GUIDE: How to Earn Virgin Points – The Ultimate Guide to Maximising Every Spend

Virgin Points are the currency of the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Virgin Red. There are more ways to earn and spend points with Virgin than with the majority of top airline loyalty programs. From flight redemptions to upgrades and experiences, your points can get you far.

You don’t need to be a frequent flyer to build up a solid balance—there are plenty of everyday ways to earn Virgin Points and top up before your next trip.

If you’re considering a switch from another airline programme, now might be the perfect time. Virgin Atlantic is currently offering a status match to top-tier members of 11 major airlines, including British Airways and Emirates. Plus, Flying Blue’s status match to BA is still open, giving you access to SkyTeam elite benefits when flying with Virgin.

This article is part of our series about Virgin Atlantic. Make sure you also read our guide about how to spend Virgin points. A complete guide to the Virgin Atlantic loyalty programme will be published soon.

The Basics of Earning Virgin Points

Of course, flying with Virgin Atlantic is the most well-known way to earn Virgin Points. However, thanks to all the Virgin companies and partners, there are thousands of other ways to earn points. The main ways include:

• Flying with Virgin’s partner airlines (including SkyTeam airlines).
• Credit card rewards
• Virgin Red
• Spending with Virgin Group companies
• Partner hotels
• Car rentals

Transferring Points From Virgin Red to the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

One of the main things to know is that the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Virgin Red have the same points system, and you can transfer your points interchangeably between the programmes. This means you can earn points on things like your weekly shop with Virgin Red and then transfer your points to the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for flight redemptions!

To link your accounts and pool your points between Virgin Red and the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, go to the Virgin Red app or website > enter your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club number in the personal details section of your Virgin Red account and confirm the link. Once linked, you can see all your Virgin Points in one place and redeem rewards interchangeably between Virgin Red and Flying Club.

A Note About Welcome Bonuses: If you have not yet signed up for Virgin Red, keep an eye out for special offers. Occasionally, there’s a refer-a-friend bonus, where you can pick up extra points just for joining—typically 1,000 Virgin Points after your first qualifying transaction. It’s an easy way to get a little boost right from the start!

Earn Points Flying with Virgin

Of course, the most well-known way to earn Virgin points is to fly with Virgin Atlantic. The number of Virgin Points you earn will depend on your flight, ticket type and membership tier. Once you join the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, you will start with Red status and progress to Silver and Gold Status. 

Here is the number of Virgin points you will earn based on your tier:

Example: Virgin Points You Could Earn Flying from London Heathrow to New York Return

As you can see, the number of Virgin points you earn depends on your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club status, especially if you’re travelling in Premium or Upper Class.

You can use the Virgin Atlantic Earning Calculator to work out the miles you’ll earn for your flight.

Points will be added to your Flying Club account within 7 days of travel. You must be a Flying Club member logged in when you book your flight.

If you create an account within 6 months of travel, you can still claim points earned from your previous flight by checking the ‘My Account’ section.

Fly with Virgin’s Partner Airlines

If you’re familiar with airline alliances, you’ll know that you can earn and redeem points interchangeably between airlines in an airline alliance.

Virgin is part of the SkyTeam alliance, so you can also earn Virgin Points (and spend them) when flying with a SkyTeam airline. You will also earn tier points!

The number of points you earn may vary. Go to the partner page of your preferred airline to see how many points you’ll earn. You can also use the partner pages to see how to spend your Virgin Points with that airline. 

Here are the airlines in the SkyTeam alliance:

Each airline partner has different earning rules, usually based on fare class and distance. Here is an example using Air France:

Make sure you also read our full guide to the Air France – Flying Blue Loyalty Programme

Other Partner Airlines

Virgin Atlantic also has partner airlines that are not part of the SkyTeam alliance. You can earn/spend Virgin points and earn tier points when flying with Virgin partner airlines. Details are available on the partner page. 

NOTE: The partnership with Singapore Airlines is ending on 23rd April 2025. More information here.

Here’s an example of how many points you would earn when flying with Aeroméxico:

Silver Virgin members will receive a 30% bonus on points, and Gold members will receive a 60% bonus.

Credit Cards

If you use credit cards as one of the main ways to earn airline miles, there are plenty of options when it comes to Virgin. Many cards also offer generous signup bonuses, which can help you save your points balance.

