Virgin Atlantic joined the SkyTeam alliance in early 2023, but its Flying Club loyalty program may not be as well-known as some of its alliance partners, such as Delta SkyMiles. However, the Flying Club program offers many great partner redemptions that make it worth getting to know if you’re looking for good-value award flights. In this article, we will explore the benefits of Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club program and how to use Virgin points to book Delta flights.
To begin with, it’s important to note that collecting Virgin points is relatively easy, even without flying Virgin Atlantic or its partners. Flying Club is a transfer partner of every major transferable point currency, including American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards. This means you have plenty of options for earning rewards to transfer to Flying Club, many of which offer terrific welcome bonuses.
When it comes to booking Delta flights with Virgin points, Flying Club has retained award rates for Delta-operated flights, unlike Delta’s dynamic pricing system. There are three Delta award charts on the Flying Club website: nonstop flights from the U.S. to the U.K., nonstop flights from the U.S. to Europe (excluding the U.K.), and all other Delta reward flights.
For nonstop flights from the U.S. to the U.K., the award chart shows the number of points required for one-way flights. Similarly, the award chart for flights from the U.S. to the rest of Europe shows the number of points required for one-way flights. For all other Delta flights, including flights within North America and to other regions like Asia, Australia, and South America, Virgin Atlantic uses a distance-based award chart.
It’s worth noting that Flying Club recently increased the prices for Delta flights departing from January 1, 2024, onwards. However, even with the price increase, Flying Club still charges fewer points than Delta’s SkyMiles program for the same flights. This makes it worth checking the prices of both programs and considering the value you can get from transferring your credit card points to Flying Club.
When booking Delta flights with Virgin points, it’s important to remember that you’ll need to pay double the cost of a one-way ticket for a round-trip ticket. Additionally, each flight segment is priced separately, so if you have a connecting flight, you may need to redeem more points. Flying Club members also cannot book Delta Premium Select (premium economy) awards on any route.
Despite these limitations, there are some great sweet spots where you can use Virgin points to book Delta flights. Main Cabin economy awards to London-area airports offer excellent value, especially on off-peak dates. The fees and taxes for these flights are relatively low, and you can often find redemption options for as low as 10,000 points one-way. Similarly, flights from the U.S. to European destinations outside the U.K. require 30,000 points one-way, but there are no carrier-imposed surcharges.
For other Delta-operated flights, the distance-based award chart can also be valuable. Flights less than 500 miles in length are still just 7,500 Virgin points per flight. It’s recommended to focus on routes covering up to 2,000 miles for domestic Delta-operated flights, as you may find better redemption options compared to other programs like Delta’s SkyMiles program.
To search and book Delta flights with Virgin points, you can use the Virgin Atlantic website. Enter the requested information, select “Show Price In” choice as Points, and choose “Show Flexible Dates” if you have flexibility. The website may not show certain airports when you search by entering the three-digit airport code, so click the “Full Airport List” button if necessary. Once you select a date, you can proceed to book the flight using your Flying Club account.
In conclusion, while Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club loyalty program may not be as well-known as some of its alliance partners, it offers many great partner redemptions that make it worth exploring. If you’re considering moving away from Delta’s SkyMiles program, using Virgin points to book Delta flights can be a cost-effective option. With careful planning and research, you can find excellent value and enjoy premium cabin awards and business-class flights at a fraction of the cost charged by the SkyMiles program.