BOOK NOW: Save 50% on ALL Virgin Atlantic redemptions
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Virgin Atlantic has come out fighting with a hugely aggressive Virgin Points redemption sale and some very steep Black Friday cash discounts. Full details are here.
ALL redemption flights on Virgin Atlantic aircraft will require 50% fewer points if booked this week.
If you are short of Points, there is also a 50% bonus when you buy Virgin Points – click here for details.
Taxes and charges are not reduced, unsurprisingly, but you can’t have everything!
The sale was due to start at midnight. I am obviously writing this earlier, so if it is not live then there was some IT snafu and you should expect it during the day.
Before you book, check the cash prices. Virgin Atlantic has also launched an impressive cash sale – details below.
EDIT: We have written a new article covering the Virgin Atlantic Black Friday sale deals which is here and contains additional offers.
Here is some typical Virgin Points pricing
Here are some typical costs, based on off-peak pricing:
Heathrow or Manchester to Barbados:
- Economy: 10,000 Points return
- Premium: 17,500 Points return
- Upper Class: 57,500 Points return
Heathrow to New York JFK:
- Economy: 10,000 Points return
- Premium: 17,500 Points return
- Upper Class: 47,500 Points return
Heathrow to Las Vegas:
- Economy: 15,000 Points return
- Premium: 27,500 Points return
- Upper Class: 67,500 Points return
Heathrow to Delhi:
- Economy: 10,000 Points return
- Premium: 17,500 Points return
- Upper Class: 37,500 Points return
Heathrow to Tel Aviv:
- Economy: 9,000 Points return
- Premium: 16,000 Points return
- Upper Class: 28,000 Points return
Remember that you can buy additional points with a 50% bonus by clicking here.
When can I travel?
Whenever you want, as long as reward seats are available. Bookings are available as far out as Virgin Atlantic allows booking, which is currently 20th October 2021.
Can I cancel these tickets as usual?
Yes, subject to the usual cancellation fee. You should note that if you need to change the date of your flight, it will reprice at the full Points cost and you would need to pay extra.
Can this be combined with Virgin credit card vouchers?
Yes. You can use your Virgin Atlantic Mastercard vouchers, explained in our credit card review here, to upgrade redemptions booked under this offer or as a 2-for-1, effectively netting you two tickets for 25% of the usual rate!
Where is Virgin Atlantic flying to?
The following routes are currently bookable. These are NOT all flying at the moment, of course, but they are due to resume over the coming months and into Summer 2021.
From Heathrow:
- Americas: Atlanta, Boston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, San Francisco, Seattle, Orlando, Washington
- Caribbean: Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Havana, Montego Bay, St Vincent, Tobago
- Asia: Delhi, Hong Kong, Islamabad, Lahore, Mumbai, Shanghai
- Middle East: Tel Aviv
- Africa: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Lagos
From Manchester:
- Americas: Atlanta, Los Angeles, Orlando, New York JFK
- Caribbean: Barbados
- Asia: Islamabad, Mumbai, Delhi
From Glasgow:
- Orlando
From Belfast:
- Orlando
STOP before you book and check cash prices
Before you book a redemption, please compare the cash prices. The Black Friday website is here.
EDIT: We have a new article on the sale deals which you should read instead. Click here.
Alongside this redemption sale, Virgin Atlantic has launched a hugely aggressive cash sale.
The following routes are just £999 return in Upper Class on selected dates: Antigua, Barbados, Boston, Cape Town, Delhi, Grenada, Havana, Islamabad, Johannesburg, Miami, Lahore, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Montego Bay, Mumbai, New York JFK, Orlando, San Francisco, Seattle, St Vincent, Tel Aviv, Tobago and Washington.
We will do a separate sale article in a day or so, but clearly peak dates will go quickly.
Remember that Virgin Atlantic will allow two date changes and one name change on your ticket for free, although any fare difference must be paid.
How should I pay for my tickets?
To maximise your miles when paying, your best bet is one of the two Virgin Atlantic Reward credit cards. These earn double miles (3 per £1 on the paid card or 1.5 per £1 on the free card) when you book at virginatlantic.com or via Virgin Holidays.
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
Another option is American Express Preferred Rewards Gold which offers double points – 2 per £1 – when you book flight tickets directly with an airline.
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
Conclusion
There is a lot going on here:
- a 50% discount on the Points required for ALL Virgin Atlantic reward flights
- a very aggressive cash sale, with most long haul routes reduced to £999 return in Upper Class on selected dates
- a 50% bonus if you buy Virgin Points to top up your balance – see here
Full details are on the special Black Friday webpage here.
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.)
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