Virgin Atlantic Saver fares: How I booked lie-flat business-class seats to London for simply 21,000 factors

Enjoyable reality: Although 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 12 months 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 not often on a global 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 move up and began specializing in the Flying Membership program correctly for the primary time.

Due to 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 costs).

This is how one can, too.

Stacking an ideal cope with an ideal switch bonus

Whereas some Flying Membership factors charges now skyrocket to 350,000 factors every approach for Virgin Atlantic’s Higher Class (enterprise class), versatile vacationers may rating nice offers by way of Flying Membership’s new Saver fares.

Associated: Flexibility is essential: Why I (principally) just like the Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership adjustments

Extra out of curiosity than any precise plan to e book a visit, I did a couple 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 obtainable for simply 29,000 factors (plus taxes and costs) every approach 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 12 months with my Bilt Mastercard® (see charges and costs).

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. By Nov. 30, you get an additional 40% if you switch your Chase Final Rewards factors to Flying Membership. Meaning this journey went from costing 58,000 factors round-trip to only 42,000 factors round-trip (or 21,000 factors every approach).

The draw back is the taxes and costs, that are usually a lot increased for business-class seats than financial system tickets. However whereas $870 in taxes and costs round-trip actually is not low-cost, paying lower than $900 all-in for transatlantic business-class seats that may have simply value $3,000-plus had I paid in money nonetheless classifies as a incredible 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 leap on this deal. I had no concept how lengthy this wonderful new Saver pricing on Virgin Atlantic can be obtainable, 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 obtainable to switch, they usually transferred immediately. Award flights are refundable, and it was near the identical value I would usually pay for an financial system ticket with different airways.

For sure, I booked it.

Associated: The most effective 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 bottom line is to have a stash of bank card factors able to switch and the pliability to leap on a deal if you see it.

First, examine Virgin Atlantic’s Reward Seat Checker for a straightforward solution to see factors costs at a look, and search for these costs with a pink “Saver” tag to make sure you’re paying the bottom value.

In case you discover a deal you need to e book, search extra particularly for these dates on Virgin Atlantic’s web site to search out the precise flight you need and ensure the factors you will want. I discovered round-trip flights on dates I wished in March for 29,000 factors every approach, that means I wanted 58,000 factors complete.

Subsequent, switch factors from the issuer of your selecting. In fact, should 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 if you look to e book, you’ll be able to examine with every issuer (or our repeatedly up to date information to switch bonuses) to make sure you’re transferring for the very best worth.

Guarantee you know the way many factors you might 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 complete variety of factors by 1.4 (the .4 representing the 40% switch bonus). That left me with 41,428.571 factors. On condition that it’s a must to 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 usually are 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 only a few clicks to e book!

TPG all the time recommends discovering availability earlier than transferring factors, as level transfers are irreversible.

Associated: Leisurely luxurious: A evaluation of Virgin Atlantic’s A350 leisure configuration in Higher Class from Manchester to Orlando

The way to earn Virgin factors

Virgin factors are simple to earn, with Flying Membership being a switch associate of each main program with a transferable forex:

It is value noting that Capital One miles switch to Virgin Crimson, not on to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to simply use your Virgin Crimson 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 means of Flying Membership. But it surely was nonetheless a reasonably simple course of to seek for flights, learn how many factors I wanted and switch the factors from my Chase account to e book my flights. One in all my buddies who had by no means transferred factors additionally took benefit of this deal and mentioned comparable issues about how simple it was to switch and e book.

I am pumped to take my first worldwide lie-flat business-class flight, and understanding 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 professionals and cons (particularly for households), in case you are versatile along with your journey dates and preserve a ready-to-transfer stash of factors obtainable, you’ll be able to snag some incredible offers like this one.

Associated studying:

See Bilt Mastercard charges and costs right here.
See Bilt Mastercard rewards and advantages right here.