GUIDE: How to Spend Virgin Points for Maximum Value: The Best and Worst Uses

While the British Airways Executive Club is highly regarded among our readers, the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club also offers exceptional value and benefits.

Virgin Points, the currency of both the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and the Virgin Red rewards programme, offer excellent value, especially if you redeem them for flights, cabin upgrades, and cruises.

You can quickly accumulate a large number of Virgin Points, especially if you take advantage of the regular bonus offers.

The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Virgin Red

When redeeming Virgin Points, it’s essential to know about Virgin Red and Virgin Flying Club. It’s best to think about them both as one. You can link the two accounts together and pool your points. To link your accounts, add your Virgin Flying Club number in the ‘Link Accounts’ section of your ‘Virgin Red’ account.

Transfer points from Virgin Red to the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for flight redemptions or vice versa to spend points on experiences, hotels and flights.

Points Plus Money

When you’ve chosen how to spend your Virgin Points, you can opt to spend fewer points and pay with points + money. For example, you only need 3,000 points to reduce the cost of a flight. You can then use your points in multiples of 3,000 to reduce the cost even more.

Keep in mind that you can only use points + money online, not via the Call Centre.

How Much is a Virgin Point Worth?

The value of a Virgin point can vary significantly depending on how and where you redeem them. Most non-flight redemption options have a value of half a penny. Other options, like Kaligo hotels and Eurostar vouchers, have an even lower value of 0.4p per point.

However, your points are worth significantly more if you redeem them for flights, cabin upgrades and Virgin Voyages cruises. Upper class redemptions have even better point values. Most flight redemptions and seat upgrades have a points value of 1-6p. When redeemed for Virgin Voyages cruises, the average value of points ranges from 0.6p to 0.9p.

How to Spend Virgin Points on Flights

Spending Virgin Points on flights is straightforward, but mastering the nuances can lead to significant savings. Booking through the Virgin Atlantic website, you can use points for full or partial payment towards flights.

You can redeem your Virgin Points for flights starting at 6,000 points one way. Virgin now has every seat on the plane available for redemptions, including for upgrades.

If you’re flexible, the Virgin Reward Flight Checker lets you see the best redemptions.

The price of reward seats can be very variable. Virgin Atlantic distinguishes between peak and off-peak fares, both in cash and points. Travelling during off-peak times can save you thousands of points.

Here’s how many Virgin Points you need for redemption flights:

Some routes shown on the Virgin Atlantic site are with partner airlines and cost more or less points. 

Often, the fares I came across required fewer points for Premium. However, you’ll also have to factor in higher taxes for Premium cabins.

Peak and off-peak times depend on the route you are flying. The exact dates are detailed here. 

This table shows examples of how many Virgin Points you may need for a ONE WAY  redemption. Pricing is dynamic and can vary hugely. Even during peak and off peak times the prices are vary variable.

You can check for special saver reward seats with fantastic value!

You’ll also have to pay taxes, fees, and other charges for each redemption.

Good Value? Flights are one of the best ways to spend Virgin Points. For example, an Economy Classic seat to Israel costs an average of £230. This makes the value of a point 2.22p off-peak and 1.82p during peak times. The same flight in Upper Class is £1380. This is even better value. A point is worth 4.93p during peak times and 4.18p off-peak.

You can also look for flight redemptions on Virgin Red. They are set out in a simple way, along with all the other non-flight redemption options.

If you click on the flight, detailed instructions on how to book via the Virgin Atlantic website will appear.

Redemption flights can be cancelled at a fee of £30 per person.

Using Virgin Points for Flight Upgrades

To upgrade your Virgin flight, you must buy a flight with cash or cash + points. If there’s availability in a higher cabin, you can opt to use your points to upgrade. There must also be availability for a redemption seat in the higher cabin. If there’s no availability, check back a few days before you fly. Virgin often releases additional availability.

You can only upgrade Economy Classic and Economy Delight fares. Economy Light fares can’t be upgraded. The flight also has to be operated by Virgin Atlantic, not a partner airline, and have a VS number.

Keep in mind that you will have to pay additional taxes and fees to upgrade, just like if you booked a reward seat.

If your booking was a reward seat, you’ll pay the price in points of your original seat + the difference in taxes and fees.

If your original booking was paid for fully in money or using Points Plus Money, you’ll pay the price in points of your new upgraded seat less than the maximum Saver reward seat price for the cabin you’re upgrading from. You’ll also pay the difference in taxes, fees and charges between your original and new cabin you’re travelling in. 

The amount you’ll pay in money will include a deduction of the carrier surcharge at the maximum Saver reward seat rate for the cabin you’re upgrading from.

You can’t upgrade with points at the same time as booking. It needs to be part of a separate transaction.

You can also upgrade by two cabins if you have enough points (Economy to Upper Class).

Here is the table as above for the price of a one-way upgrade:

You will earn Virgin Tier points for the class you paid for, not the class you upgraded to.

Good Value? Upgrading your flight can often work out better value than redeeming a reward flight. For example, a flight to Israel costs £230 in Economy Classic and £1380 in Upper Class. If you upgrade with points, you will be saving £1150. Your points would, therefore, be worth 6.05p off-peak and 5.23p during peak times. Remember, you’ll also need to pay taxes and charges.

How to Do it: Either contact Virgin via the red chat icon or call them. You can also upgrade at the airport.

Redeeming Virgin Points with Airline Partners – The Skyteam Alliance

When searching for flight redemptions on the Virgin Atlantic site, flights Skyteam partners are often shown. However, there are other ways to book with some airlines. To see how to book with each airline, you can click on the logo of each one on the Virgin Atlantic site for detailed instructions.

You can also book with Virgin flight partners:

Redemptions for some airlines have to be booked over the phone.

The number of points needed for redemptions differs for each airline and is not the same as the chart above. Taxes and charges are also variable by airline. Remember that air passenger duty will be significantly lower if you don’t depart or land in the UK.

Redemption flights are based on the distance flown and the cabin flown in. You’re also unable to book first class redemptions.

Here’s how many miles you’ll need to book with KLM/Air France using Virgin Miles:

There are several sweet spots available when you book via a partner airline:

• Flights within Europe with Air France/KLM: Flights within Europe from CDG or AMS from 4,000 miles in Economy and 8,000 in Business. This saves massively as opposed to booking directly with Virgin.
• ANA Business and First Class seats to Tokyo
• The US to London with Delta or Virgin
• The US to New Zealand in Air New Zealand Business Class
• North America to Italy flights in ITA Business Class
• North America to Europe in Air France in  Premium Economy and Business Class.

How to do it: Click on the airline logo on the site here to find out how to book. For some airlines, redemptions must be booked over the phone.

Non-Flight Virgin Redemptions

Beyond the skies, Virgin Points can be your ticket to a variety of experiences and services, from luxury hotel stays to concert tickets, cruises, and even Greggs!

The Virgin Red site’s spending section is the best place to look for non-flight redemption options. There’s also a Virgin Red app.

Virgin Voyages

Redeeming your points for Virgin Voyages cruises is one of the most valuable redemption options.

Virgin Voyages are adults-only cruises that mainly cover the Caribbean, Europe, and the South Pacific. The cruise price includes all soft drinks, tips, WI-FI, and food.

Redemptions are for a cabin sleeping two people in a Central Sea Terrace Cabin or Sea Terrace Cabin. Redemptions for one person are the same price.

Redemptions start at 120,000 points, but there may be offers in the future for less!

Good Value? Yes! Cruises are among the best value redemptions outside upgrading your cabin and redemption flights. For example, the Western Caribbean Charm cruise above is currently being sold at £1422.18 for a Sea Cabin for two people. This makes each point worth 0.65p. The Saint (Isles) & Seas of the Caribbean cruise is being sold at £2308.96 for a Sea Terrace cabin for two people. This means the points are worth 0.94p each—higher than some flight and cabin upgrade redemptions.

How to Book: Make sure your points are transferred to Virgin Red. Go to the spending Virgin Points travel page and choose your sailing. Once you have redeemed your points, you’ll get an access key to book your cruise directly with Virgin Voyages.

Virgin Atlantic Holidays

You will get a £16.50 discount on your Virgin Atlantic Holidays package for every 3,000 Virgin Points you spend via Virgin Red. You can pay for the entire holiday using points if you wish. This can be done when booking online or by phone. You can also use points to pay off a balance for a holiday already booked.

There are plenty of destinations to choose from. The most popular holidays are in the USA and the Caribbean, but you can also go to Canada, the Far East, South Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean, and Mauritius.

When booking your holiday, you will earn 2-4 Virgin Points per £1 spent, depending on your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club tier.

Good Redemption? 0.55p per point. It’s more valuable to redeem your points for flights and book a hotel separately.

Virgin Hotels

Choosing a specific hotel experience can be a better value than using 3,000 points to reduce your holiday by £16.50. There are some amazing hotels available and some really unique stays – it’s well worth looking at Virgin Red. Options I came across include:

• 1 night at Virgin Hotels Dallas – 25,000 points
• 2 night classic British Inn stay for 2 – 15,000 Points
• 2 night stay at Mont Rochelle, South Africa – 60,000 Points

Kaligo

You don’t just have the option of spending points on Virgin hotels or Virgin Holidays. You can also redeem your points on Kaligo, which has a selection of over 465,000 hotels. The number of points needed is based on the hotel category:

• Standard Category – 20,000 points: 1 night in a 3* or 4* hotel.
• Premium Category – 30,000 points: 1 night in a top-rated 4* or 5* hotel.
• Luxury Category – 40,000 points: Enjoy a night at one of the world’s most luxurious hotels.

