Virgin extended the expiration date of some members' Flying Club miles by six months in May 2020. However, that initiative has been extended to now include all Virgin Points going forward.
It's worth noting that while the currency of Virgin's loyalty program is changing from Flying Club miles to Virgin Points, the Flying Club program as we know it is sticking around. The value of your miles — now Virgin Points — isn't changing, and all other details of the program are staying the same, including elite-qualifying credits continuing to be known as Tier Points.
"Virgin Points have exactly the same value as miles and members can continue to earn and redeem these across Virgin Atlantic, Delta and other partners as they do today, as well as collect tier points," Virgin Atlantic Chief Digital & Marketing Officer Siobhan Fitzpatrick said in a statement. "The change in currency provides greater peace of mind for our members and paves the way for an expanded range of ways to earn and spend Virgin Points."
So, as of Thursday, the sum of miles — now Virgin Points — in your Flying Club account will no longer expire. Every one Flying Club mile that you had in your account is now one Virgin Point.
The news that Virgin Points will no longer expire is the second passenger-friendly improvement Virgin Atlantic has made to its Flying Club program recently. In August, Virgin Atlantic became the first major airline to announce that members would now earn elite-qualifying credits on award flights. For most other award programs, passengers only earn elite-qualifying credits on cash fares, rather than redemptions.
New promotion: Earn 2x Virgin Points on flights
As part of Thursday's announcement, the airline is launching a promotion in which flyers can earn double points on flights. For flights booked before Oct. 15, 2020, Flying Club members will earn double points on eligible travel.
According to the terms and conditions, the flight must be booked directly with Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Holidays or the airline's contact center. Additionally, the flights must be operated by Virgin Atlantic and marketed by the airline — codeshare flights are excluded from the promotion.
There's no need to register for this offer. Ultimately, it's a nice way to earn additional Virgin Points on flights you were otherwise planning on taking.
What should we make of Virgin Red?
Virgin Red, the new Virgin Group-wide rewards club, is an interesting development. As of Thursday's announcement, Virgin Atlantic is the only business that's taken on the new currency, which is "in preparation for the launch of Virgin Red" and "will be revealed soon," according to Kelly Best, CMO of Virgin Red.
“Because Virgin Points will eventually be the currency used across all of the different Virgin companies, Flying Club miles have been rebranded to Virgin Points today," Best said in a statement. "This rebrand doesn’t change how existing Flying Club members can collect or spend points around the globe – except that members can relax safe in the knowledge that Virgin Points will never expire.”
A spokesperson for Virgin Red wasn't able to provide any additional information on the program and its redemption options. However, given the wide scope of Virgin's brands, it could be possible in the future to earn and redeem Virgin Points on a number of other businesses. The extent of that, however, remains unclear at this time.
That said, new options for earning and redeeming could mean good news for points and miles collectors, potentially making those Virgin Points more valuable.
For now, we'll have to get used to calling Virgin Atlantic's currency points rather than miles.
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- 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.
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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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
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.