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Update: Shortly after it launched, American Express removed this transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. It's unclear whether the bonus was published in error or when it might become available again.
American Express just launched a new 30% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Now through July 31, 2026, you'll get 30% bonus points when transferring Amex Membership Rewards points to Flying Club. This unlocks value on everything from short-haul Delta domestic flights to flying ANA business or first class to Japan!
Here's what to know about this new transfer bonus — and how to maximize it.
Amex Virgin Atlantic 30% Transfer Bonus Key Terms
- Receive a 30% bonus when you transfer Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to transfer Amex points.
- The promotion is valid through July 31, 2026.
- Transfers must be in increments of 1,000 points.
- Including the bonus points, your transfer total cannot exceed 999,999 Flying Club miles.
- The bonus is hardcoded in the transfer. You will receive 1,300 points for every 1,000 points you transfer.
While the terms say points transfers can take up to 48 hours, data points from AwardWallet users show that transfers are typically immediate.
Best Uses for Virgin Atlantic Points
There is a wide range of Virgin Atlantic sweet spots — not only on its own flights but also on partner flights. While recent Virgin Atlantic devaluations have reduced many of the Delta-operated sweet spots, you can still get excellent value using Virgin points for the following:
- Delta domestic economy awards: Book over 450 Delta routes for just 7,500 Virgin points!
- Short-haul flights between North America, Mexico, and the Caribbean yield great value in economy. For example, an award from Boston to Bermuda requires only 11,000 Virgin points one-way or 22k Virgin points round-trip. You only need to transfer 8k Membership Rewards points during this transfer bonus to book a one-way award!
- Flying ANA business class between Japan and destinations in Europe, Central and Eastern U.S., or Mexico for 60k Virgin points each way. That's just 47k Amex points during this transfer bonus. Note that ANA first class on the same routes now costs 85k Virgin points each way — or just 66k Membership Rewards points during this transfer bonus.
| Route | Cabin | Virgin Points Needed (one-way) | Point Transfer Needed (during 30% transfer bonus) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii - Japan | ANA business class | 37,500 Virgin points | 29k points |
| U.S. West Coast - Japan | ANA business class | 52,500 Virgin points | 41k points |
| U.S. East Coast - Japan | ANA business class | 60,000 Virgin points | 47k points |
| Hawaii - Japan | ANA first class | 57,500 Virgin points | 45k points |
| U.S. West Coast - Japan | ANA first class | 72,500 Virgin points | 56k points |
| U.S. East Coast - Japan | ANA first class | 85,000 Virgin points | 66k points |
Virgin Atlantic Expiration Policy
Virgin Atlantic points do not expire. When Virgin Atlantic revamped its program in 2020, it changed the name of its currency from “Flying Club Miles” to “Virgin Points” — and made this positive change to eliminate point expiration as well.
With no expiration date to worry about, you can transfer points to Virgin Atlantic without having to worry about points expiring. However, Virgin Flying Club has devalued its program several times over the past few years. So, we don't recommend speculatively transferring points — at least without a plan.
How Does This Virgin Atlantic Transfer Bonus Stack Up?
When it comes to special offers on transferring points from American Express to Virgin Atlantic, a 30% transfer bonus is the most common rate we've seen.
Historically, Amex has offered a transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club roughly once a year. So, if this is the only one we get in 2026, it's coming earlier than usual.
- 30% transfer bonus through May 2017
- 30% transfer bonus through November 2017
- 30% transfer bonus through September 2018
- 30% transfer bonus through December 2019
- 30% transfer bonus through September 2021
- 30% transfer bonus through December 2021
- 30% transfer bonus through March 2022
- 30% transfer bonus through September 2022
- 30% transfer bonus through December 2022
- 30% transfer bonus through June 2023
- 30% transfer bonus through December 2023
- 30% transfer bonus through May 2024
- 40% transfer bonus through December 2024
- 40% transfer bonus through December 2025
- This bonus: 30% transfer bonus through July 2026
Other Options to Boost Your Virgin Atlantic Balance
You have plenty of options if you have a specific redemption in mind and want to boost your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club balance. You can transfer all of the following points to Virgin Atlantic:
$95Rates & Fees
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
$95Rates & 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 gas and EV charging
- 3X points on vacation homes at top brands like Airbnb, Vrbo and more
- 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
$395
- 10X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 5X miles per $1 on flights when booking via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per $1 on all other eligible purchases
Other Ongoing Transfer Bonuses
This Virgin Atlantic transfer bonus certainly boosts the value of Membership Rewards points — at least through July 31, 2026. However, it's not the only transfer bonus currently being offered. Here's a list of all current transfer bonuses:
Our Take
Amex Membership Rewards points are some of the most valuable transferable points around. With so many Amex transfer partners, Amex cardmembers have plenty of options for maximizing their Amex points. Decide what works best for your travel plans, spending patterns, and various points balances.
Also, remember that — no matter how good the bonus is — we don't recommend transferring credit card points without a plan for how you will use them. As transfers can't be reversed, you lose flexibility when transferring points. It's best to only transfer when you have a redemption in mind and plans to use those miles. If you're in that situation, remember that this offer ends on July 31, 2026.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
