Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

Get 500 Virgin Flying Club miles for joining IHG Rewards Club – no stay required

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I know what you’re thinking ….. a month ago I ran an offer whereby you could get 1,000 Avios points just for joining Marriott Rewards – no stay required. And, a day later, Marriott pulled the offer.

(Don’t ask me if you will eventually get the points for that or not.  Marriott has told some people by email that the 1,000 Avios will be sent by the end of July, but that date is getting very close.)

IHG Rewards Club is now running a similar offer, although you only have 2 days left to take part.

IHG Rewards Club

If you join IHG Rewards Club via this special link (click), and do it before 31st July, you will receive 500 Virgin Flying Club miles.

To be honest, I doubt there are many HFP readers who are not already members, but if you’re not this is your chance.  Virgin Flying Club does not have household accounts, so there is no benefit is signing up additional family members unless they already have an active Virgin account.

There is also a ‘fast track to Gold’ offer.  If you complete three nights at IHG hotels before 30th October, you will be upgraded.  Gold would usually require 10 nights.

This isn’t hugely beneficial, since you can get free Gold status by getting the free IHG Rewards Club credit card – no spending required.  There are not many benefits to being Gold, although you will get a few hundred bonus points and usually a free drink or snack on every stay.

You can sign up, or discover more details, on this page of the IHG website.

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (April 2024)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Virgin Points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

You can choose from two official Virgin Atlantic credit cards (apply here, the Reward+ card has a bonus of 15,000 Virgin Points):

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

15,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard

A generous earning rate for a free card at 0.75 points per £1 Read our full review

You can also earn Virgin Points from various American Express cards – and these have sign-up bonuses too.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for a year and comes with 20,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 20,000 Virgin Points.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with 40,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 40,000 Virgin Points.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Small business owners should consider the two American Express Business cards. Points convert at 1:1 into Virgin Points.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Virgin Points. 

(Want to earn more Virgin Points?  Click here to see our recent articles on Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club and click here for our home page with the latest news on earning and spending other airline and hotel points.)

Category

IHG One Rewards, Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club

Comments (75)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • BOB says:
    30 Jul30 July 09:40

    I’ve just joined IHG but cant see where to add my flying club number? Not the best site to navigate! Any tips out there?

  • BOB says:
    30 Jul30 July 09:43

    Great help, thanks!!

  • John says:
    30 Jul30 July 09:47

    “you will get a few hundred bonus points and usually a free drink or snack on every stay.”

    It’s usually one or the other, I have never received points and drinks even as Spire.

    • Tony says:
      30 Jul30 July 10:13

      You’ve been unlucky then. As a Plat I always request the drinks voucher as invariably the hotel also awards the points. Obviously this isn’t meant to happen but it happens more than not. CPs and HIs tend to do it the most.

      • RussellH says:
        30 Jul30 July 12:23

        It never used to happen, but has been happening more and more often this year. You are supposed to only get the one drinks (or drink + snack if you are Platinum) voucher, but this year out of a dozen stays, only the CP Gatwick outright refused two vouchers. Some just handed them out, others gave just one, but promised us each a drink, which we got.

    • Mr Dee says:
      30 Jul30 July 11:21

      Had this happen a few times at HIXs when staying for the accelerate

  • Peter says:
    30 Jul30 July 09:49

    It should work with Marriott, as I´ve got posted my 1000 miles from Marriott into my Miles and More account already, dated August 12 as a 2017 DOUBLE MILES – 1K BONUS.

  • Peter says:
    30 Jul30 July 09:50

    July 12, sorry

  • Allan says:
    30 Jul30 July 09:52

    I’ve received my 1000 points which I sent to M&M

  • Doug M says:
    30 Jul30 July 10:12

    Thank you. Not the easiest site to navigate.

  • SK says:
    30 Jul30 July 11:38

    OT. Would like some advice on SPG account.

    I have an SPG Amex card and just triggered 11,000 bonus points for hitting the spend target. I spoke to an agent at Amex to see if they can get the points across to my SPG account and cancel the card. He said the points may not post if I cancel and the points go across to the SPG account on the 20th of each month. Is there any way I can speed up the points going across to the SPG account? I’m after a redemption and would like to secure a seat soon.

    • Alan says:
      30 Jul30 July 11:43

      No, SPG transfers are automatic with that card, you don’t have a choice when they go across. I definitely wouldn’t close the card before they do as you may have issues with getting the points at all!

      • SK says:
        30 Jul30 July 12:17

        Thanks Alan.

      • RussellH says:
        30 Jul30 July 12:29

        Amex’s IT is slipping.

        Got two e-mails from them this morning. One confirming completion of the transfer to MR points to Hilton. The second, 50 mins later, telling me that the transfer had just been initiated…

    • Rob says:
      30 Jul30 July 17:03

      No

    • AIcatti says:
      31 Jul31 July 03:50

      Especially with the updated Terms for American Express, they will be in their rights not to pay the bonus if card closed.

      No point of closing AMEX SPG card immediately on the same month after opening — 75 annual feee means 75/12=6.25 cost per month.

      Think of the impact of your credit record, if you have a set of accounts of one-month duration you less attractive to the lenders.

      • Genghis says:
        31 Jul31 July 06:18

        Please point us to those terms.

      • Alan says:
        31 Jul31 July 07:59

        I think you’re thinking of the USA terms, not the UK ones – unless you know something different? Please provide a link to them if so…

        • Rob says:
          31 Jul31 July 10:17

          US only – where there is already a ‘no churn’ rule anyway.

          • Alan says:
            31 Jul31 July 13:05

            LOL I know – I was just trying to give AIcatti the benefit of the doubt 😉

          • James Wagner says:
            1 Aug1 August 17:45

            I’d expect one to pop up here soon.
            Need to get my parents to sign up for the Amex Gold for the 20k bonus each.
            What’s the best method for getting them and/or me more MR points through a referral or special code or the like ?

            I have an Amex Platinum.

            Cheers.

          • Rob says:
            1 Aug1 August 18:08

            You refer one, who refers the other, or you refer both.

          • Alan says:
            1 Aug1 August 18:32

            Why? They’re operating in quite a different market, with massively bigger sign-up bonuses.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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