Credit cards will reward you with points for every £1 spent. Points from some credit cards can be transferred to Virgin Points.

Here is  a comparison of your options:

Virgin Atlantic Credit Cards

Virgin has two official credit cards. These are a great option if you’re set on earning Virgin Points from your credit card spending. 

Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card

Cost: FREE

• 0.75 Virgin Points per £1 spent
• 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 spent with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays
• Use your points on any Virgin Atlantic seat you like, with prices that vary just like money.
• 3,000 Virgin Points after your first transaction in the first 90 days
• Spend £20,000 a year to earn a Flying Club rewards voucher for companion flights or upgrades. 

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card

Cost: £160/year

• 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 spent
• 3 Virgin Points per £1 spent with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays
• Use your points for any Virgin Atlantic seat you like, with prices that vary just like money. You will receive 18,000 bonus Virgin Points if you purchase using your Reward+ Credit Card in the first 90 days. There’s no minimum spend.
• Spend £10,000 a year to earn a Flying Club rewards voucher for companion flights or upgrades.

Verdict: Once you’ve decided to go for a Virgin credit card, the card you choose should depend on whether you want to pay an annual fee (and whether the fee will be worthwhile based on the points you earn). You must also meet the minimum spend required to earn a Flying Club Rewards Voucher.

Paying the £160 fee for the Reward+ card is worthwhile if you can meet the £10,000 annual spending requirement. The additional Virgin points earned through the Rewards+ card may make it worthwhile if you book many Virgin trips.

American Express Credit Cards

Like BA, you can earn Virgin Points with American Express credit cards. You will earn 1 Membership Reward Point per £1 spent, which you can convert into Virgin Points. The good thing about these cards is that you can convert your points to Virgin or opt for other points transfer options, such as airline and hotel loyalty programmes. You can also split your points between a range of rewards.

Here are your AMEX options:

AMEX Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card

Cost: Free in year 1 – £195 each year after that

• 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent (transfers to 1 Virgin Point).
• Get up to 12,500 bonus points each year based on your total spending
• Earn double points on all airline and overseas spend
• When you sign up, you get four free airport lounge passes and a further four each year. After your four free passes, you can visit further lounges for a small fee. Unlike the AMEX Platinum, you must pay £24 for a guest pass.
• £120 of Deliveroo credit each year.
• Travel Accident and Travel Inconvenience Insurance

Amex Platinum Card

Cost: £650/year (Works out at £54.16 per month)

• 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent (transfers to 1 Virgin Point). You can also transfer points to a wide range of other airlines, like BA, hotel schemes or Eurostar.
• Prestige Priority Pass membership, granting you free access to over 1,600 airport lounges across 140 countries.  At most lounges, two guests get complimentary lounge access. Read our guide to lounge access with credit cards here.
• Comprehensive Worldwide travel insurance: This policy covers trips of up to 90 days for you, supplementary cardholders, and children under 12. It’s worth noting that Medical assistance and expense benefits are not available for people over 70.
•  Your card will get you automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold and Hilton Honors Gold. Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold
• Credit for select restaurants (£150 for the UK and £150 abroad).
• Up to 20% off airfare

Representative APR: 698.1% APR variable (30.4% variable for purchases)

These cards also have fantastic lounge access benefits. Read our guide to lounge access with credit cards here. You must see whether you can make the most of the card benefits enough to justify the yearly fee. The AMEX Gold is a great starter card with travel benefits, and the AMEX Platinum is perfect for frequent travellers.

The American Express Rewards Card

Cost: FREE

• Earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent

• Get 10,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £2,000 within 90 days

Verdict: If you’re not eligible for AMEX Gold, the AMEX Rewards card is a good alternative with the same earning rate although a much smaller spend bonus. If you’re after a free-for-life card, the Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard is also a good option, although the Virgin Points earning rate is lower. However, you can combat this if you can meet the £20,000 spent to get a Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Rewards voucher.

AMEX Marriott Bonvoy

Cost: £95/year

• Get 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points when you spend £3,000 within 90 days
• Earn 2 Marriott Bonvoy points per £1 spent. Transfer points at a 3:1 ratio to Virgin and more.
• Earn 6 points per £1 spent at Marriott hotels
• 15 elite night credits per year to help you towards higher status
• Free night, up to 25,000 points, when you spend £25,000 per year.
• Upgrade to Gold Elite status when you spend £15,000 in a card year.

