For those out there that have always dreamt of hanging out in a private airport jacuzzi, sipping champagne, slipping into a pair of Virgin Atlantic swim trunks, before taking to the skies in a flat bed, this is totally for you. Virgin Atlantic Upper Class is an amazing way to travel and there’s quite an easy trick to do it for less miles than you could imagine, just 30,000 round trip in fact, thanks to an easy to use trick…
The Trick…
UPDATE: As Of November 13th, 2016, this trick no longer works. Virgin America and Virgin Atlantic have deactivated their partnership, meaning you can no longer earn or redeem miles between the two airlines…
The basic trick is to use Virgin America miles to book your flight on Virgin Atlantic instead of using Virgin Atlantic miles. You get the same flights, pay the same taxes, but by knowing that Virgin America charges less miles for flights on Virgin Atlantic than Virgin Atlantic does, you can use a measly 35,000 points to book this round trip, compared to 80,000 with Virgin Atlantic. Who wouldn’t want to save 45,000 miles? But yeah, now we have to figure out how to get Virgin America miles, don’t worry though, got you covered…
Getting The Miles For Your Luxury Virgin Atlantic Flight!
If you have Virgin America miles already, say no more! You’re ready to call and book. Scroll down below to see how to find space. If you don’t have Virgin America miles and want them… like now, there’s a couple options. Your best bet is if you already have Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) points. If you do, you can transfer those hotel points, yes, hotel points into Virgin America. For every 20,000 you transfer, you get a 5,000 point bonus, meaning you’ll only need 30,000 points. Still not the answer you’re looking for? You can BUY SPG Points instantly, allowing you to fly round trip Upper Class for less than $2000 (USD) with taxes included. Buy SPG Points HERE.
Ok This Is Awesome, Lets Book!
Virgin Atlantic makes it extremely easy to know which dates you can use your miles. To book, first go to VirginAtlantic.com, even though you’re using Virgin America miles. On the Virgin Atlantic website, you’ll enter your departure city, arrival city, your dates and then instead of “cash”, you’ll click “using your miles”. If you see dates that work for you with the color purple on that date, it means there is space and you’ll be able to book it using your Virgin America miles. Now that you’ve found space, you’ll just call into Virgin America at 1(877)FLYVIRGIN, tell them you want to book Virgin Upper Class, give them date to book and voila. It’s really that easy.
What About Those Surcharges?
Virgin Atlantic annoyingly charges people roughly $900 (£500) in surcharges on these flights even though you’re using miles, though that number is getting better. You basically end up paying for economy and getting an incredible round trip flat bed business class experience filled with lounges, jacuzzis in airports and all the crazy stuff. If that’s steeper than you were hoping, The only way to fly Upper Class and pay less money is to spend 125,000 Delta miles and still spend $300 round trip. Unless you’re already holding Delta miles, this is definitely the best deal, savings you some cash and tons of miles….
Expert Tips
If you’re flying Upper Class, you’re definitely want to include London in your plans. Virgin Atlantic features an entirely separate wing at London Heathrow, where Upper Class passengers get to check in at a private area which looks much more like a fancy hotel than an airport. Once inside you’ll experience the airlines best and most famous lounge and have an incredible experience. There’s not a more cost effective way to experience this kind of luxury on Virgin Atlantic, so act quickly before Virgin America dissolves next year. And yeah, if you don’t already have a Starwood Preferred Guest credit card, which allows you to earn at least one point for every dollar you spend, it’s worth considering, because seats like this are addicting…
