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Update 10/31/2024: Virgin Atlantic dynamic award pricing took effect on October 30, 2024 — and it's not all bad news! We dug into the changes and found Virgin Atlantic Upper Class awards across the pond, starting at just 29,000 Virgin points. Here's our breakdown of the changes.
The post below is being retained for reference as it was published on September 30, 2024.
Today, Virgin Atlantic announced that it will adopt a dynamic award pricing model for its Flying Club program. This seismic shift and several other changes will take effect on October 30, 2024.
Although Virgin has tried to spin this announcement as good news and coupled it with new saver pricing, more earnings, and such, we know from experience that the latest changes are likely to be a disappointing devaluation.
Here's what we know about the impending changes to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
An Overview of the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Changes
Virgin Atlantic's announcement leaves us with more questions than answers. While we still don't know much about what's coming on October 30, 2024, the airline has at least given us a rough idea. Here's what to expect when the changes officially roll out:
Dynamic award pricing
Virgin Atlantic is shifting its award pricing to a dynamic pricing model on October 30, 2024. From then on, award tickets will no longer be available at a flat rate. Instead, the price you pay will reflect the demand for the awards.
New saver awards
Virgin will introduce new Saver reward seats. They will be available on almost all of its flights and will be priced lower than the current Virgin award pricing. Virgin has indicated that flights to New York will start from 6,000 points plus taxes and fees. In an ideal world, Virgin would trim the taxes and fees components on its award tickets, but that's unlikely to be in the cards.
Enhanced award seat availability
According to the press release, you will be able to book any Virgin seat using points, provided there's one available. Currently, Virgin guarantees a minimum of 12 award seats on every flight. However, after the changes take effect, you should have no trouble securing availability. Needless to say, the sting in the tail is that the price is determined by demand. So, the expectation here is for massively inflated award costs.
Enhanced earnings in certain cabins
As part of the program overhaul, you will earn more points when you fly with Virgin Atlantic. According to Virgin, you will earn 75% more when traveling in Premium Economy and 50% more when flying in Upper Class.
Anytime points upgrades
From October 30, 2024, you will be able to upgrade your seat anytime using points. This function applies whether you have used points, cash, or a mix to book your seat. Like award pricing, the upgrade cost will be dynamic and priced according to demand.
Our Take
Virgin Atlantic would like to frame this news as actually improving the value of their awards. However, remember that 49% of Virgin Atlantic is owned by the world’s leading devaluation experts: Delta Air Lines. So, the probability of this news not being a well-worded devaluation is almost zero.
How bad a blow this news is will only become apparent when we see the awarding pricing on offer after October 30, 2024. Fortunately, if you have some solid travel plans, you have nearly a month to lock in an award at the current pricing model before it disappears.
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