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Delta has a 49% ownership stake in Virgin Atlantic, so it is no surprise to see additional capabilities for SkyMiles members when it comes to flying on Virgin Atlantic. The latest announcement from Delta is that you can redeem SkyMiles for upgrades on Virgin Atlantic flights.
Key Terms and Conditions
The new policy will allow Delta members flying on Virgin Atlantic to upgrade with the following criteria:
- Upgrade from Economy to Premium Economy or Upper Class
- Upgrade from Premium Economy to Upper Class
- Only applies to flights between the US and the UK
- Upgrades must be done 24 hours prior to departure time
- You will need to call Delta to request the upgrade using SkyMiles
Another Improvement—But!
This is another step that further enhances the relationship between Delta and Virgin Atlantic, and gives us more options than just being able to use global upgrade certificates on Virgin, as well as being able to use SkyMiles to book Premium Economy fares with Virgin. The only issue with the relationship between Virgin and Delta, is that Delta recently devastated its partner award chart, and the fact that they don’t publish an award chart for flights from the US, there is only an “unofficial” Delta award chart.
Expect to pay 60,000+ SkyMiles to upgrades. If your employer is paying for your flights and you'd cover the cost of the upgrade with your miles maybe it isn't the worst deal, but certainly not something we'd identify as a great deal. Business class certainly beats economy class though.
Overall
The new changes are a great option for Delta flyers who regularly travel transatlantic. Virgin Atlantic offers a great Upper Class product and being able to redeem SkyMiles to upgrade is excellent news.
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