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Shopping portals are an easy way to earn extra rewards on everyday purchases. Shops Away, Virgin Atlantic’s shopping portal, lets you earn Virgin Points on eligible purchases. Plus, new users can currently receive a 30% points bonus on their first qualifying purchase.
Here are the details and how Shops Away stacks up against other online shopping portals.
Virgin Atlantic Shops Away Shopping Portal Overview
Virgin Atlantic Shops Away is a shopping portal that lets Flying Club members earn Virgin Points on eligible online purchases. There are separate U.S. and UK portals, each with its own set of merchants based on country and currency. So, pay attention to which country shows up in the top right corner of the page.
Unlike other airline shopping portals, Shops Away doesn’t run frequent bonus promotions.
That said, you’ll still find regular opportunities to earn extra points. In some cases, Shops Away even offers the highest rewards among airline portals for certain retailers. For example, here's how it stacks up for Lululemon purchases:
As with other portals, not all purchases qualify. You won’t earn points on gift cards, gift certificates, cash equivalents, taxes, or delivery charges.
To maximize rewards, pay with a credit card that offers bonus points for online purchases. This lets you double-dip by earning both credit card rewards and Virgin Points.
Get 30% Bonus Points on Your First Shops Away Purchase
Earlier, we mentioned that Shops Away doesn’t usually run many bonus promotions. Right now, there happens to be something on offer. To encourage more Flying Club members to use the shopping portal, Virgin Atlantic is offering a 30% bonus on the first eligible purchase made through Shops Away or in-store with participating retailers.
The offer doesn’t have a published end date.
Details are limited, but it appears the 30% bonus applies on top of any current merchant promotion. For example, if Samsung is offering 2x points and you make a $100 purchase, you'd generally earn 200 Virgin Points. However, you'd instead earn 260 points once the 30% bonus is applied. In this case, the bonus would only score you 60 bonus points. So, you may want to be very selective about which purchase you make first!
Only one bonus is available per member. Bonus points post within 24 hours of an approved purchase, and any cancelled or returned items will forfeit the bonus. As usual, no points are awarded on ineligible purchases such as gift cards, gift certificates, or other cash equivalents.
This bonus is available on both the U.S. and UK versions of Shops Away.
Our Take
If you’re a Virgin Atlantic Flying Club member, it may be worth using the Shops Away shopping portal at least once to take advantage of the 30% bonus on your first purchase. Ultimately, the value depends on how you value Virgin Points and where you can find the best return. Be sure to check Cashback Monitor to compare shopping portals and ensure you’re getting the best deal.
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