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Tesco launches 30% bonus on Virgin Flying Club conversions …. will BA match?

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Virgin Flying Club has announced a 30% bonus on conversions of Tesco Clubcard points!

This is, of course, not as generous as the 50% bonus that ran in January. Possibly a sign of the (improving) economic times.

There are few rules:

The offer is open to everyone it seems (although it is not showing on the Tesco website yet)

You must convert by 31st October

One converter will win 4 UK domestic flights on Little Red (woo!)

The bonus appears to post automatically with the base miles

There are two versions of this offer. One email also promises readers 1,000 Flying Club miles if they sign-up to autoconvert before 31st October. The other email does not. It is not clear if everyone will earn the extra 1,000 miles for switching to auto-convert. (The 1,000 mile auto-convert email seems quite rare, I only know one person who got it.)

Virgin has made real efforts recently to make economy redemptions more attractive in recent months. As I posted here, Virgin has cut taxes on many routes (New York is £120 cheaper than BA) and charges fewer miles at times (5,000 fewer for an economy ticket to New York.)

However, you need to remember that you lose 25 per cent of your miles if you cancel, and lose a crazy 100 per cent if you cancel within 7 days of travel. Truly shocking.

Virgin Flying Club miles can also be converted to Hilton HHonors at a decent ratio of 1:2 (and also to IHG Rewards Club at a poor 1:1!) so this is also a potential opportunity to bump up your Hilton balance as well.

That said, if you value Hilton HHonors points at 0.3p, as I do, then you are effectively only getting (1 CC = 3.25 Virgin = 6.5 Hilton =) 2p of value for each Clubcard point. Not outstanding, but OK if topping off a balance.

Now, the big question …. will BA match? They didn’t in January ….


How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (November 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 18,000 Virgin Points and the free card has a bonus of 3,000 Virgin Points):

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

30,000 bonus points (TO 18 NOVEMBER) and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard

3,000 bonus points, no fee and 1 point for every £1 you spend 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 50,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 50,000 Virgin Points.

The Platinum Card from American Express

50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large 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

50,000 points when you sign-up 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.)

Comments (54)

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

  • CV says:

    Just to advise, points converted from Clubcard to Flying Club overnight and included the bonus points (which aren’t advertised on Clubcard website).

    • Linda says:

      Thanks for that CV I was going to give Tesco a ring about it, so you have saved me a phone call.

  • What's the Point says:

    I converted £77 of Tesco CC points yesterday afternoon, and the 19,250 + 5775 bonus points are showing in my VA account this morning.
    That’s about as quick a transfer process as I have ever come across!

  • oli reaction says:

    That was the fastest transfer I’ve seen as well – Initiated transfer on sunday, points posted to virgin on sunday! including the 30% bonus 🙂

  • taff_2003 says:

    Has anyone who DIDN’T receive the email has bonus Virgin miles posted to their account?

    I just called Tesco to enquire about my eligibility and they said I’d need to enquire with Virgin as it’s their promotion…

  • Simon says:

    For what it’s worth, I tweeted Avios about a bonus and was told

    There aren’t any plans for a Tesco bonus yet, however keep checking the website for all the latest updates.
         

  • Hummer says:

    I was wondering if its possible with virgins current sale to book an economy ticket and then upgrade it, as the upper tickets do not seem to take into account the economy reduction?

  • Johnny5a says:

    Can I convert my clubcard points to my wife’s Virgin Flying Club account?

    • Rob says:

      If same surname and same address, then it should go through, yes, if you send them from your CC account.

      • Johnny5a says:

        thx. unfortunately no she hasn’t taken my name.

        Makes divorce easier she says

        • Rob says:

          As there is no 242 voucher to worry about, no reason why you shouldn’t have your own Virgin stash. Virgin allows one way redemptions so you could book a one way from one account and the return from another.

          You could do a trial transfer from your CC account to see if it goes through, depends how much VS checks. They post overnight so you’d know by tomorrow. Take your smallest voucher and use that (or even just £2.50 from your smallest voucher, the minimum conversion).

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

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