Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Guide | Virgin Points, Partner Airlines, ANA Awards & Sweet Spots
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is Virgin Atlantic’s frequent flyer program and part of the SkyTeam alliance.
Flying Club is useful for much more than Virgin Atlantic flights. Virgin Points can also be redeemed for Delta, Air France, KLM, ANA, and other Partner Airlines. Because each partner can follow its own award pricing structure, certain routes can offer particularly competitive redemption rates.
Flying Club is not designed for complex stopover itineraries. Instead, its strength is using transferable credit card points for specific Partner Airline awards where Virgin Points offer favorable pricing.
📌 Quick Navigation
✈️ What Is Virgin Atlantic Flying Club?
| Item | Flying Club |
|---|---|
| Primary airline | Virgin Atlantic |
| Airline alliance | SkyTeam |
| Currency | Virgin Points |
| Virgin Atlantic awards | Dynamic pricing |
| Partner Airlines | SkyTeam + non-alliance partners |
| One-way awards | ✅ |
| Book for others | ✅ |
| Stopovers | ❌ No stopover benefit |
| Multi-segment Partner awards | Priced by segment |
| Online booking | Depends on Partner Airline |
| Virgin Points expiration | Never expire |
| Main advantages | Multiple transferable-point partners; attractive pricing on select Partner Airlines |
| Main limitations | Partner availability, surcharges, and phone-only booking for some partners |
One of Flying Club’s defining features is that Partner Airlines do not all follow one universal award chart.
For that reason, Flying Club is best viewed as a Partner Airline redemption tool rather than simply a program for booking Virgin Atlantic flights.
💳 How to Earn Virgin Points
Virgin Points can be earned through Virgin Atlantic flights, Partner Airlines, transferable credit card points, hotel programs, and other partners.
For U.S. travelers, transferable credit card points are one of the easiest ways to access Flying Club.
🇺🇸 U.S. Credit Card Points to Virgin Points
| Points Program | Transfer to Virgin Points |
|---|---|
| American Express Membership Rewards | 1:1 |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | 1:1 |
| Citi ThankYou Points | 1:1 |
| Capital One Miles | 1:1 |
For more details:
- American Express Membership Rewards Guide
- Chase Ultimate Rewards Guide
- Citi ThankYou Points Guide
- Capital One Miles Guide
- U.S. Transferable Credit Card Points Comparison
Because Flying Club has several major transfer partners, there is usually little reason to transfer a large balance speculatively.
A better approach is:
Find award space → Confirm Virgin can book it → Compare the total cost → Transfer points → Book
🇯🇵 Japan-Issued American Express Membership Rewards
Japan-issued American Express Membership Rewards points can also be transferred to Virgin Points.
| Transfer Option | Virgin Points |
|---|---|
| Membership Rewards Plus | 1,250 MR → 1,000 Virgin Points |
| Without Membership Rewards Plus | 2,000 MR → 1,000 Virgin Points |
This gives travelers in Japan another direct way to access Flying Club without relying on U.S.-issued credit cards.
🤝 Virgin Atlantic Partner Airlines
Virgin Atlantic is a SkyTeam member, but Flying Club also partners with several airlines outside the alliance.
Major SkyTeam Partners
| Airline | Primary Market |
|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | U.S. / Transatlantic |
| Air France | France / Europe / Long-haul |
| KLM | Netherlands / Europe / Long-haul |
| Korean Air | Korea / Asia |
| China Airlines | Taiwan / Asia |
| Vietnam Airlines | Vietnam / Asia |
| Aeromexico | Mexico |
| SAS | Northern Europe |
| China Eastern | China |
| Xiamen Air | China |
| Air Europa | Europe |
| Kenya Airways | Africa |
| TAROM | Europe |
| Garuda Indonesia | Indonesia |
| Saudia | Middle East |
| Middle East Airlines | Middle East |
| Aerolíneas Argentinas | South America |
Major Non-SkyTeam Partners
| Airline | Primary Market |
|---|---|
| ANA | Japan / Asia / Long-haul |
| Air New Zealand | New Zealand |
| Virgin Australia | Australia |
| LATAM Airlines | South America |
| WestJet | Canada |
| South African Airways | Africa |
| EL AL | Israel |
Flying Club does not use one universal award chart for these airlines. Partner award pricing must therefore be evaluated airline by airline.
📊 How Are Virgin Atlantic Awards Priced?
Virgin Atlantic’s own Reward Seats use dynamic pricing.
| Cabin | Pricing |
|---|---|
| Economy | Dynamic |
| Premium | Dynamic |
| Upper Class | Dynamic |
There is no single fixed award chart that determines how many Virgin Points every Virgin Atlantic flight will cost.
