The Offer
Direct link to offer (note, only some people have this deal)
- Receive a 30% bonus when you transfer your American Express membership rewards points to Virgin Atlantic. For example, transfer 1,000 American Express membership rewards and receive 1,300 Virgin Atlantic miles.
The Fine Print
- Valid until 12/28/2019
Our Verdict
Fairly common transfer bonus from American Express. Here are the previous transfer bonuses for Virgin Atlantic:
- November 29th, 2018 – Unknown end date: 30% bonus
- August 1st – September 12th, 2018: 30% bonus
- October 10th – November 30th, 2017: 30% bonus
- April 17th – May 22nd, 2017: 30% bonus
- May 1st – May 31st, 2016: 30% bonus
- April 1st – April 30th, 2015: 25% bonus
- October 16th – November 30th, 2014: 35% bonus
- May 1st – May 31st, 2014: 30% bonus
- October 15th – November 30th, 2013: 30% bonus
- August 27th – September 2nd, 2012: 30% bonus
- March 19th – March 26th, 2012: 30% bonus
- April 1st – May 15th, 2012: 25% bonus
- November 27th – December 29th, 2012: 35% bonus
- June 3rd – Unknown end date, 2011 (most likely June 30th): 25%
- January 10th – February 28th, 2011: 15% bonus
- October 1st – October 31st, 2010: 20%
- July 19th – July 30th, 2010: 15%
- February 22nd – March 16th, 2010: 15%
For a full list of current and previous American Express transfer bonuses click here. How useful this deal is will really depend on how you value Virgin Atlantic miles.
Hat tip to TheGreatCollie
I’m SEA based, any tips on vs business class redemptions to Europe? spent hours searching with flex dates on and cannot seem to find anything. TIA!
I am looking at taking a flight from Detroit to London at the end of March. Booking through Virgin, it’s 25,000 points + $564 in fees. Booking through Delta, the same flight is 30,000 points, but only $177 in fees. Why does everyone say booking Delta flights through Virgin is a better deal?
They’re talking about J redemptions.
Because it is for other things, like Japan, Amsterdam is only $182 ish in fees, etc.
There are some good VA transfers from DTW, so if you did move points, I can share notes as I am a DTW miles flyer.
Also, the Delta 30k rt rate is the absolute lowest it’s ever been, and it’s usually around 50-70k.
You think paying $500 + 25K is better than paying $177 + 30K???
Frankly and why would anyone redeem $500 tax for a econ ticket to Europe? My typical econ ticket purchase price to Europe is sub $500 .. of course I am from NYC area .
Sad to see this one go. Transferred all the points I could as long as it was active. With Amex focused on clawing back $5 like 8mon after the fact, I’ve shifted the vast majority of my business elsewhere.
Highly recommend this for ANA First class to/from Japan. Very little fees/surcharges. Great value. I did it earlier this year (via another 30% AMEX promo) and loved the ANA First.
Sometimes my timing sucks. LOL
But VA this can be a good option if you also have AA miles for flying to Austrasia/Oceania or Asia 1
Such is life a – week before Thanksgiving I booked two seats SEA-SHA 13 hours in Delta One suites on new A330-900neo for 120K VA + $11.20 Flying just ahead of Labor day weekend 2020. Wish I could have waited but award space that works can change quickly.
Week before that I booked a pair of AC lie flat MEL-YVR-PDX . I found a pair of seats Biz seats for early October 2020 with UR points.
Flying back NS for several days to deal with Jetlag before returning to work was important as well as a buffer for irrops.
So I booked trip backwards with return leg first.
So we are spending a few days in Shanghai and riding the 268 mph MagLev from airport to the bund. 40K – Biz with AA from SHA to NAN for a few days then NZ for a week and AU a week.
You can stage to Asia onto Oceania with VA and AA miles.
That said you can find VA award seats in Delta One suites if you can stage from ATL, SEA or LAX to SHA and or PEK next year. For 46 MR with 30% bonus or 60K +$5.60.
With AA you can book F on QF A380 to Perth for 50k or 40K in Biz to Fiji (NAN) AKL, SYD, MEL, BRI or Perth to get get to Australsia (AU, NZ Fiji). you will have to double check for mixed cabins and check for all first or biz for connecting flights.
You can also use SHA or PVG or PEK to stage on shorter flights to other nearby destinations in Asia. – its the intercontinental flights that are the killer.
Staging from PDX-SEA I found DL First seats (Free 2 Checked bags domestic pp) for 7K SM or $112 pp.
VA for Delta one seats you only want Nonstop flights for 60K connecting from PDX with VA would have been considerably more.
FWIW you can Fly NS PDX-Toyko with VA (Delta One) and connect thru to Oceania or Asia from there.
DL also flies NS PDX -AMS or LHR (but taxes will kill you on prem cabin from to NA). But a cheap cash flight AMS-LHR or take the Chunnel.
Not sure what happened, Entered line breaks between sentences and end up with block text.
Virgin Atlantic/ Delta One to AU or NZ or Asia
Oceania/AU/NZ or Asia and have 80K AA miles as well it might be worth reading if you can get a cheap flight to ATL/SEA or LAX and stage from SHA or PVG (Shanghai) or Beijing (PEK) in Delta One suites for 60K VA each way +$5.60
Transfer Points UR/TY 1:1 or MR with 30% bonus
SFO-LHR 30K miles and $463 in fees. Is there a way to avoid these rediculously high fees? Different destinations?
LHR is notorious for its fees
You do not use Virgin miles to fly Virgin.
What’s the best use then lol? Delta flights?
yes
ANA First and Business class, duh!
Try AMS – a cheap flight to London area airports and LHR has the highest taxes/fees for premium cabins.
PDX-AMS is nonstop (60K VA miles Delta One/Upper class). AS flights SFO-PDX go on sale all the time.
Use desktop website and calendar to search availability
Darn. I just transferred for a J redemption to Europe last week. Oh well, still got a great deal, but this would have been even sweeter.
This is the best transfer bonus for Detroit as Delta owns half the airport. Thanks DoC
Thanksgiving miracle? Maybe not – just looked at availability for First class on United and it seems like there’s no space 337 days out for my hub.
What does this have to do with United?
My guess would be checking for ANA space.
Got it on both P1 and P2 account. no plans though. don’t live at a delta hub