AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
If you're unfamiliar with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, you might want to familiarize yourself. Virgin points can unlock a bounty of value, sometimes rivaling other partner frequent flyer programs. If aspirational redemptions on ANA, comfy rides across the Pacific on Hawaiian Airlines or Air New Zealand, or cheap domestic Delta awards align with your travel goals, look no further than Flying Club.
Here's a dive into several prominent sweet spots bookable through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
Page Contents
- Book Virgin Atlantic Upper Class to Europe for as Little as 29,000 Points
- Fly ANA First or Business Class Using Virgin Points
- Fly Business Class on Air New Zealand
- Short Hops on Delta and Aeromexico
- Fly to Italy in Business Class Using Virgin Points on ITA Airways
- Fly in Saudia Airlines Business Class Using Virgin Points
- When and How To Book Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Awards
- How To Earn Virgin Points
- Final Thoughts
Book Virgin Atlantic Upper Class to Europe for as Little as 29,000 Points
Virgin Atlantic rolled out dynamic pricing earlier this year — but only for flights it operates. Normally, this pricing model is bad news for travelers since it generally means higher prices, but the move resulted in a new sweet spot, which we couldn't be happier to see.
On flights in Upper Class — Virgin Atlantic's name for its business class — you'll pay as few as 29,000 points to fly between the U.S. and Europe. Better yet, the dynamically priced taxes and fees can also be very reasonable. Prices can fly much higher (as is the case with dynamic pricing). But flying from Atlanta (ATL) to London (LHR) in a lie-flat seat for 29,000 points plus $250 is an incredible deal.
Pricing is generally much lower if you originate on the East Coast. Paying over 50,000 points (plus taxes and fees) to fly from the West Coast just isn't as good of a deal. Perhaps consider booking a positioning flight to take advantage of the rates from 29,000 points.
Fly ANA First or Business Class Using Virgin Points
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club offers excellent award rates on ANA awards — even after a significant, no-notice devaluation. Here is the updated chart. Note that award prices are round-trip:
| Route | Economy Class Mileage Requirement | Business Class Mileage Requirement | First Class Mileage Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic Japan | 15,000 | - | - |
| Japan–South Korea | 18,000 | 35,000 | 50,000 |
| Japan–China/Guam/Hong Kong/Philippines/Taiwan | 23,000 | 45,000 | 60,000 |
| Japan–Malaysia/Myanmar/Singapore/Thailand/Vietnam | 40,000 | 70,000 | 105,000 |
| Japan–Hawaii/India/Indonesia | 45,000 | 75,000 | 115,000 |
| Japan–Australia/Canada/Western USA | 60,000 | 105,000 | 145,000 |
| Japan–Europe/Central and Eastern USA | 65,000 | 120,000 | 170,000 |
As you can see, ANA first class between Japan and the U.S. costs 145,000 or 170,000 Flying Club miles round-trip, depending on the route. West Coast routes are cheaper. Again, this requires that “saver space” is available.
Business-class award space is much easier to find and can be an even better deal, with awards costing just 105,000–120,000 miles round-trip between the U.S. and Japan — or 75,000 if you fly to/from Hawaii.
You can book one-way awards on ANA using Virgin points for half the round-trip price. That's useful if you only find availability one way or want to use another mileage program to fly the other direction.
Finding ANA award availability
Finding ANA first class award availability can be especially challenging, as the carrier doesn't open much award space — particularly in the first class cabin.
To be alerted when this award availability opens up, consider signing up for an award alert service such as Thrifty Traveler Premium+ or checking out Seats.aero (which has a dedicated ANA first class finder tool). If you know how to use it, you can set up alerts to find availability yourself using ExpertFlyer should the service ever regain access to Star Alliance partners.
I prefer searching for ANA awards on United's site. It's easy; you can filter to “nonstop only,” and partner award space available to United should be bookable with Virgin Atlantic.
Once you settle on your preferred flights, call Virgin Atlantic (see the “When and How To Book” section below). Provide the agent with your flight dates and numbers, and they will confirm that award seats are available. Then, you can complete your booking by paying the required cash and miles.
If you don't have the miles to book, you can put the award on hold while you transfer points. However, transfers from all major bank currencies to Virgin Atlantic are typically immediate.
Comparing Virgin Atlantic award prices to other options
Let's compare some award rates to give you an idea of just how good of a deal Virgin Atlantic Flying Club's award chart is.
If you find award availability, you can book ANA first class between the U.S. and Japan for 220,000–242,000 United MileagePlus miles each way. United recently devalued international partner first class awards, which makes the rate you'll pay through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club look even more appealing.