Representative APR: 54.1% APR variable (30.4% variable for purchases)

Verdict: If you stay at Marriott properties enough to justify having this card, it’s one to think about. I’ve mentioned it here because it is possible to transfer Marriott Points to Virgin Points at a rate of 3:1. The earning rate, if you’re transferring your points to Virgin, is lower than other options, and you’re better off keeping your points within Marriott.

Virgin Red

There are over 150 ways to earn points with Virgin Red, which you can then transfer to Virgin. Partners include hotel sites such as booking.com and online shopping options like Mountain Warehouse.

You can view the hub page here. The page also details earning potential with Virgin Atlantic.

Shops Away

One of the easiest ways to earn points is by shopping via the Flying Club’s shopping portal, Shops Away There are over 1,000 retailers to choose from.

Shops Away works like a cashback site—simply select a retailer, and you will be redirected to their website to start earning points.

You will earn a set number of points per £1 spent. It can take 45 days or more for your points to be credited. 

Shop via Shops Away >>>

The Virgin Group

Virgin Atlantic Holidays

You will earn Virgin Points per £1 spent on Virgin Atlantic Holidays. There is a huge range of destinations and holiday types to choose from, including all-inclusive holidays, city breaks, Universal trips and family holidays. 

The number of points depends on your Virgin tier:

• Red – 2 Points per £1 spent
• Silver – 3 Points per £1 spent
• Gold – 4 Points per £1 spent

The earning potential is double if you’re a Gold member compared to having just joined. This highlights the importance of working your way through the Virgin Atlantic tiers. You will also earn tier points by booking Virgin Atlantic Holidays. You can read more about how to do this in our guide to the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

Virgin Trains

Book your UK train tickets via Virgin Trains ticketing, and you’ll earn 3 points per £1 spent and not pay booking fees on tickets. There are also some great split ticket fares. Virgin Trains Ticketing often offers bonus points, and you can spend points on train travel starting at 200 points.

Virgin Wines

Earn points when you link your Virgin Red account to your Virgin Wine account. You can earn points on eligible products. You will earn 2 Virgin Points per £1 spent.

The number of points you’ll earn will be displayed on the site. There are often signup bonuses for Virgin Wines when you register your first case, so it’s worth a look.

Other Virgin Group Companies

• Virgin Competitions and Games: Games include Don’t Drop the Shops, Let’s Get Quizzical, This or That, Speed of Sight, and Red Recall. If you win, you will earn Virgin Points.
• Virgin Experience Days
• Virgin Balloon Flights
• Virgin Money: There are often bonus offers when you switch your bank or open a Stocks and Shares ISA.

Hotel Stays

Hotel Stays

The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is partnered with some major hotel loyalty schemes. You can earn points by booking hotels through Shops Away or directly with the hotel (depending on the hotel). You can also transfer points from hotel loyalty programmes over to Virgin.

Marriott Bonvoy

• Earn 1-2 Virgin Points per $1 spent (varies by Marriott brand)
• Earn 5 points per £1 via Shops Away
• Transfer 3 Marriott Points = 1 Virgin Point
• Bonus: 5,000 Virgin Points for every 60,000 Marriott Points transferred

Hilton Honors

• Earn 3 points per £1 via Shops Away (0.5 per £1 for Diamond)
• 10,000 Hilton Points = 1,500 Virgin Points
• A minimum of 10,000 Hilton Points are  required for transfers (in increments of 10,000)

IHG One Rewards

• Earn 300-500 points per stay (varies by IHG brand)
• Earn 2+ points per £1 via Shops Away
• Transfer 5 IHG Points = 1 Virgin Point
• Transfers start at 10,000 points (in increments of 5,000)

Hyatt

• Earn 750 points per stay
• Transfer 5 Hyatt Points = 3 Virgin Points
• Bonus: 7,500 Virgin Points when you convert 50,000 Hyatt Points

Best Western Hotels and Resorts

• Earn 500 points per qualifying stay
• Earn 0.5 points per £1 via Shops Away (3 per £1 for new customers)

Virgin Hotels

Bookings at UK hotels earn 7 points per £1, and bookings at US hotels earn 5 points per $1. Sign up to The Know and link your Virgin Red account to be eligible. Book directly with one of the participating Virgin Hotels, and your points will appear in your account within 30 days of checkout.

