18 Best Ways to Earn Lots of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Miles
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Virgin Atlantic is the British airline that services more than 30 destinations from bases at London-Gatwick, London-Heathrow, and Manchester airports.
Due to its partnership with Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic offers connections to more than 200 North American gateways. In the U.S., Virgin Atlantic operates flights between the U.K. and Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Washington.
In this article, we will explain the show you how to earn miles in Virgin Atlantic Flying Club so you can spend them on upgrades, rewards flights, and more!
Table of contents
Table of Contents
The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Frequent Flyer Program
Enroll in Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
It’s free to sign up for the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club! In just a few minutes, you can enroll and enter your login details.
Members enjoy discounts and perks while earning Flying Club miles. Earned miles can be redeemed for free flights, hotel stays, and other rewards.
1. The Virgin Atlantic Credit Card
With the Virgin Atlantic World Elite MasterCard® from Bank of America, it’s possible to earn Flying Club miles fast. Cardholders earn up to 3 miles per $1 spent on Virgin Airlines purchases.
Like other airline credit cards, this one comes with a sign-up bonus to help you start banking points. Always evaluate your spending patterns before signing up for a credit card so you choose the best option for your financial situation.
Click the link below to learn more about the Virgin Atlantic World Elite MasterCard® from Bank of America, and apply if you think this card makes sense for you!
| Loyalty Program | Credit Card |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Virgin Atlantic World Elite MasterCard® from Bank of America |
2. Add an Authorized User
Why not earn miles for purchases made by a family member too? After all, the Virgin Atlantic World Elite MasterCard® from Bank of America gives you 5,000 Flying Club miles just for adding an authorized user!
3. Fly Virgin Atlantic
Booking flights with Virgin Atlantic is another way to increase your Flying Club miles balance quickly. The more you fly, the more points you’ll get.
The number of miles possible depends on flight mileage, cabin choice, and ticket type (it also depends on your Flying Club membership tier, which we will cover in the next tip.) Take a look at the mileage chart for Flying Club members:
| Fare Class | Earned Miles |
| Discount Economy E, Q, V, N, O | 50% |
| Mid-Tier Economy L, U, M | 100% |
| Full-Fare Economy Y, B, R | 150% |
| Discount Premium Economy H, K | 100% |
| Premium Economy W, S | 200% |
| Discount Business I, Z | 200% |
| Full Fare Business J, C, D | 400% |
4. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Elite Status
As a Flying Club member, you start out with Red status. Achieve Silver and Gold status, and you’ll earn more Flying Club miles.
Remember, Flying Club has made some big changes. Before, members needed 15 tier points to reach Silver and 40 tier points to reach Gold in the old elite status program.
The new requirements are 400 tier points for Silver and 1,000 tier points for Gold!
Prior to the restructure, members received a 50% bonus (Silver) or 100% bonus (Gold) for flights. Now, Silver and Gold bonuses are 30% and 60% respectively.
However, while status bonuses are slightly lower, they now apply to cabin bonuses and not just base miles. This could mean a big increase if you purchase premium fares.
See the chart below for the number of points you can earn:
| Type of Fare | Cabin Class | Bonus |
| Full Fare Business | J, C, D, I | 200% |
| Discount Business | Z | 100% |
| Premium Economy | W, S | 100% |
| Discount Premium Economy | H, K | 50% |
| Economy | Y, B, R, L, U, M | 50% |
| Discount Economy | E, Q, X, V, N, O | 25% |
Earn Flying Club Miles With Credit Cards
5. Chase Ultimate Rewards Credit Cards
If you aren’t a member of Chase Ultimate Rewards, you may want to consider enrolling, since Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to your Flying Club account! For every 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points, you’ll get 1,000 Flying Club miles.
Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - This is our favorite beginners travel card that earns valuable points and it comes with a big 60,000 sign up bonus (highest ever & valued at $750), after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. The annual fee is $95. |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® - A simple, no annual fee card that earns you 1.5% cash back on all purchases. A good card to get after the Sapphire Preferred because then you can transfer your cash-back into points (which is how you maximize value). |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® - This is a premium travel rewards card with a higher annual fee, but it'll get you into a lot of airport lounges (Priority Pass). The current sign up bonus is 50,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You'll also get a $300 travel credit per year which wipes away a big chunk of the $450 annual fee. |
Recommended Chase Cards (Business)
| Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card - This is our #1 recommended business card and comes with a whopping 80,000 sign up bonus after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. This bonus is worth $1,000. You can earn lots of points by leveraging the cards bonus categories. |
| Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card - earn $500 bonus cash back after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. In addition, get up to 5% cash back on a range of business expenses. A simple, $0 annual fee card. |
6. American Express Membership Rewards Credit Cards
Transfer 1 Membership Rewards® point into 1 Flying Club mile. Rack up Membership Rewards points with the following American Express credit cards:
Recommended Amex Cards (Personal)
| The Platinum Card® from American Express - There's currently a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $5,000 in your first 3 months. This is our favorite card for getting into 1,200+ airport lounges worldwide (including Priority Pass) and we get about $1,500+ in value from the card every year. Plus, get up to $200 in Uber credits annually ($15 per month and a $20 bonus in December) — and up to $200 in annual credit for airline incidental charges (e.g. baggage fees). For rates and fees of the Platinum Card, click here. |
| American Express® Gold Card - We love using this card as it earns 4x points at restaurants worldwide and 4x points at US supermarkets (up to $25,000; then 1x). With a welcome bonus of 35,000 points after you spend $2,000 in your first 3 months and a $100 airfare credit per year, for many this is an easy addition to your wallet. For rates and fees of the Gold Card, click here. |
Recommended Amex Cards (Business)
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express - Even though this card carries a hefty annual fee, we get ~$1,250+ in value per year by leveraging as many of the benefits/perks card. Get access to 1,200+ airport lounges worldwide, $200 in airline fee credits for incidentals (e.g. baggage fees) and a lot more. Also, earn a welcome bonus of up to 75,000 points (terms apply). For rates and fees of the Business Platinum, click here. |
| American Express® Business Gold Card - probably our favorite Amex business card because we earn 4x points across the top 2 select categories that we spend the most money in each month. The 4x points applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year. This means you'll max out at a (whopping) 600,000 points per year. After that, you earn 1x. For rates and fees of the Business Gold Card, click here. |
| The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express - This is a real simple card that earns you 2x points on business purchases up to $50,000 annually (then 1x). There's no annual fee. For rates and fees of The Blue Business Plus, click here. |
7. Citi ThankYou Rewards Credit Cards
Transfer Citi ThankYou Rewards points to Flying Club miles in increments of 1,000 at a 1:1 ratio. Even better, from time to time you’ll get a bonus for your transfer!
Earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points with the following credit cards:
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
| Citi ThankYou® Premier Card |
|
| Citi Prestige® Card |
|
Use Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Travel Partners
8. Fly With Partner Airlines
Flying with Virgin Atlantic airline partners will also help you earn Flying Club miles.
But there are plenty of partners that do offer bonus miles! Click on a carrier for terms and conditions.
| Airlines | Bonus | Airlines | Bonus |
| Delta Air Lines | 50%-200% | Jet Airways | 50%-200% |
| Singapore Airlines | 100%-160% | Air China | 25%-200% |
| Air New Zealand | 50%-200% | Hawaiian Airlines | 50%-150% |
| Virgin Australia | 50%-200% | Malaysia Airlines | Up to 150% |
| South African Airways | 50%-125% | Scandinavian Airlines | 25%-150% |
| All Nippon Airways | 50%-300% |
9. Book With Hotel Partners
Not only can you earn 1,000 miles per stay at Virgin Hotels, but you can also earn miles with the following Flying Club hotel partners:
| Hotel | Miles Earned | Hotel | Miles Earned |
| Hilton Honors | 2 miles and 10 Honors points/$1 | Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group | =1,000 miles/stay |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Up to 2 miles/$1 | Marco Polo Hotels | Up to 1,000 miles/stay |
| World of Hyatt | 750 miles/stay | Millennium Hotels & Resorts | 1,000 miles/stay |
| IHG Rewards Club | Up to 500 miles/stay | Preferred Hotels & Resorts | 750 miles/stay |
| Edition Hotels | 2 miles/$1 | Radisson Blu Edwardian | 500 miles/stay |
| Morgans Hotel Group | Up to 1,000 miles/stay | Red Carnation Hotel Collection | 2,000 miles/night |
| Best Western Hotels & Resorts | 500 miles/stay | Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts | 750 miles/stay |
| The Mayfair Hotel | 500 miles/stay | Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces | 500 miles/stay |
| Langham Hospitality Group | Up to 500 miles/night | Travelplus | (UK only) |
| Blue Sky Luxury | 1 mile/$1 | Virgin Hotels | 1,000 miles/stay |
| Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts* | 1 mile/$1 | Worldhotels | 500 miles/stay |
| Yotel** | Up to 500 miles/stay |
*15+ nights in calendar year 5,000 bonus
**Must book on Yotel.com
10. Use Other Hotel Booking Companies
Book rooms directly with the following hotel booking companies and get extra Flying Club miles! Click on a link to learn more about each program.
| Hotel Booking Company | Miles Earned |
| Rocketmiles | 500-10,000 miles/night |
| Kaligo.com | Up to 10,000 miles |
| PointsHound | Up to 5,000 miles/night |
11. Book With Car Rental Agencies
When you need a rental car, be sure to book it through one of the Flying Club car rental partners, so you earn miles in the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. See the table below for the miles you can earn with a rental:
| Car Rental Agency | Miles Earned | Car Rental Agency | Miles Earned |
| Avis | 250-1,000 miles/rental | My Driver by Sixt | (UK only) |
| Alamo | 1,000 miles/rental | National Car Rental | 600-1,200 miles |
| Hertz | Up to 1,000 miles/rental | Enterprise | 100 miles/day |
| Sixt | 500 miles/rental |
Convert Partner Points to Flying Club Miles
12. Diners Club International
Since Diners Club is a Flying Club partner, you can transfer Club Rewards points to miles. U.S. cardholders can convert starting at 1,000 Club Rewards points!
