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Virgin Atlantic reward credit card:
Yesterday, I published an article about the Virgin Atlantic Rewards+ Credit Card, a.k.a. The yearly fee is £160. The full article can be found here. Today, I will look at the same card but the fee-free version of it.
In 2018, Virgin Atlantic launched two credit cards with Virgin Money: The Virgin Atlantic Rewards+ and the Virgin Atlantic Rewards credit card. The key difference, you ask? Well then, let’s dive into these cards and see for ourselves the different types of benefits each card provides, and that should help you decide who deserves a place in your wallet.
In This Post
Sign-up bonus.
As of August 2024, this card does not offer a sign-up bonus. Instead, you receive the standard points you earn when taking out the card, which currently stands at 3,000 points. Of course, you’ll need a Virgin Atlantic account to get these points into your account. The best part is that to trigger the sign-up bonus, you only need to purchase anything you’d like. There’s no minimum spend required, as long as it’s made within 90 days of taking out the card. So that’s handy.
Card eligiblity.
Let’s see who is eligible for this card and what criteria you require.
- You need to be a UK resident.
- You must have a UK bank account.
- You have a good credit history, no missed payments, and no CCJ on your credit file.
- You have an income of at least £7,000 per annum or a household income of at least £15,000 per annum.
- You don’t already have a Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card or have closed one in the last six months. If you do, fear not—you can still apply for the Reward card instead.
Annual fee.
This card has no annual fee: (The representative APR on purchases is 26.9% variable.)
What’s the earning rate on the reward card?
The earning rate on the card’s free version is ok, as you’ll earn 0.75 Virgin points per £ spent on the card. However, one thing to bear in mind is that your points are capped every month; what that means is you’ll only earn points on your card limit per month, so if, for example, your card limit is £5,000, you will only earn that 3750 Virgin points for that month any more spending and you won’t earn extra, so be sure to diversify your spending on other cards especially if you’re trying to hit specific targets.
You’ll also earn 1.5X points if you spend money directly with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Atlantic Holidays.
Key benefit.
- This card has some decent benefits. First, this card has no foreign exchange fees for in-person shopping in Europe.
- The second key benefit of this card is that when you spend more than £20,000 per year, you trigger the ‘upgrade voucher.’ You can only earn one reward voucher every 12 months. The 12 months reset on each anniversary of the date your Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card account was opened.
This voucher will last for 2 years before its expiration date.
How to use the voucher?
(Remember, if you’re a Silver or Gold member when you book, the companion reward seat will cost no points. If you’re a Red member when you book, the companion seat won’t cost any points in Economy Classic and Premium, or you’ll get a 50% reduction in the points needed for Upper.)
- Companion Reward Ticket: Take one person with you in a reward seat.
- Upgrade voucher: Upgrade any booking by one cabin into a reward seat. Available to all tiers. (You can use your reward voucher for a return trip.
- Book both flights at the same time and redeem your voucher on the round-trip or
- Book single flights outbound and return. If you book your outbound flight and use your reward voucher for that flight, you need to call the Virgin Atlantic Contact Centre to apply it to your separate return reward flight booking.)
Remember that you’ll always need to pay the taxes on a redemption ticket.
- Clubhouse pass. (Silver and Gold Flying Club members only). Another exciting benefit is that one person can use it in any Clubhouse worldwide when flying with Virgin Atlantic, Delta, or AFKL International. No additional guests can be permitted. If you’re a Gold member, you’ll get two passes.
SkyTeam alliances redemption’s.
When it comes to redeeming your points, Virgin Atlantic isn’t your only option; in fact, there are 17 airlines for which you can redeem those Virgin points, and here is the complete list of airlines.
- Aerolíneas Argentinas
- Aeromexico
- Air Europa
- Air France
- China Airlines
- Czech Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Garuda Indonesia
- ITA Airways
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- Middle East Airlines
- SAUDIA
- TAROM
- Vietnam Airlines
- Xiamen Air
Other ways how to get Virgin points.
There are a number of other ways to obtain more Virgin points if needed to make a redemption, and they are.
- Transfer your American Express points from your gold card (review here)or platinum cards at a 1:1 ratio.
- Transfer via Heathrow Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio.
- Tesco Clubcard. 1 Clubcard point = 2 Virgin Points.
- Transfer from hotel loyalty programs.
Read my full review of Virgin Atlantic Upper-Class London to Miami onboard the B789.
Conclusion:
The Virgin Atlantic Rewards Credit Card is a great way to start the points game if you haven’t done so yet. With offers such as 1.5x points on travel purchases made directly with Virgin Atlantic, an upgrade voucher, no foreign exchange fees, and an 3,000 Membership Rewards point sign-up bonus, it’s worth considering this card as your everyday card. It deserves a spot in your wallet even if you’re not a frequent Virgin traveller. However, having said that you would still be better off if you were to go for the premium version of this card purely even for the sake of earning double the points, as paying a £160.00 yearly fee and getting an 18,000 sign-up bonus would probably be better in the long run for you.
To sign up for this card, click the following link. Virgin Atlantic Rewards Credit Card:
