First Virgin Atlantic flight in three months takes off

The first Virgin Atlantic passenger flight in three months took off from Heathrow last night on its way to Hong Kong.

New York and Los Angeles will follow in the coming days.

It may seem odd to relaunch to cities that are currently closed to non-citizens.  However, Virgin Atlantic is already flying to these cities on a regular basis in order to carry cargo, so opening up the cabin to passengers is not a huge change.  This was what allowed British Airways to continue flying passengers to key destinations during lockdown, when all but essential travel was restricted.  At the very least you will enjoy a fairly empty cabin.

Unlike British Airways, Virgin Atlantic will be offering hot food in all cabins. Economy and Premium Economy passengers get a choice from two hot meals, whilst Upper Class will get a choice from three. All will be served in boxes or alternative ways to minimise contact. Eric Lanlard’s Mile High afternoon tea will also continue to be served and wines, beers and soft drinks will be available.

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Virgin Points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

You can choose from two official Virgin Atlantic credit cards (apply here, one has a bonus of 15,000 points):

Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard

The UK’s most generous free Visa or Mastercard at 0.75 points / £1 Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

15,000 points bonus and the most generous non-Amex for day to day spending Read our full review

You can also earn Virgin Points from various American Express cards – and these have sign-up bonuses too.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for a year and comes with 20,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 20,000 Virgin Points:

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with 30,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 30,000 Virgin Points:

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Virgin Points. 

(Want to earn more Virgin Points?  Click here to see our recent articles on Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club and click here for our home page with the latest news on earning and spending other airline and hotel points.)