Virgin Atlantic Massively Increases Award Costs and Fees for Delta One Flights to Europe

Another day, another Virgin Atlantic Flying Club devaluation. Sadly, I’m getting used to this, and I don’t mean that in a good way.

If you’re booking Delta One business class awards to Europe, the price you’ll pay just went up significantly in terms of points and cash. Let’s look at the new pricing and alternative booking methods going forward.

New Virgin Atlantic Pricing for Delta One Awards to Europe

Previously, you could book Delta One (Delta’s business class) via Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and get yourself to Europe in style for just 50,000 points per passenger. That pricing didn’t include the U.K., sadly, but it was a fantastic offer and included just $5.60 in taxes and fees.

Sadly, those days are long gone, as reported by Thrifty Traveler. Nearly all Delta One pricing to Europe has gone up, requiring more Virgin points and adding hefty cash fees at the time of booking. Rather than the $5.60 in taxes and fees, you’ll now pay over $1,000 on top of the points required for the award ticket.

Virgin’s new award chart for Delta flights (which you can find here) includes standard and off-peak dates:

• 2024 standard season: January 4 to March 21; April 16 to June 15; September 3 to October 24; and November 6 to December 6
• 2024 peak season: January 1 to 3; March 22 to April 15; June 16 to September 2; October 25 to November 5; and December 7, 2024 to January 5, 2025

Depending on the pricing in effect for your travel dates, these are the new award rates per person for Delta One between the U.S. and Europe (not including the U.K.):

You’ll notice that economy pricing is unchanged. You can still book these awards for 30,000 points + $5.60 per passenger, each way.

And while many Delta One awards will now require more points, it’s worth pointing out that rates like this one actually cost fewer points by just a touch, dropping from 50,000 to 47,500. The tradeoff is the fees that jumped from $5.60 to over $1,000 each. Personally, I’d rather pay 2,500 more points and keep the $1,000.

It’s also worth noting that the new award chart doesn’t specifically address routes from the center of the U.S., such as Delta’s routes from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) to several European cities. Those will likely price at the East Coast rates.

Alternative Booking Methods to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

50,000 points and $5.60 in taxes and fees was the best of the best when booking Delta One business class between the U.S. and Europe. True, it wasn’t always easy to find these awards, but patience and flexible dates meant you could find a great price.

Now, the best option for SkyTeam business class across the Atlantic is booking through Flying Blue, the shared loyalty program of Air France and KLM. In late 2023, Flying Blue standardized its award charts, and you’ll spend 50,000 miles for business class flights across the pond. You’ll pay a more reasonable $32 in taxes and fees here, assuming you take the nonstop Delta flight.

Final Thoughts

We’ve seen multiple devaluations lately from Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, so this one shouldn’t come as a surprise, regardless of the sadness it might induce. What stings about this one is that it happened overnight and with no warning.

If you’re looking for SkyTeam business class awards on carriers like Delta, KLM, or Air France to Europe, Flying Club is now charging more miles and much more in fees. It’s no longer your best bet for booking these flights.