Great Card If
- You frequently travel with Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Voyages, or Virgin Hotels
- You want a card that will help you earn elite status
Don’t Get If
- You’re not a frequent flyer of Virgin Atlantic or its partners
- You’d prefer a card that earns transferable rewards
Virgin Red Card — Is It Worth It?
The Virgin Red card can be a great choice if you want a card to help you earn more Virgin Points with Virgin Red and qualify for elite status on everyday purchases.
With perks like annual bonus points, a free night at Virgin Hotels annually, and up to 2 personal perks of your choice each year (with annual card spend), the Virgin Red card has plenty to love that could make it worth it.
The card is suited chiefly toward frequent travelers with Virgin brands. However, some top card perks are only unlocked via annual spending. It allows you to earn up to 50 Tier Points a month toward status.
If you’re primarily interested in the card for the points you can earn thanks to the great redemptions you can book via the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club program, remember that Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Red are transfer partners of nearly every other major transferable rewards currency.
Virgin Red Card Top Benefits and Perks
Beyond the points you’ll earn for your card spend, here are the other benefits you can expect from the Virgin Red card:
- Anniversary bonus points: Receive 5,000 bonus points on your card anniversary annually.
- Tier Points: Earn 25 Tier Points for $2,500 of qualifying spend, up to 50 Tier Points a month, toward elite status.
- Personal perks: Spend $15,000 in a year to choose 1 Personal Perk, or $30,000 to choose 2, from these eligible perks:
- Virgin Atlantic: 1 Flying Club reward voucher, providing either a Companion seat or a Cabin upgrade
- Virgin Hotels: 1 free Hotel night stay or 1 priority room upgrade
- Virgin Voyages: Up to $300 Bar Tab credit or Blue Extras perks package
- Free night at Virgin Hotels: Book 2 nights, get a third night free at participating Virgin Hotels once per cardholder year.
- No foreign transaction fees: Use your card for all your travels to continue earning rewards without incurring foreign transaction fees.
Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Your Virgin Points
One of the best ways to earn more Virgin Points is to use your Virgin Red card for everyday and travel purchases.
This works great for those who frequently travel with Virgin companies, as you’ll earn 3x points on purchases with Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Hotels, and Virgin Voyages, 2x points on common expenses like grocery stores, dining out, selected streaming services, and EV charging, and 1x points on all other purchases.
You’ll have no shortage of great ways to redeem your Virgin Points for good value, particularly on flights with Virgin Atlantic and its partner airlines.
Alternative Cards to the Virgin Red Card
If you’re not totally committed to Virgin and prefer a credit card that earns flexible rewards, the Capital One Venture card could suit you well.
For a similar annual fee, you’ll earn 5x Capital One miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, plus an uncapped 2x miles on all other purchases. The card also has an up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, a $50 experience credit with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection, no foreign transaction fees, and access to the Capital One transfer partners like Virgin Atlantic at a 1:1 rate.
Similarly, the Citi Strata Premier card is another transferable rewards card that could be better suited for you if you want to maximize the number of redemptions you can make while still offering great bonus categories on everyday purchases.
It earns 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com, 3x points on air travel, other hotel purchases, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and EV charging stations, and 1x points on all other purchases.
Additionally, you’ll receive a $100 annual hotel benefit, no foreign transaction fees, travel protections like rental car insurance, and access to the Citi ThankYou transfer partners, which includes Virgin Atlantic at a 1:1 rate.
