a bed in an airplane

If you’re tight on time and have Tik Tok reels of synchronized dancing, or jumping into new clothes awaiting, know this: today is the best day to book Virgin flights with points. And soon, there will always be a “best day to book.”

As of today, June 29th, Virgin Atlantic will guarantee a certain number of seats will be available in every cabin, on every flight, forever. There’s also some cool other stuff too.

Not only does this mean flights 331 days from now, when Virgin releases flights, will have amazing availability — it means more flights in the near future will too. Basically, if you are in the market on a route operated by Virgin Atlantic, you might want to run some searches today. Here’s what’s changing.

a bed in an airplane

Virgin Atlantic Invests In Loyalty

Virgin Atlantic is making a big investment in loyalty, making it easier for Flying Club members to unlock seats with points.

Don’t forget, Virgin is the only airline that offers elite status credit when you use points, which allows you to hit frequent flyer perks just by using points. It’s potentially possible to hit top tier status, just from points bookings.

Guaranteed Points Seats On Virgin Atlantic Flights

Going forward, Virgin Atlantic will guarantee two seats in Upper Class when every flight is released, as well as two in premium and eight seats in economy, for a total of 12 seats guaranteed with points.

Airline teams will continue to monitor each flight for opportunities to offer seats with points, which can sometimes result in eight or more Upper Class seats becoming avail.

This is a big step in helping people who like to book early, get access to prized seats on prize routes. Before this announcement, Virgin had no obligation to release a seat with points on a key date on a key route, like Barbados around December holidays.

It’s really wonderful news for both Virgin Red and Virgin Flying Club. Points will unlock more than they did before, and that’s good for members.

inside an airplane with purple lights

Top Flyers Can Unlock Seats With Double Points

If you earn Virgin Atlantic Gold status, you’ve got a nice new perk. You can now use double the points to unlock any seat that’s still available with cash, even if it’s not with points.

The catch? You’ll need to book at least 60 days in advance of flight, and pay double the points. This is a niche but nice benefit, which helps inflexible travelers get what they need, in exchange for loyalty given by earning Gold.

Great Values Get Better

Virgin Atlantic has held onto attractive points rates for flights in all cabins, and any hedge against cash costs on all airlines provides a nice opportunity these days.

The perennial traveler favorite word, “upgrades”, remains a huge opportunity with Virgin Flying Club. I’m a huge fan of booking premium economy with cash and then using Virgin Points to upgrade.

It’s a great day for Virgin Atlantic flyers, as well as anyone holding credit card points from American Express, Chase, Citi and Capital One, all of which can be transferred into Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. This is a more attractive program than ever.

Cheers to that!

Gilbert Ott

Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly...

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4 Comments

  1. On the Gold redemption, can Golds still use their companion vouchers on those redemptions i.e. basically still redeem for the regular points amount by using a companion voucher on a double miles flight?

  2. Thanks for the heads up, much appreciated Gilbert! In your opinion, what are some of the best Virgin Red redemptions departing from California to anywhere in the world? I’m looking to pay minimal taxes and fuel charges. Keep up the great work!

  3. VS isn’t the only airline offering SCs when using points, QF also award SCs on classic rewards to Points Club and PC+ members of their QFF program.

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