When comparing an award, look at the complete cost:
Virgin Points + taxes + airport fees + carrier-imposed surcharges
Cash surcharges can be particularly important on long-haul Premium and Upper Class awards.
📊 How Are Partner Airline Awards Priced?
Partner Airlines use different award-pricing structures.
| Partner Airline | General Pricing Structure |
|---|---|
| ANA | ANA-specific regional chart |
| Delta | Distance bands + special pricing on certain routes |
| Air France / KLM | Short-haul distance bands + long-haul zones |
| Korean Air | Partner-specific pricing |
| China Airlines | Partner-specific pricing |
| Other partners | Individual Partner Airline rules |
A practical Flying Club search therefore follows this order:
Airline → Applicable award chart → Award availability → Cash cost
🇯🇵 ANA | One of Flying Club’s Most Interesting Partners
ANA is one of Flying Club’s most important non-SkyTeam partners.
Virgin Points price ANA awards on a one-way basis:
| ANA Route | Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan domestic | 7,500 | — | — |
| Japan ↔ South Korea | 9,000 | 17,500 | 25,000 |
| Japan ↔ Taiwan / Hong Kong / China / Philippines / Guam | 11,500 | 22,500 | 30,000 |
| Japan ↔ Thailand / Vietnam / Singapore / Malaysia / Myanmar | 20,000 | 35,000 | 52,500 |
| Japan ↔ Hawaii / India / Indonesia | 22,500 | 37,500 | 57,500 |
| Japan ↔ Australia / Canada / Western U.S. | 30,000 | 52,500 | 72,500 |
| Japan ↔ Europe / Central & Eastern U.S. / Mexico | 32,500 | 60,000 | 85,000 |
All prices above are for one-way awards.
ANA Awards From Japan
| Route | Business Class |
|---|---|
| Tokyo → Seoul | 17,500 Virgin Points |
| Tokyo → Taipei | 22,500 Virgin Points |
| Tokyo → Singapore | 35,000 Virgin Points |
| Tokyo → Los Angeles | 52,500 Virgin Points |
| Tokyo → Europe | 60,000 Virgin Points |
For travelers departing Japan, ANA Business Class between Japan and Asia is one of the most attractive uses of Virgin Points.
Low award pricing, however, does not guarantee availability. Virgin must have access to ANA Partner Award inventory before the flight can be booked.
For a broader look at ANA’s own mileage program, see the ANA Mileage Club Guide.
ANA Awards Must Be Booked by Phone
ANA awards using Virgin Points require contacting the Flying Club team.
The safer booking process is:
Find potential ANA award space → Contact Virgin → Confirm availability → Transfer points → Book
Award space visible through another Star Alliance program does not necessarily mean Virgin Flying Club can access the same seat.
🇺🇸 Delta Air Lines | Short U.S. Flights Are Worth Checking
Virgin Points can also be used for Delta flights.
For many Delta Partner Awards, Economy pricing is distance-based:
| Flight Distance | Economy |
|---|---|
| 0–500 miles | 7,500 |
| 501–1,000 miles | 11,000 |
| 1,001–1,500 miles | 16,500 |
| 1,501–2,000 miles | 18,500 |
| 2,001–3,000 miles | 22,000 |
| 3,001–4,000 miles | 35,000 |
| 4,001–5,000 miles | 44,000 |
| 5,001–6,000 miles | 49,500 |
| 6,001+ miles | 65,500 |
This makes short Delta-operated domestic Economy flights one of the Flying Club redemptions worth checking in the U.S.
Before transferring points, compare the Flying Club price against Delta’s own pricing. For more information on SkyMiles, see the Delta SkyMiles Guide.
🇫🇷 Air France & KLM | Always Compare With Flying Blue
Virgin Points can also be redeemed for Air France and KLM flights.
Because the same flights may also be available through Flying Blue, compare both programs before booking.
Short-Haul Air France / KLM Awards
| Distance | Economy Off-Peak | Business Off-Peak | Economy Peak | Business Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–600 miles | 4,000 | 8,000 | 4,500 | 9,000 |
| 601–1,249 miles | 7,500 | 25,000 | 8,500 | 26,000 |
| 1,250–1,749 miles | 9,000 | 30,000 | 11,000 | 32,000 |
Very short intra-European Economy flights can therefore be an attractive use of Virgin Points.
Long-Haul Awards
Long-haul Air France and KLM awards use zone-based pricing.
Examples of Off-Peak Business Class pricing include:
| Region | Virgin Points |
|---|---|
| Western Europe ↔ Eastern North America | 48,500 |
| Western Europe ↔ Central / Western North America | 77,500 |
| Western Europe ↔ Japan / Taiwan / East Asia | 112,000 |
Flying Club is therefore much less compelling for many Europe–Asia Business Class awards.
For these routes, compare Virgin Points, taxes, surcharges, and availability against Flying Blue before booking.
⭐ Virgin Flying Club Sweet Spots
Flying Club is most useful when a specific Partner Airline award offers a clear pricing advantage.
| Redemption | Virgin Points |
|---|---|
| ANA Japan → South Korea Business | 17,500 |
| ANA Japan → Taiwan / Hong Kong Business | 22,500 |
| ANA Japan → Southeast Asia Business | 35,000 |
| Delta short-haul U.S. Economy | From 7,500 |
| Air France / KLM short-haul Europe Economy | From 4,000 |
| ANA Japan → Western U.S. Business | 52,500 |
ANA Business Class between Japan and Asia stands out in particular, although actual value depends heavily on Partner Award availability.
🛑 Does Virgin Flying Club Allow Stopovers?
Flying Club does not offer a Stopover benefit.
If you want to stay in an intermediate city, the itinerary must be broken into separate segments, with each segment priced separately.
| Rule | Flying Club |
|---|---|
| Stopover | ❌ |
| Free Stopover | ❌ |
| Stopover for a fixed point surcharge | ❌ |
| Extended stay in an intermediate city | Separate segments |
| Multi-segment Partner Award | Each segment priced separately |
For example:
| ANA Business Class Segment | Virgin Points |
|---|---|
| LAX → HND | 52,500 |
| HND → TPE | 22,500 |
| Total | 75,000 |
Even if you fly:
LAX → HND → 5-day stay in Tokyo → TPE
Flying Club prices this as:
LAX → HND + HND → TPE
It is not a Los Angeles–Taipei award with a free Tokyo Stopover.
This is fundamentally different from Aeroplan, which has a formal Stopover feature.
🔍 Which Partner Airlines Can Be Booked Online?
Not every Flying Club Partner Airline can be searched and booked directly on the Virgin Atlantic website.
✅ Partners Available for Online Booking
| Partner Airline | Booking Method |
|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | ✅ Online |
| Air France | ✅ Online |
| KLM | ✅ Online |
| Aeromexico | ✅ Online |
| Kenya Airways | ✅ Online |
| Korean Air | ✅ Online |
| SAS | ✅ Online |
| TAROM | ✅ Online |
| Vietnam Airlines | ✅ Online |
| Xiamen Air | ✅ Online |
| EL AL | ✅ Online |
| LATAM Airlines | ✅ Online |
For these airlines, Flying Club-bookable Reward Flights can be searched through Virgin Atlantic’s website.
☎️ Partners Requiring Flying Club Assistance
| Partner Airline | Booking Method |
|---|---|
| Aerolíneas Argentinas | ☎️ Flying Club |
| Air Europa | ☎️ Flying Club |
| China Airlines | ☎️ Flying Club |
| China Eastern | ☎️ Flying Club |
| Garuda Indonesia | ☎️ Flying Club |
| Middle East Airlines | ☎️ Flying Club |
| Saudia | ☎️ Flying Club |
| Air New Zealand | ☎️ Flying Club |
| ANA | ☎️ Flying Club |
| South African Airways | ☎️ Flying Club |
| Virgin Australia | ☎️ Flying Club |
| WestJet | ☎️ Flying Club |
For these airlines:
No results on VirginAtlantic.com ≠ no Partner Award space.
You may need to identify potential award availability first and then contact Flying Club to confirm whether Virgin can access the seat.
IndiGo
IndiGo’s partnership with Virgin Atlantic allows members to earn Virgin Points, but Virgin Points cannot currently be redeemed for IndiGo Reward Flights.
🎫 How to Book Flights With Virgin Points
Online Partner Awards
| Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sign in to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club |
| 2 | Search for Reward Flights |
| 3 | Enter your origin, destination, and dates |
| 4 | Check available award seats |
| 5 | Review Virgin Points and cash charges |
| 6 | Compare against other mileage programs |
| 7 | Transfer credit card points |
| 8 | Complete the booking |
For Partner Airlines that require Flying Club assistance:
Find potential award space → Prepare the dates and flight numbers → Contact Flying Club → Confirm availability → Transfer points → Book
Transferable credit card points generally cannot be moved back to the original bank program after they have been transferred to Flying Club.
For that reason, confirm award availability before transferring points.
👥 Can You Use Virgin Points to Book for Someone Else?
Yes. Virgin Points can be used to book Reward Flights for other people.
| Booking Rule | Flying Club |
|---|---|
| Book for yourself | ✅ |
| Book for family | ✅ |
| Book for friends | ✅ |
| Account holder must travel | ❌ |
| Transfer an issued ticket to another passenger | ❌ |
| Sell Reward Tickets | ❌ |
Using your Virgin Points to book a ticket for someone else is different from transferring Virgin Points into that person’s account.
The Flying Club account holder does not need to travel on the same itinerary.
💰 What Fees Apply to Flying Club Awards?
The number of Virgin Points required is only one part of the total cost.
| Cost | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Virgin Points | Based on Virgin Atlantic or Partner pricing |
| Government taxes | Additional |
| Airport fees | Additional |
| Carrier-imposed surcharges | Depends on airline and route |
| Partner Award change fee | Additional |
| Cancellation | Depends on applicable award rules |
The real cost of an award is therefore:
Virgin Points + cash charges + actual award availability
A low number on an award chart does not automatically make a redemption a Sweet Spot.
🔄 Flying Club Award Changes & Cancellations
Virgin Atlantic Reward Seats and Partner Airline awards follow different rules.
Partner Airline Awards
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Date changes | ✅ |
| Change fee | £30 per person, per change |
| New date | Partner Award availability must be reconfirmed |
| After travel begins | Date changes not permitted |
| Cancellation | Subject to the applicable Partner Airline rules |
Partner cancellation conditions are not identical across every airline.
For that reason, a Partner Award should not automatically be assumed to have the same cancellation fee as a Virgin Atlantic-operated Reward Seat.
Virgin Atlantic Reward Seats
Virgin Atlantic-operated Reward Seats follow Virgin Atlantic’s own change and cancellation rules rather than the Partner Award rules above.
⏳ Do Virgin Points Expire?
Virgin Points do not expire.
There is no need to generate account activity simply to keep your Virgin Points alive.
However, points that never expire can still be devalued.
Travelers with access to Amex MR, Chase UR, Citi ThankYou Points, or Capital One Miles therefore generally have little reason to transfer a large balance before they are ready to book.
🏅 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Membership Tiers
Flying Club has three membership tiers: Red, Silver, and Gold. Elite status is earned primarily by collecting Tier Points from eligible flights.
| Membership Tier | Qualification | SkyTeam Status | Key Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | Entry-level member | — | Earn and redeem Virgin Points |
| Silver | 400 Tier Points | SkyTeam Elite | Premium check-in, priority boarding, extra baggage, bonus Virgin Points |
| Gold | 1,000 Tier Points | SkyTeam Elite Plus | Upper Class check-in, Clubhouse access, priority services, extra baggage, higher Virgin Points bonus |
Virgin Points and Tier Points are separate. Virgin Points are used for award travel, while Tier Points determine your Flying Club membership tier.
Transferring points from American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points, or Capital One Miles increases your Virgin Points balance but does not earn Tier Points.
Gold includes SkyTeam Elite Plus status, making it particularly useful for travelers who frequently fly Virgin Atlantic or other SkyTeam airlines.
If you mainly use Virgin Points to book ANA, Delta, or other Partner Airlines, however, you do not need Silver or Gold status to access Flying Club’s core award redemptions.
👤 Who Is Virgin Flying Club Best For?
| Traveler | Fit |
|---|---|
| U.S. MR / UR / TYP / Capital One users | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Japan Amex MR users | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| ANA Japan → Asia Business | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Delta short-haul U.S. flights | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Air France / KLM short-haul Europe | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| ANA Japan → Western U.S. Business | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Travelers looking for free Stopovers | ⭐ |
| Travelers who want every Partner bookable online | ⭐⭐ |
| Speculative Virgin Points hoarding | ⭐⭐ |
Flying Club works particularly well for travelers who already hold transferable points and are willing to compare programs before each redemption.
For frequent Virgin Atlantic flyers, Silver and Gold status add another layer of value through airline and SkyTeam elite benefits.
🏁 Is Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Worth It?
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is best treated as a redemption option for transferable credit card points, rather than a mileage currency that needs to be accumulated far in advance.
For Japan departures, ANA Business Class within Asia can offer particularly competitive pricing. In the U.S., short Delta Economy flights are worth checking, while Air France and KLM can offer attractive pricing on short European routes.
Flying Club also has several practical advantages: Virgin Points never expire, awards can be booked for friends and family, and the program receives transfers from several major U.S. credit card ecosystems.
The main weaknesses are equally clear. Flying Club does not offer a Stopover benefit, some Partner Airlines require phone booking, and attractive award-chart pricing is only useful when Virgin has access to the necessary Partner Award space.
The most practical strategy is:
Find award space → Confirm Virgin can book it → Compare Virgin Points and cash charges → Transfer points → Book