13. Transfer Hotel Loyalty Points
We already showed you a list of all the hotel partners you can stay with to earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles. Another way to take advantage of the many Flying Club hotel partnerships is by transferring hotel loyalty club points into miles.
Check out the loyalty clubs that participate in the program and the transfer ratios they offer
| Hotel | Transfer Ratio |
| Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) | 10,000:2,000 |
| Hilton Honors | 10,000:1,000 |
| World of Hyatt* | 5,000:3,000 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 10,000:2,000 |
* Receive 7,500 Flying Club bonus miles when you convert 50,000 World of Hyatt points
Of course, you can increase the balances in these hotel loyalty program accounts by using credit cards, such as those shown in the table below:
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card |
|
| Hilton Honors American Express Card |
|
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ card |
|
| IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card |
|
| Chase Hyatt Credit Card |
|
Shopping To Earn Flying Club Miles
14. Shops Away Purchases
You don’t have to live in the U.K. to shop at the Shops Away site; even those in the U.S. may participate. Choose from more than 1,000 popular retailers and earn miles for your purchases. It’s a terrific way to boost your earnings.
You must access the Shops Away site through the Shops Away Miles Finder on the Firefox toolbar, or by clicking the “Shop Now” button in your Flying Club account.
It can take up to 45 days for miles to appear in your account.
Hot Tip: For more information on this specific earning method, check out our dedicated article — How to Use the Virgin Atlantic Shops Away Shopping Portal to Earn More Miles.
15. Order (And Drink!) Virgin Wines
One perk of being a member of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is access to special deals from Virgin Wines. Order 12 exquisite wines worth more than $225 for only $79.99 (plus free shipping!) and get 3,000 Flying Club miles.
Then, earn 2 miles per $1 spent on future purchases!
16. Buy Virgin Atlantic Miles
If you’re close to an award and need extra miles to make a nearby redemption or you want to buy extra miles at a discount, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has got you covered. (But we only recommend doing this if you’re really in a pinch!)
You can buy Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles here.
17. Virgin Group Partners
Earn and spend miles in the U.K. with Virgin Group Partners. For instance, travel with Virgin Trains, invest with Virgin Money, and take part in an exhilarating opportunity of a lifetime with Virgin Experience Days.
Discover all the ways you can earn miles with Virgin Group Partners in the U.K. here.
18. Special Flying Club Partner Offers
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club partners offer some great ways to earn miles, as you’ve seen from all the tips above.
But sometimes they take it one step further and offer special chances for you to earn even more.
These special offers are listed on the Partner Offers page of the Flying Club website, which is updated regularly. Look for new deals every so often, and you may benefit big time!
Conclusion
Whether you choose to earn credit card points and transfer them to miles, fly with Virgin Atlantic and its partner carriers, or shop to earn miles, you certainly have plenty of options.
Now that you’ve learned strategies for earning and maximizing Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles, it’s time for you to get started! Soon enough you’ll be on your way to a sweet vacation.
Photo Credits:
Virgin Atlantic Featured Photo: Carlos Yudica/Shutterstock, Inc.
Man Watching Plane: mimagephotography/Shutterstock Inc.
Plane in Sky: 06photo/Shutterstock Inc.
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Great post to sticky..thanks.
I recently booked that great Air new Zealand $1,500 RT business class fare Chicago to Sydney and decided to credit the miles to Virgin Atlantic which “wheretocredit.com” suggests would earn 200% bonus on flown miles (Z class tickets). I’m pretty new to Flying Club and was trying to decide if I should go for Silver status. If I were to earn sliver status with VA before going on this round trip to Sydney, would I get another 30% bonus for the status bonus even though it is a partner flight? The whole itinerary is 18,762 flown miles and the 200% bonus for business class Z should add 37,524 miles for a total of 56,286 redeemable Flying Club miles. Because if they pay a 30% bonus on the 56,286 then it is definitely worth it for me to charge some more to the Credit card to get up to Silver status before we go. If not, then maybe it’s not worth it to bother. Any thoughts?
Hey Rob,
This strategy will work. The only caveat is that you will need to properly associate your frequent flyer information on your Air New Zealand itinerary. This is a good strategy, but make sure you qualify for Silver fairly well in-advance just to avoid any issues with the elite bonus. Thanks for reading.