Kaligo has a price cap for each category, and since hotel prices have increased worldwide, many hotels in each bracket no longer fit these categories.

Good Value? The price of the hotels in each category vs. the number of points needed works out at around 0.4p per point, making this one of the lowest-value redemptions available.

How to Book: Ring the Virgin helpline and redeem your points for a Kaligo e-voucher. When you check-out, enter the voucher code.

Virgin Trains

Virgin Points can reduce or eliminate the cost of Virgin train tickets booked via Virgin Red. You can also earn 3 points per £1 for tickets + pay 0 fees. The discounts are:

• 200 points – £1 discount   
• 1,000 points – £5 discount   
• 2,000 points – £10 discount  
• 10,000 points – £50 discount   
• 20,000 points – £100 discount   
• 50,000 points – £250 discount   

Good Value? No- 0.5p per point

Virgin Wines

Points can be redeemed for Virgin Wine vouchers at the value of:

• 5,000 points – £25 voucher
• 10,000 points – £50 voucher
• 20,000 points = £100 voucher

Good Value? No – Each point is worth 0.5p

How to Get Your Voucher: Call 0344 209 2722, and you will receive your voucher by email.

You can also get free wine with Virgin Red shopping. Deals change all the time (e.g. you can get an advent calendar near Christmas), but here’s how much the wine cases generally cost:

• 8 bottles of red or white – 12,500 Points
• 6 bottles of white wine  – 9,000 Points
• 3 Mixed Wines in a Wooden Gift Box – 6,250 Points
• Exclusive 12 bottle Rosé selection – 20,000 Points
• World Class Rioja 6 Pack – 11,000 Points

Good Value? Better value than wine vouchers but still not good value – Around 0.6p per point.

Duty Free

Spend points with the duty-free company Retail Therapy. You can purchase items for home delivery or collection at the airport. You can also pre-order to Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast, and Glasgow.

There’s a huge range of gifts, travel essentials, things to entertain kids, and drinks available. There are often some really good deals, so it’s worth checking the site if you’ve got a stash of Virgin Points.

Good Value? No 0.5p per point

How to Do it: You can spend your points directly on the Retail Therapy website without converting them to a voucher.

Eurostar

You can also use vouchers for train + hotel bookings.

• 2,500 Points – £10 Voucher
• 6,250 Points – £25 Voucher
• 12,500 Points – £50 Voucher
• 25,000 Points – £100 Voucher

Value? Low-Value Redemption – 0.4p per point

How to Do it: Phone to convert your points to a Eurostar voucher

Virgin Gift Cards

You can buy a gift card starting at 1,000 Virgin Points via Virgin Red. Gift cards are mainly for food and drink. Popular options include Costa, Pizza Express, Just Eat and Miller and Carter.

Here’s what you can get with your points:

• 1,000 Points – £5
• 4,000 Points – £20
• 6,000 Points – £30

You can also get gift cards to pay for part of Virgin Experience Days.

Good Value? No – 0.5p per point

Greggs Savoury

Greggs is one of the lowest-value redemption options. However, if you have a very low number of points and you’re not planning on earning more, Greggs could be an option.

It will cost you 200 points for a Greggs sausage roll or vegan sausage roll (worth £1.45). You can now also opt for a chicken, steak or cheese and onion bake or a Margherita or Pepperoni Pizza. Redemptions are valid for takeaway only.

Good Value? 0.48p per point

How to Do it: Go to the Virgin Red app and opt for Greggs. The points will be deducted from your balance, and you’ll receive a QR code for your sausage roll. The voucher will be valid for one month.

Virgin Experiences and Entertainment

One of the most unique redemptions is the option to cash in for experiences. Here are some options currently on offer:

Donate Points

Virgin has partnered with a variety of charities, including The Trussel Trust, the UN Refugee Agency and more. Donations start at 1,000 points. For every 1,000 points donated, Virgin will donate £10. Sometimes, there’s an urgent campaign, and Virgin donates £20 per 1,000 points

Good Redemption? Yes – 1p per point – 2p per point for urgent appeals

How to do it: Filter by good causes on the Virgin Red app or website. Click on your chosen charity and press donate.

Transfer Points

Transferring points is a great gift idea, or you can pool your points with someone else to have enough to redeem one of the above.

There is no limit to the number of points you can transfer. The only rule is that the transfer must be made in increments of 1,000 points rather than a random amount.

Final Words

The golden rule with Virgin Points—or any loyalty currency, for that matter—is seeking the highest value for each point. You’ll get the best value per point by redeeming for flights, cabin upgrades (especially Upper Class Upgrades) and cruises. There is often exceptional value in using your points for seat upgrades or redeeming points for peak travel periods instead of paying for pricey last-minute tickets.

How will you be spending your Virgin Points? Let us know in the comments below: