Typically you’ll discover that the perfect choices for redeeming factors on a specific airline are by way of the frequent flyer program of a associate airline. Truly, I’d argue that’s the case as a rule, and it’s the place we see most of the finest award candy spots.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership is a program with just a few nice associate redemption alternatives. Whereas my favourite use of Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership factors is for journey on All Nippon Airways, one other probably nice use is for redemptions on Delta. Whereas this chance isn’t fairly as profitable because it was again within the day, there’s nonetheless worth available.
On this publish I needed to take a more in-depth take a look at the present state of this chance. What number of Virgin Atlantic factors do you want, how do you discover award availability, and many others.?
Redeem Flying Membership factors for journey on Delta
In lots of circumstances Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership has decrease redemption charges than Delta SkyMiles for journey on Delta, assuming there’s saver degree award availability. For instance, in some scenario Virgin Atlantic would possibly simply be charging 50,000 factors, whereas Delta costs over 300,000 factors. Sure, the distinction may be that vital.
On prime of that, there are another advantages to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership:
- Virgin Atlantic factors are simpler to come back by, for the reason that program companions with Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, and Citi, whereas Delta SkyMiles solely companions with Amex
- Virgin Atlantic factors can typically be acquired with a switch bonus, whereas we virtually by no means see a switch bonus from Amex to Delta
With that out of the way in which, let’s take a look at the main points of this chance.
What number of Virgin Atlantic factors do you want for journey on Delta?
Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership’s redemptions on Delta aren’t precisely easy when it comes to pricing, as there are three separate award charts:
- There’s an award chart for journey between america and United Kingdom
- There’s an award chart for journey between america and Europe, excluding the UK
- There’s a distance primarily based award chart for journey in all different areas
Flying Membership’s first award chart is for journey between america and United Kingdom, and this simply components in what a part of america you’re touring to or from, and whether or not you’re touring in normal or peak season.
Flying Membership’s second award chart is for journey between america and the remainder of Europe, and it’s actually easy, with the identical pricing whatever the market.
Flying Membership’s third award chart is for journey in all different areas (something besides between america and Europe), and pricing is completely distance primarily based.
As you possibly can in all probability inform, by far essentially the most profitable pricing is between america and Europe (excluding the UK), as that’s the place pricing is most engaging.
Does Flying Membership have surcharges when redeeming on Delta?
Flying Membership has steep service imposed surcharges (sometimes called gasoline surcharges) when redeeming on Virgin Atlantic, however what about when redeeming on Delta?
- There are gasoline surcharges for journey on Delta between the US and UK
- There are gasoline surcharges for journey on Delta between Europe and the US when originating in Europe
- There aren’t gasoline surcharges for journey on Delta between the US and Europe (aside from the UK) when originating within the US
- There aren’t gasoline surcharges for journey on Delta between or inside another areas
So that you don’t have to fret about surcharges for all non-European journey, and in addition don’t have to fret about them for US to Europe journey, aside from the UK.
How you can guide Delta awards by way of Flying Membership
You may search and guide Delta awards straight on Virgin Atlantic’s web site, and also you don’t even need to log into your Flying Membership account to look availability.
If you go to Virgin Atlantic’s web site, simply search award availability on Delta the identical means you’d search availability on Virgin Atlantic, and if one thing is out there it is going to routinely present up. Virgin Atlantic’s web site shows award availability on Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Air France, KLM, and choose different companions, so at occasions it may be exhausting to distinguish between these choices when wanting on the calendar function.
Let’s take a look at how this works in apply, and use a New York to Munich ticket for instance. On Virgin Atlantic’s web site, simply choose the “Reward flights” tab, and enter your origin, vacation spot, date of journey, variety of vacationers, and sophistication of service.
If there’s availability for the day that you simply searched, it ought to routinely present up on the subsequent day. If there’s availability inside just a few days of if you searched, then you definitely’ll see a calendar.
As soon as you choose the date you’ll see the flight choice.
Word that you could be very effectively search award availability and get a message saying “Sorry, no reward flights can be found to your search.” Sadly that’s not a glitch, there are simply lengthy intervals of time with no award availability.
I can’t emphasize sufficient the quirkiness of Virgin Atlantic’s award house on Delta. The candy spot right here is clearly awards from america to Europe (besides the UK) in enterprise class. Generally you possibly can search months of availability at a time with out discovering a single award seat, whereas at different factors it’s possible you’ll discover respectable award availability.
If you do discover house, this pricing may be extraordinarily profitable. For instance, an award that prices 50,000 Virgin Atlantic factors could value 375,000 Delta SkyMiles.
The award search device Seats.aero may be actually helpful for this, because it has a Delta One award finder. Simply enter the origin and vacation spot area, and also you’ll see all of the transatlantic flights with moderately priced awards.
Is it value redeeming Virgin Atlantic factors on Delta?
The best way I view it, the perfect use of Virgin Atlantic factors on Delta is for journey in enterprise class to Europe (aside from the UK). You’ll pay simply 50,000 factors for enterprise class one-way, and there aren’t any gasoline surcharges. That is a tremendous worth, it’s only a perform of discovering award availability.
If you’ll find availability, it’s a heck of a deal, although usually I don’t contemplate this to be among the many finest “candy spot” awards on the market, merely due to how sporadic award availability is.
Arguably the subsequent finest worth when redeeming Virgin Atlantic factors on Delta is for brief haul journey primarily based on the distance-based award chart.
For instance, for 7,500 factors you might guide a one-way financial system award for a flight of beneath 500 miles, like Tampa to Atlanta.
Or for 11,000 factors you might guide a one-way financial system award for a flight of 501-1,000 miles, like Los Angeles to Seattle.
Redeeming 22,000 factors for a one-way financial system award for flights of two,001-3,000 miles might be an excellent deal as effectively, like Los Angeles to Kona.
After all you’ll all the time need to examine these to income tickets, since in some circumstances these flights may not value all that a lot when paying money. I must also point out that in lots of circumstances redeeming Delta SkyMiles for home financial system journey could be a fairly good worth, given how this system is structured. Nonetheless, there are conditions the place I may see this being an excellent use of Virgin factors, particularly at the side of a switch bonus.
How you can earn Virgin Atlantic factors
Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership is switch companions with all main transferable factors currencies, together with Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase Final Rewards, and Citi ThankYou. Due to this fact these are among the many best factors for shoppers to earn.
Traditionally we’ve typically additionally seen switch bonuses from these currencies to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, in order that’s one thing to control, as it is going to stretch your factors even additional.
Backside line
Redeeming Virgin Atlantic factors for journey on Delta could be a good worth. That is very true for enterprise class between the US and Europe (aside from the UK), the place you possibly can fly for 50,000 factors one-way with out gasoline surcharges. On prime of that, brief haul redemptions on Delta could be a whole lot, particularly in financial system.
The catch is the extremely inconsistent award availability Delta has throughout the Atlantic in enterprise class, as typically Virgin Atlantic could have entry to a good quantity of Delta award house, whereas in different circumstances you’ll discover no availability for months.
Have you ever ever redeemed Virgin Atlantic factors for journey on Delta? If that’s the case, what was your expertise like?
