Enjoyable truth: Regardless that I’ve labored at TPG for five 1/2 years and have a pleasant stash of factors and miles saved up, I’ve by no means booked an worldwide lie-flat business-class flight … that’s, till now.
More often than not, I am an financial system traveler. Even on worldwide long-haul flights, I usually select to forgo a lie-flat seat to save lots of my factors and miles. At this level in my life, the variety of journeys I can take per yr with my factors is much extra essential than forking out on a luxurious flight expertise, even when meaning sacrificing some sleep and luxury on longer flights. And truthfully, I am hardly ever on a world flight that lasts greater than seven or eight hours most.
However when Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership rolled out its new dynamic pricing for Virgin Atlantic-operated flights, I discovered a deal too good to cross up and began specializing in the Flying Membership program correctly for the primary time.
Because of Virgin Atlantic’s new dynamic pricing on award flights and a well timed Chase switch bonus, I booked my first lie-flat, round-trip business-class flight for simply 42,000 bank card factors (plus taxes and charges).
This is how one can, too.
Stacking a terrific take care of a terrific switch bonus
Whereas some Flying Membership factors charges now skyrocket to 350,000 factors every means for Virgin Atlantic’s Higher Class (enterprise class), versatile vacationers can even rating nice offers through Flying Membership’s new Saver fares.
Associated: Flexibility is vital: Why I (largely) just like the Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership adjustments
Extra out of curiosity than any precise plan to e-book a visit, I did a number of pattern searches in late October to assist co-workers perceive the brand new Flying Membership adjustments.
A number of dates all through the primary half of 2025 had been out there for simply 29,000 factors (plus taxes and charges) every means in lie-flat enterprise class between New York Metropolis’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) and London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR).
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For comparability, that is about what you’d pay to fly financial system on American Airways from New York to London within the spring of 2025. I’ve earned greater than double that on lease funds alone this yr with my Bilt Mastercard® (see charges and charges).
However what turned this nice deal right into a “you would be foolish to not e-book this” deal in my head is the present Chase switch bonus in place. Via Nov. 30, you get an additional 40% while you switch your Chase Final Rewards factors to Flying Membership. Which means this journey went from costing 58,000 factors round-trip to only 42,000 factors round-trip (or 21,000 factors every means).
The draw back is the taxes and charges, that are sometimes a lot increased for business-class seats than financial system tickets. However whereas $870 in taxes and charges round-trip definitely is not low-cost, paying lower than $900 all-in for transatlantic business-class seats that will have simply value $3,000-plus had I paid in money nonetheless classifies as a unbelievable deal, and the surcharges are a lot decrease than the $2,000-plus Flying Membership charged earlier than this system switched to dynamic pricing.
Regardless of not planning to e-book a visit that day, I felt silly to not soar on this deal. I had no concept how lengthy this wonderful new Saver pricing on Virgin Atlantic can be out there, and the switch bonus ends on the finish of November. I’ve by no means been to London, and I’ve by no means flown lie-flat enterprise class. I had the factors out there to switch, they usually transferred immediately. Award flights are refundable, and it was near the identical value I might sometimes pay for an financial system ticket with different airways.
Evidently, I booked it.
Associated: The very best low-cost (or completely free) issues to do in London
How one can e-book Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership Saver fares
Whereas some Saver seats have now been snapped up for the precise dates I booked in March, Virgin Atlantic does have a Reward Seat Checker calendar device the place you could find Saver availability because it fluctuates — not only for New York Metropolis to London, but in addition throughout different routes like Orlando Worldwide Airport (MCO) to Edinburgh Airport (EDI).
The hot button is to have a stash of bank card factors able to switch and the flexibleness to leap on a deal while you see it.
First, examine Virgin Atlantic’s Reward Seat Checker for a straightforward approach to see factors costs at a look, and search for these costs with a crimson “Saver” tag to make sure you’re paying the bottom value.
In the event you discover a deal you need to e-book, search extra particularly for these dates on Virgin Atlantic’s web site to seek out the precise flight you need and ensure the factors you will want. I discovered round-trip flights on dates I needed in March for 29,000 factors every means, which means I wanted 58,000 factors whole.
Subsequent, switch factors from the issuer of your selecting. In fact, in case you e-book this journey earlier than the tip of November, it is best to make use of your Chase factors to make the most of that 40% switch bonus. No matter while you look to e-book, you’ll be able to examine with every issuer (or our recurrently up to date information to switch bonuses) to make sure you’re transferring for the most effective worth.
Guarantee you know the way many factors you’ll want to switch, together with the bonus. On Chase’s Final Rewards platform, you will not be proven explicitly what the tip quantity of factors will probably be on Virgin after you switch, so you will have to interrupt out these rusty highschool math abilities.
For instance, here is how the breakdown labored for my flights: I wanted 58,000 factors in my Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership account to e-book these Saver flights. To account for the 40% switch bonus, I divided that whole variety of factors by 1.4 (the .4 representing the 40% switch bonus). That left me with 41,428.571 factors. On condition that you must switch factors in increments of 1,000, I rounded up and transferred 42,000 factors to Virgin Atlantic.
After transferring your factors, make sure you’re logged in to your Virgin Atlantic account. TPG staffers have discovered that Final Rewards level transfers to Flying Membership are instantaneous; nonetheless, switch occasions are usually not common and it might take longer for the factors to hit your account. As soon as your factors are in your account, it is just some clicks to e-book!
TPG all the time recommends discovering availability earlier than transferring factors, as level transfers are irreversible.
The best way to earn Virgin factors
Virgin factors are straightforward to earn, with Flying Membership being a switch accomplice of each main program with a transferable forex:
It is value noting that Capital One miles switch to Virgin Pink, not on to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to simply use your Virgin Pink account factors with Flying Membership.
Take a look at these card choices to earn reward factors and miles to e-book Flying Membership award seats (all provide terrific welcome bonuses):
Backside line
I am removed from a Virgin Atlantic aficionado — that is the primary flight I’ve ever booked by Flying Membership. But it surely was nonetheless a reasonably simple course of to seek for flights, learn the way many factors I wanted and switch the factors from my Chase account to e-book my flights. One in all my mates who had by no means transferred factors additionally took benefit of this deal and stated related issues about how straightforward it was to switch and e-book.
I am pumped to take my first worldwide lie-flat business-class flight, and realizing I snagged it for basically the identical factors value as an financial system flight makes this redemption all of the sweeter.
Whereas the Virgin Atlantic dynamic value adjustments have execs and cons (particularly for households), in case you are versatile along with your journey dates and preserve a ready-to-transfer stash of factors out there, you’ll be able to snag some unbelievable offers like this one.
Associated studying:
See Bilt Mastercard charges and charges right here.
See Bilt Mastercard rewards and advantages right here.
