[Expired] [Award Alert] Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Seats to Manchester for 47.5K Points

If you’ve got a trip to England in mind, this award deal from Virgin Atlantic should pique your interest.

You can enjoy Virgin’s luxurious Upper Class business class seat from Atlanta, New York City, or Orlando to the U.K. city of Manchester for just 47,500 points, and there’s plenty of availability. If you’re looking to save some points, there is a good amount of economy and premium economy space available as well.

Let’s look at this award deal and see whether it makes sense for you.

Award Alert — Details

Depending on when you want to fly and how flexible you are, you can get a great deal on award tickets with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to Manchester, England, from select U.S. cities.

Here’s a quick look at what’s available between the U.S. and the U.K.

• Class: Business
• Route: Atlanta (ATL), New York (JFK), Orlando (MCO) to Manchester (MAN)
• Cost: From 47,500 points and $1,042.80 in taxes and fees
• Travel Dates: January 2025 to August 2025
• Award Seats: Up to 9 passengers per route

For those who want to fly in Upper Class — what Virgin Atlantic calls its business class — you’ll find award deals from Atlanta (ATL), New York (JFK), and Orlando (MCO) to Manchester one-way for just 47,500 points. The taxes and fees are rough on these tickets, though, starting at $1,042 per person.

Upper Class availability is wide open to Manchester on various dates from January to August 2025, with many dates offering up to 9 business class seats from all 3 U.S.  cities in this award deal.

If the taxes and fees are too high for your budget but you still wish to travel with a bit more comfort, you could use as few as 17,500 points to fly premium economy between New York’s JFK Airport and Manchester.

Economy award rates begin at 10,000 points, and flying out of New York’s JFK airport yields the lowest rates. Economy and premium economy flights from Atlanta and Orlando to Manchester start at 12,500 and 22,500 points, respectively.

How To Book

First, visit the Virgin Atlantic website to check for award seats. Next, choose your departure airport and Manchester as your final destination. Once the results pop up, select which cabin you’d like.

Given that you’ll have to cover taxes and fees on these awards, especially for Upper Class tickets, it’s wise to pay with a card that offers a higher earning rate on airfare purchases.

For example, The Platinum Card^® from American Express earns 5x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with the airline or through AmexTravel.com (capped at $500,000 spent in purchases per calendar year, then 1x points). Additionally, if you have this or another American Express card, you might be targeted for a current Amex Offer for Virgin Atlantic, valid through December 31, 2024. This could give you a $300 statement credit after paying for the taxes and fees on these tickets.

The card also comes with a Priority Pass membership (enrollment required), which grants lounge access regardless of cabin class you’re flying.

Final Thoughts

This Virgin Atlantic award deal is definitely worth a look, especially if you want to hop across the pond in style for just 47,500 points one-way. As usual, do the math to see if this award deal makes sense for you.

If you were planning on booking a Virgin Atlantic award flight, this is an excellent opportunity to lock in an award seat and put those points to use. The taxes and fees will be the biggest drawback for most people, so take that into consideration for your upcoming travel plans.

If you find something that works for you, remember to book ASAP.