Theoretically, you can also book the same award through Air Canada Aeroplan for 110,000 points. However, Aeroplan has seemingly yanked all ANA award space from its website. If you're working with a balance of Aeroplan points and want to book an ANA award, it's worth calling Aeroplan to see if agents can book these awards for you.
But remember, you'd pay no more than 85,000 Virgin points one-way for this same award. Even after the recent devaluation, that's still the cheapest mileage rate by far.
The discount is even bigger in business class. For example, United charges 110,000 miles one-way in business from Washington, D.C. to Tokyo. As a point of comparison, Aeroplan would charge 75,000 points.
Booking through Virgin Atlantic provides almost a 50% discount to the United sticker price, costing just 60,000 Virgin points each way.
You'll pay just 52,500 miles for a one-way business class ticket between the West Coast and Tokyo. And when a transfer bonus comes around, you could pay even less.
Related: All Current Credit Card Transfer Bonuses
Comparing Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to ANA Mileage Club
Pivoting to ANA first class awards, it is true that booking through ANA Mileage Club is still a better deal for many U.S. destinations. This is assuming you're not taking advantage of a Virgin Atlantic Flying Club transfer bonus.
Booking with ANA has other advantages. The program opens its award calendar 355 days in advance, so you can snag a seat ahead of other travelers. Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club only allows you to book 331 days out.
No matter how you book, you're getting an excellent deal. The cash cost of ANA first class is insane: $22,000 or more for the “cheapest” dates!
For more information, check out Virgin Atlantic's ANA partner award page.
Fly Business Class on Air New Zealand
Many people traveling on points and miles look for ways to enhance their travel experience. Since 15-hour flights can be torturous, finding access to a bed may make this one of the better award opportunities available (when the space opens). If New Zealand is in your future, remember to look for saver space on Air New Zealand. It's a rare beast, but it's worth the trouble if you have time to plan and some flexibility.
United is one of the easiest Star Alliance partners for searching and booking here. I found a nonstop flight from Houston to Auckland on United's site that costs 110,000 miles each way.
Nonstop business class costs just 45,000 miles each way between the South Pacific and Los Angeles using Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. If you catch a 30% transfer bonus from a partner rewards program, that's just 35k points each way!
The only murky point is the change in verbiage from “New Zealand” to “South Pacific” to Los Angeles. This differs from the previous Virgin Atlantic award chart for Air New Zealand, which had South Pacific and New Zealand listed separately. Presently, there are no nonstops between Los Angeles and other places in the South Pacific besides Auckland.
| Route | Economy Class Mileage Requirement | Business Class Mileage Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic New Zealand | 15,000 | - |
| New Zealand–Australia | 20,000 | 30,000 |
| New Zealand–Pacific Islands | 20,000 | 30,000 |
| New Zealand–Asia | 60,000 | 80,000 |
| New Zealand–Hawaii | 60,000 | 90,000 |
| South Pacific–Los Angeles | 60,000 | 90,000 |
| New Zealand–Europe | 120,000 | 190,000 |
For more information, you can check out Virgin Atlantic's Air New Zealand partner award page.
Short Hops on Delta and Aeromexico
One of Flying Club's best sweet spots for U.S. domestic travel includes nonstop flights under 500 miles. Delta operates hundreds of flights that fall into this distance band, and you can book economy awards for 7,500 Virgin points. When cash rates are high, this can be a great deal.
| Flight Distance (miles) | Delta Main Cabin Mileage Requirement | Delta One / First Mileage Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| 0–500 | 7,500 | 21,000 |
| 501–1,000 | 11,000 | 41,500 |
| 1,001–1,500 | 16,500 | 59,500 |
| 1,501–2,000 | 18,500 | 66,500 |
| 2,001–3,000 | 22,000 | 70,000 |
| 3,001-4,000 | 35,000 | 80,000 |
| 4,001-5,000 | 44,000 | 105,000 |
| 5,001-6,000 | 49,500 | 130,000 |
| 6,001+ | 65,500 | 165,000 |
This sweet spot was preserved through Virgin Atlantic's devaluation for Delta awards in December 2023. While we don't know how long this sweet spot will stick around, it's still one we like to take advantage of.
You also can redeem Virgin points for flights on fellow SkyTeam partner Aeromexico. Like with Delta, short-haul flights provide excellent value, but that's not all. On the carrier's longer routes, business-class awards are favorable, too. And when you factor in a potential transfer bonus, you can book Aeromexico awards through Virgin for less than you could through Aeromexico Rewards.
| Flight Distance (miles) | Economy Mileage Requirement | Business Mileage Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| 0–500 | 5,500 | 14,500 |
| 501–1,000 | 7,000 | 15,500 |
| 1,001–1,500 | 10,000 | 21,500 |
| 1,501–2,250 | 11,500 | 35,000 |
| 2,251–3,000 | 15,500 | 40,000 |
| 3,001–4,000 | 20,500 | 60,000 |
| 4,001-5,000 | 25,500 | 75,000 |
| 5,001-6,000 | 31,000 | 85,500 |
| 6,001-7,000 | 37,000 | 100,000 |
| 7,001-12,000 | 50,000 | 140,000 |
Fly to Italy in Business Class Using Virgin Points on ITA Airways
ITA Airways is the flagship carrier based out of Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy. They have multiple nonstop flights from the U.S., originating in major airports like Miami (MIA), Washington (IAD), Boston (BOS), New York (JFK), and Chicago (ORD).
One of Virgin Atlantic's best (and not often talked about) sweet spots is being able to book ITA Airways business class on these routes from the U.S. for 75,000-85,000 miles. Shorter routes, such as the direct flights from Boston and JFK, are listed at 75,000 miles, while the slightly longer flight from Miami runs at 85,000 miles.
Although these rates are higher than many of their other redemptions, the ample amount of transfer bonuses that Virgin Atlantic runs can turn a 85k cost to only 65k points with a 30% transfer bonus — making this a great deal!
ITA Airways business class has a really solid hard product as well, with a desirable 1-2-1 layout, privacy partitions, fully lay-flat seats, and a sleek blue and beige leather interior.
Considering how many people book a holiday to Italy every year, this sweet spot is a no-brainer when planning your next European summer vacation.
Fly in Saudia Airlines Business Class Using Virgin Points
While Saudi Arabia might not be at the top of your list to visit, this niche sweet spot with Virgin Atlantic is great for those who are planning on traveling to the Middle East. Even if Saudi Arabia isn't your final destination, this could be a great way to get to other major cities that often cost much more to fly into, such as Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
There are two major airports to look at with Saudia Airlines, each with a direct flight from the U.S.:
- Washington (IAD) to Jeddah (JED)
- Washington (IAD) to Riyadh (RUH)
- New York (JFK) to Jeddah (JED)
- New York (JFK) to Riyadh (RUH)
Each route is around 13 hours, which can make spending a few extra points worth it for a fully lay-flat seat.
Currently, you can book a seat on these routes for 37,000 Virgin points for economy, and 100,000 points for business class, plus minimal taxes and fees. While 100,000 points isn't the best deal out there, if you're able to utilize a solid transfer bonus, you could end up getting a great deal for a business class seat that is otherwise very expensive to book with cash and hard to book elsewhere with points.
When and How To Book Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Awards
We see transfer bonuses semi-regularly from Amex to Flying Club, from Citi to Flying Club, from Chase to Flying Club, and from Capital One to Virgin Red (requires linking your Virgin Red account to Flying Club). These can turn an excellent deal into one that is superb. However, waiting for a transfer bonus may not be in your best interest if saver space becomes available. Transferring points speculatively also isn't recommended, because there could be further devaluations at any point.
While some awards are bookable online, most sweet spots aren't. Instead, you must call Flying Club to book. Flying Club agents are generally very friendly and resourceful in my experience, and they can verify that the award space is available before transferring your points.
You can place awards on hold while waiting for your points to transfer. To see how long points take to transfer, check recent transfer times using AwardWallet's Transfer Times tool.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club call centers
Flying Club agents can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Here are the numbers:
- U.K.: 0344-209-2722
- USA: 800-862-8621
- Caribbean: 800-744-7477
- China: +86-21-5353-4600
- India: +91-124-4693030
- South Africa: +27-11-340-3400
Phone numbers in other locations are available here.
How To Earn Virgin Points
One of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club's best aspects is the number of rewards programs that offer point transfers. For U.S.-based travelers, you can transfer five credit card rewards currencies to Flying Club at a 1:1 ratio. Plus, you can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Flying Club at a 3:1 ratio and net a 5,000-point bonus for every 60,000 points you transfer.
With several rewards program partners, you can easily find a credit card that aligns with your spending habits, net a big sign-up bonus, and redeem for flights at great value.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Final Thoughts
One of the major themes throughout this post is that Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has continued to deliver value for point collectors even as other programs have devalued. That's not to say Virgin Atlantic hasn't made partner awards more expensive; it's done that plenty enough. But when you compare rates for first, business, and economy redemptions via the partner programs we've covered here, it's rather clear Flying Club's rates are far more preferable.
This isn't the case for every award, but it's true for a good number of them — especially for aspirational tickets. Why redeem 220k United MileagePlus miles for an ANA first-class award when you could cash in 85k Virgin points instead? Don't overlook Flying Club; it could be the key to incredible mileage savings.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
I have called Virgin Atlantic recently and successfully booked one way business class seats on ANA for 2022 travel.
Phone call hold times are 20-30 minutes and the agents are very helpful with placing the award seats on hold for 24 hours while points are being transferred.
For some reason, Chase points did not transfer instantly on a Sunday and showed up after 12 hours in the Virgin account. This ended up requiring few phone calls with long hold times, but it was worth it for the long haul business class seat.
Too speculative for our interests
Thanks for the tips. Signing up now
I am giving Virgin a closer look now because of their close coomperation with KLM/Air France and their loyalty program Flying Blue
This is great information for us new folks. Thank you.
The ANA redemptions are incredible value.
I agree that there are great spots with the programme Flying Club but I prefer concentrate myself on more well known programmes.
Anyway reading this blog I’m learning some more sweet points which other programmes as well.
Thanks for your information. I am planing burn all of Virgin Atlantic points next year before devaluation.
This is interesting but I find the it hard many times to find award seats in premium cabins when traveling as a family….
I really appreciate the completeness of this article. It really looks like a good deal, especially ANA 1st using Amex Rewards!
I love in depth writeups like this. Please keep them coming. 🙂
Thank you for providing this info. It definitely will be helpful in future trip planning.
Thank you very much for this great info, I did not know NZ was a partner of Virgin Atlantic.
I hope to find availability to redeem my miles.
Thank you once again!
I’ve been a member with Virgin Atlantic for some time – This is one reward scheme I’ve never had trouble building up the points quite easily.
You can also use them for Air New Zealand flights in the South Pacific\Oceana.
Wow. So the savings are to be had in 1st and business class seats.
Yes, economy award redemptions usually aren’t great value.
I like the Delta redemptions from the USA to Asia definitely.
The current AMEX transfer bonus makes this even more lucrative! Thanks for the article
What’s the best way to find these routes the VS miles work on DL? In other words, going from HNL to NRT works, but it doesn’t on other places in Japan. At least not that I saw. How do I figure out where else I can go from HNL?
Just got a DL flight where they want 320k sky pesos for Delta One. Booked thru VS and after the 30% MR rewards bonus transfer I got it for 47k MRs.
I have miles expiring soon. I need to take a serious look at this!
Spacious seats and transferrable points… There is a lot to love here, especially if you’re travelling to New Zealand…
For those with a lot of luggage, as of December 9, Upper Class baggage allowance on Virgin is reduced from three pieces to two pieces.
Wow, the Flying Club is even more attractive than I could ever imagine!
How easy is to find availability on those flights with miles?
Unfortunately, you do have a few folks chiming in here that finding award availability is tough, from their experience at least.
ANA all the way for me, Virgin is so overlooked sometimes.
I am so happy that I follow your blog, this post is very valuable.
Thank you so much for this great article! ANA first class redemption is really a good deal.
VS is one that I have overlooked. It may very well be worth looking into.
I’ve been gradually rebuilding my miles balance with their credit card, which earns 1.5 pts/$ spent in general. One of these awards is in the cards for me in the near future.
PS – You have a typo in this sentence: “Non-stop business class can be booked for 62.5,000 each way using Virgin Miles.”
Great catch, thanks.
Thanks!
Thank you for great article and ideas. Virgin Atlantic has some excellent sweet spots for value. Another one is flying Delta roundtrip from RDU to CDG in business class. That’s 100K plus taxes. Plus, if you fly roundtrip the taxes are much lower than if you book two individual flights.
Nice reminder.
I do want to point out, using expertflyer to check for space on DL and NH is not ideal.
EF shows less than what’s available what VS has access to;
And
EF shows NH own memebers’ space, which is more than what VS has access to.
Just be aware.
This is interesting but I find the big issue is finding award seats in premium cabins. So sometimes it’s better to spend more points with the operating airline to actually find the seats.
Good to know the miles can be used to book Air New Zealand, but I never seem to find availability
It’s also costly to overlook Virgin Atlantic Flying Club fuel surcharges.
This is a good point!
Tax and charges put me off Virgin Flying Club. They seem to try and match British Airways in this regard.
I have used Virgin Atlantic miles to fly to/from Japan on NH first class a few times, and IMHO it’s one of the best uses of miles.
one of the best deals out there if you know how to utilize it
Thanks. I’ve been slowly collecting Virgin Atlantic miles for awhile without a goal in mind. Now I have a better objective and I’ll keep them in mind for travel. Never thought of them before.
This is amazing! I did not know the Air New Zealand was a partner of Virgin Atlantic. Auckland is a place my husband wants to visit and I think that it would be great to do. I will be bookmarking this post to make sure I remember how to do this.
Am I understanding that I can do this online or do you have to call in and that is why you included the phone numbers?