Virgin Limited Edition

Virgin Limited Edition offers some of the most exclusive and luxurious stays in the world, from private islands to African safaris and ski retreats.

• Necker Island – 5 million points for a one-week stay
• Son Bunyola, Mallorca – 2,500 points per room per night
• Mont Rochelle, South Africa – 1,500 points per room per night
• Kasbah Tamadot, Morocco – 2,500 points per room, per night
• The Lodge, Verbier – 4,500 points per room per night
• Mahali Mzuri, Kenya – 7,000 points per room, per night
• Ulusaba Private Game Reserve, South Africa – 7,000 points per room per night

Other Options

• Kaligo – Earn up to 10,000 points per night
• Rocketmiles – Earn 5,000-10,000 points per night

Car Rental

Virgin is partnered with most major car rental companies. Earning rates vary by company. the Car Rental Partners page to learn how to book a car rental and receive points. 

Other Ways to Add to Your Virgin Points Balance

My Heathrow

Earn points for shopping and parking at Heathrow Airport and the Heathrow Express and transfer them to Virgin. You’ll earn 1 point per £1 spent. You can transfer your points via the Heathrow Rewards website.

Tesco

You can transfer Tesco Clubcard points with a minimum value of £1.50 to Virgin points and double their value. 1 Clubcard Point = 2 Virgin Points.

You can also sign up to auto-exchange your points. There are often good bonuses (past offers have been 5,000 points).

SquareMeal

SquareMeal is an independent restaurant guide where you can read reviews, find somewhere to eat and book a table. When you link your Virgin Red account to Square Meal, there are multiple ways to earn Virgin Points, including:

• 100 points for online reservations.
• 100 – 3,000+ points when you spend £20 or more at a participating restaurant 
• 25 points for leaving a review

To earn points, you must opt to earn Virgin points rather than SquareMeal points. You will need to add your Virgin Red ID to your SquareMeal account and link your payment card so you can earn points for money spent.

No.1 Lounges

Virgin Atlantic already offers discounted lounge access to No.1 lounges before your flight. Flying Club members get a bigger discount and earn miles on the cost. You will earn 400 points at Clubrooms, 350 at No1 Lounges and 200 at My Lounge.

Refer a Friend

If you refer a friend to Virgin Red, your friend will earn 1,000 points once your friend has earned their first point. You can refer up to 10 people in 12 months. To get your bonus points, you must send your friend a link.

Refer a friend here >>>

Be on the lookout for special offers; sometimes, the bonus has been increased to 2,000 points.

Transferring, Purchasing and Boosting Points

Transfer Points 

It’s possible to transfer points between accounts. However, there is a flat £10 fee for doing this.

Transfer your points here >>>

Household Accounts

Only Virgin Atlantic Silver and Gold members can have household accounts.

All Virgin Points earned through Flying Club after you’ve linked your accounts will go into the Household account automatically. Points earned through Virgin Red won’t.

However, you can combine points from 2 accounts on one booking via the call centre. This has many conditions, though. The downside is that only future points are sent to the head of the household.

Buy Virgin points

You can buy Virgin Points in increments of 1,000 to 200,000 points each year. The cost is £15 per 1,000 points + a £15 transaction fee, so if you are going to do this, buy as many points as you can afford (and will use).

However, the cost of buying points is much higher. Bonus offers are often available for buying points, too. Past offers reach 70%, which can give the points much better value.

Points should be credited to accounts within 24 hours, though this may be longer in some cases.

Virgin Points Booster

Boosting your Virgin Points is often more lucrative than purchasing points. You can boost your points 2x or 3x via the Flying Club Points Booster.

Things to Note:

• You can only do this for Virgin flights, not partners.
• You can do this for cash and rewards bookings
• You can boost your points up to 6 months later.
• You can only boost your points in multiples of miles flown.

Final Words

The way to rack up a large number of Virgin Points is to be strategic. Sit down and go through the options given in this article. Link your card, shop through the Virgin portal, and keep up to date with the latest offers in our offers articles. You will then benefit from earning points throughout the year, which will get you far when you want to book your next flight or redeem your points via Virgin Red.

Read our guide to spending Virgin points to learn how to spend your points for maximum value.

How will you be adding to your Virgin points balance? Let us know in the comments below: