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When flying to the United Kingdom, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is an obvious loyalty program to consider at first. In the past, the surcharges that Flying Blue levied on Virgin Atlantic flights were hard to stomach, if not a complete deal-breaker. For years, we recommend booking Virgin Atlantic flights via Flying Blue instead of Flying Club to save hundreds of dollars in taxes and fees in the process.
However, that thinking has recently changed. Virgin Atlantic's move to dynamic pricing in late 2024 brought both positive and negative impacts on Virgin Atlantic award flights. As a result, the decision between booking Virgin Atlantic awards via Flying Club or Flying Blue is more of a tossup. Here's how previously conventional knowledge may be shifting.
Page Contents
Virgin Atlantic Overview
Virgin Atlantic is a relatively small airline. The carrier operates a total of 44 long-haul aircraft to 30 worldwide destinations.
The airline's loyalty program is called Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. While Flying Club is notoriously great for partner redemptions, it can be hit or miss for flights on Virgin Atlantic itself. You'll shortly see why.
Air France–KLM Flying Blue Overview
Flying Blue is the joint loyalty program of Air France, KLM, and Transavia. Air France and KLM are SkyTeam members, meaning you can earn and redeem Flying Blue miles on all alliance carriers and even a handful of non-alliance partner airlines.
Before Virgin Atlantic joined the SkyTeam alliance, it was one of those non-alliance partners. In the past, Flying Blue charged relatively standard pricing for Virgin Atlantic awards. But now, Flying Blue charges dynamic award pricing on Virgin Atlantic. Even so, booking Virgin Atlantic award flights through Flying Blue can still be a very viable option.
Related: Do Air France/KLM Flying Blue Miles Expire?
Should You Book Virgin Atlantic Awards With Flying Club or Flying Blue?
If you’re looking to book an award on Virgin Atlantic, it’s worth comparing prices through both Flying Club and Flying Blue. Taking this step can help ensure you’re booking the lowest-cost mileage ticket. Here are some examples of when it pays to compare.
Economy class example
The key to finding great rates (both in points and surcharges) is booking Virgin Atlantic “Saver” awards. When Virgin introduced dynamic pricing, these Saver fares not only dropped in points but also came with lower surcharges.
Take New York (JFK) to London (LHR) as an example. On July 3, 2025 — right in the middle of peak summer season — two economy flights on the same day range from just 12,000 points (Saver award) to 54,000 points (non-Saver award). Both carry relatively modest surcharges between $76 and $89, with the Saver option being slightly cheaper.
Even in Premium Economy, the difference is remarkable. There's a whopping 116,000-point gap between the lowest and highest award prices, although co-pays are still fairly reasonable.
Meanwhile, Flying Blue is selling the same two awards for 23,500 miles plus $90 each. In this case, the 8:10 am flight is cheaper when booked through Air France (23,500 miles), while the 7 pm flight is a better deal through Virgin Atlantic (12,000 miles). This shows how valuable it can be to find Virgin Atlantic Saver awards and why comparing programs is always worth it.
Business class example
When booking Virgin Atlantic awards via Flying Club, business class award fees used to be notoriously high. That’s no longer always the case.
Atlanta (ATL) to Manchester (MAN) is a good example. This nonstop Upper Class flight costs just 31,000 Virgin points and $263 in fees. While that’s not exactly cheap, it’s a big improvement over the $1,000-plus surcharges that were once the norm. More relevant for this comparison, these fees align with what Flying Blue typically charges.
Booking the same flight through Flying Blue would require 80,500 miles and $238 in taxes and fees. In this case, Virgin Atlantic clearly offers the better deal, though that won’t always be true.
Surcharges are generally much higher when flying out of the UK due to steep departure taxes. A saver Upper Class flight from London to New York, for example, comes in at £498 (about $663). That’s still high but lower than past rates and far from what Air France charges. And when point totals across all cabins are this low, it helps make the higher fees more palatable.
Worldwide example
Because Virgin Atlantic operates only long-haul routes, you can’t connect from the UK to the rest of Europe on flights it operates. Still, the airline flies to a number of destinations around the world, and this is where comparing programs can really pay off.
For instance, let's look at London (LHR) to Mumbai (BOM). This nine-hour flight shows just how low Virgin’s award prices can be across all cabins, with surcharges ranging from $253 in economy to $555 in business (after currency conversions).
Ordinarily, you might consider booking through Air France if the mileage cost was higher but the cash fees were lower. But in this case, Flying Blue charges significantly more miles with similar surcharges, making Virgin Atlantic the better option once again.
How to Search for Virgin Atlantic Award Space
For Virgin Atlantic flights, one of the easiest ways to find award availability, especially if your travel dates are flexible, is by using a tool like Seats.aero. By selecting “Explore” under Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, you can search routes from North America to Europe and filter by departure city, destination, and cabin class.
This example shows options from the U.S. to London in November 2025 across all classes. Note that you’ll need a paid Pro subscription to view availability beyond 60 days out.
Searching Flying Blue for Virgin Atlantic flights is not so easy. Seats.aero doesn't filter out Flying Blue’s partner flights, and other search tools struggle with this as well. Even using the Flying Blue award calendar won’t help much when you’re trying to locate nonstop Virgin flights. That means you’ll have to search the old-fashioned way, one day at a time.
Still, because Virgin is often the best option when a “Saver” award is available, it’s worth starting your search on Virgin’s website or with a tool that shows Virgin availability, such as the Reward Seat Checker. If you don’t find results for your intended travel dates, then it’s a good idea to check Air France or KLM for alternatives.
Related: How to Find Airline Partner Award Flight Availability
How to Earn Virgin Points and Flying Blue Miles
Another reason it’s important to compare is that both Flying Club and Flying Blue are transfer partners of several major credit card rewards programs. If you have flexible points, you can search for the best deal on a Virgin Atlantic award flight and then transfer your points to the program offering the lowest cost.
Here’s a quick refresher on the transfer partners for each program:
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club transfer partners
Air France–KLM Flying Blue transfer partner
Related: Flying Blue Transfer Partners: Earn Miles with Amex, Chase & More
As you can see, both programs are transfer partners of Amex, Capital One, and Chase. That means you can earn flexible points that transfer to either program by getting one of the following cards:
(Terms apply)
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked on amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
- 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
Flying Blue and Flying Blue Award Cancellation Policies
Another consideration is what happens if you need to cancel your flight. Virgin Atlantic charges £30 to cancel and redeposit miles for flights departing the UK, and $50 for flights departing the US or other international locations. Air France and KLM charge 70 euros (about $79). The fees aren't too different, but it’s still worth keeping in the back of your mind in case your plans aren't set in stone.
Related: Airline Award Ticket Change and Cancellation Policies
Final Thoughts
If you want to fly Virgin Atlantic in nearly any cabin, it’s worth comparing prices across programs that let you redeem miles for these flights. Flying Blue used to be the go-to option, but now, when you can find Saver awards directly through Virgin, the combination of lower mileage and fees often makes it the better choice.
Plus, considering the frequent transfer bonuses from various transferable currencies to Virgin Atlantic, that cost can be even lower. It pays to compare flights with both programs to save yourself both miles and money that you can use for your next adventure.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
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