If you're a frequent flyer, a loyalty programme is one of the most powerful tools to help you travel the world at a fairer price and enjoy other types of entertainment.
Virgin Atlantic is one of those airlines that offer an alluring awards scheme.
With renewed relationships between former partners and new alliances, Virgin Points have only become stronger — plus Flying Club and Virgin Red consolidate everything you earn into one balance, making it easier to accumulate points.
If you’ve been collecting points over the years, find out how much your points are worth and your options with our comprehensive guide.
How much is 1 million Virgin Points worth?
The higher the class you travel, the more value your points have.
For flights in economy, Virgin Points are worth about 0.5p, and for flights in first and business class, they can be worth up to 2p. Accordingly, 10,000 points can be worth anywhere between £50 and £200.
Premium and upper-class cabin points with Virgin Atlantic and their airline partner are valued at 1p - 2p, economy flights are worth 0.5p - 0.6p, while Virgin brand redemptions are 0.5p - 0.55p and a Eurostar e-Voucher values at 0.4p.
According to Nerdwallet.com’s calculator, one million points in main cabin (premium economy) have a value of $11,000 (£8,800).
Where is it best to spend your points?
When booking business or first class with Virgin Atlantic, you can enjoy a better average value, similar to most airline rewards schemes.
The general perception is that the best method to maximise the value of your Virgin Points is to reserve them for business and first-class redemptions. Many in fact do just that.
For a quick one-way economy class redemption, 7,800 Virgin Points are the bare minimum required. Up to 139,000 Virgin Points are required for a long-haul international business class redemption (from, say, London to Australia).
Does that imply that you should always use your points to purchase business-class or first-class tickets? Not really.
The premium seats’ high-cash pricing play a significant role in their enhanced value. You shouldn't use hundreds of thousands of points if you wouldn't consider spending thousands on a ticket. However, utilising points is a good way to reserve trips you would otherwise never take.
Virgin Points also never expire.
Find out what you can get for your points balance with the site’s official calculator.
What can you get with Virgin Points?
You can purchase gift cards, merchandise, hotel reservations, or airline tickets.
Delta, Air France-KLM, and Singapore carriers are just a few of Virgin's impressive list of partners. These accept Flying Club Points for flight bookings, extending the reach of your points around the globe.
The full list of partners where you can earn and redeem Virgin Points include:
- Air France / KLM
- Air New Zealand
- All Nippon Airways (ANA)
- Delta Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airways
- Virgin Australia
- *Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) — earn only
Through the Virgin Red Portal, you can redeem your Virgin Points towards a long list of redemptions, starting at just 200 points.
Redeemable items include food, beverage, wine, Vue cinema tickets, flight promotions/discounts, experiences, merchandise, and donations.
For further information, visit Virgin’s site.
