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Key takeaways
- Virgin Red is a loyalty rewards program launched by the Virgin Group and is not a replacement for their existing Flying Club program.
- Members can earn Virgin Points through online shopping, travel, unique experiences and credit card partnerships.
- Points can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, experiences, charity donations and more. Members can also pool their points from Virgin Red and Flying Club accounts for greater redemption options.
- Anyone over 18 can sign up for Virgin Red for free, and new Flying Club members are automatically enrolled.
If you’re a frequent flyer, you likely know the value of a good airline rewards program. Most, if not all, airline carriers offer a loyalty program where members can earn and redeem rewards for flights, airline upgrades and various other redemptions.
For fans of Virgin, there are now two programs through which you can earn rewards. Virgin Red is the newest loyalty rewards program from the Virgin Group, launched in the U.K. in 2021 and in the U.S. later that year. Virgin Atlantic already has a frequent flyer program called Flying Club, though Virgin Red is not a replacement for Flying Club. Instead, the two programs pair together for more rewards-earning potential.
In this guide, we’ll dive into the Virgin Red program, how to earn and redeem points and how to link your account with your Flying Club account to pool your points.
What is Virgin Red?
In February 2021, the Virgin Group announced the arrival of Virgin Red in the U.K., a new rewards club that earns points redeemable to spend on hundreds of different redemption options across the Virgin Group and beyond. Members can link their Virgin Red and Flying Club accounts to pool points and use them with either platform.
The loyalty program was later launched in the U.S. in November 2021. The American version is not an exact copy of the U.K. program; it is instead structured with American members in mind.
How to earn Virgin Points
Virgin Red members can earn Virgin Points, the universal currency used by Virgin brands. The number of points you can earn varies depending on the offer.
- Online shopping: Virgin Red members can earn points shopping through select retail partners.
- Travel: You can earn points by booking stays at Virgin Hotels, flights with Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Air France/KLM and travel booked through Booking.com and other Virgin Red travel partners.
- Unique experiences: Virgin offers distinctive experiences that can earn Virgin Points. For example, you currently can earn 55,000 points by booking a seven-night stay at Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson’s 74-acre private island in the Caribbean.
- Transfer partners: Both Virgin Red and Flying Club are transfer partners for many popular rewards programs, including Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, and Capital One miles. All three programs allow you to transfer points to your Flying Club account at a 1:1 ratio.
- Credit cards: As of September 2024, Virgin Atlantic began offering the Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard®*, available for U.S. residents only. The rewards card earns up to 3X points for every dollar you spend. It also has a solid welcome bonus of 40,000 Virgin Points after you spend $3,000 within the first 90 days of opening. It comes with a $99 annual fee. For U.K. residents, the Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card* and Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card* are available.
How to redeem Virgin Red rewards
Virgin Red offers various ways to redeem points, including some noteworthy options you won’t find anywhere else. Point values vary depending on the redemption. Virgin Points don’t expire either, so you can bank your points for as long as you want if you have larger redemptions in mind.
You can redeem Virgin Points for award flights through Virgin Atlantic. Redemptions start at 18,000 for Economy Classic reward seats and go up based on when and where you travel — you only pay for any taxes and fees imposed. There are also options to use points and money toward flights or redeem your points for seat or cabin upgrades on eligible flights. Virgin Atlantic is part of the SkyTeam Airline Alliance, so you can redeem points for flights on SkyTeam partner airlines. The full list of SkyTeam airlines includes:
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- Aerolineas Argentinas
- Aeromexico
- Air Europa
- Air France
- China Airlines
- China Eastern
- Delta Air Lines
- Garuda Indonesia
- ITA Airways
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- Middle East Airlines
- SAS (Scandinavian Airlines)
- Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines)
- TAROM
- Vietnam Airlines
- Virgin Airlines
- XiamenAir
SkyTeam airlines aren’t the only airline partners of Virgin Atlantic. You can earn and redeem Virgin Points for flights with the following airline partners:
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- Air New Zealand
- All Nippon Airways (ANA)
- EL AL Isreal Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- IndiGo
- LATAM Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airways
- Virgin Australia
There are plenty of redemption options outside of flights available through both Virgin rewards programs. Virgin Red and Flying Club members can also redeem their points for:
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- Virgin Atlantic Holidays
- Virgin hotel stays
- Transfer points to another Flying Club member
- Donate points to charity and causes
- Entertainment and experiences
- Gift cards
- Virtual culinary masterclasses
- Live events
Not only can you earn Virgin Points for a stay on Sir Richard Branson’s private island, as mentioned earlier, but you can also redeem points for a Caribbean cruise through Virgin Voyages. As you might expect, you’ll need to save a significant points balance and possibly pay cash to cover one of these luxurious trips. A four-night cruise through Florida Key West and the Bahamas starts at 140,000 points. However, an 11-night cruise venturing through the Caribbean Isles all the way to Colombia is currently available for 409,750 points at the time of writing. Virgin Red offers dozens of unique experiences available for members to redeem, so there is no shortage of exciting redemption options.
Keep in mind: A lot of fine print is included with large point redemptions of this nature, so read through the offer guidelines and restrictions carefully before booking an experience.
Getting started with Virgin Red
Anyone over the age of 18 can sign up for Virgin Red for free online or through the app. You don’t need to be an existing Virgin customer to set up an account, and new Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members are automatically enrolled in Virgin Red.
One of the most unique features of Virgin Red is that it pairs with the existing Virgin Atlantic frequent flyer program, Flying Club. To link your account, navigate to the “Link accounts” section of your Virgin Red account and enter your Flying Club account number. Once linked, members can view and redeem Virgin points through either program platform.
The bottom line
Virgin Red is a valuable rewards program that builds on the brand’s existing Flying Club program. The ability to earn points through two programs and pool your points together is unique, although the best rewards credit card loyalty programs allow you to earn points beyond booking travel through their brands.
Still, signing up is a no-brainer if you fly on Virgin Atlantic or regularly shop online with any of its retail or travel partners. The program is free, and rewards never expire. Virgin Red is also an excellent option for travelers who want to redeem rewards for one-of-a-kind travel experiences.
*The information about the Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard®, Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card and Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
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