Virgin Atlantic to launch in-flight wi-fi from 2015

When I flew Virgin America last week (review to follow) I was very impressed by their in-flight wi-fi service.  It was fast and at $3 for 30 minutes – more than enough for a 50 minute flight – not expensive.

The wifi provider was Gogo which has established itself as the default provider for most US airlines.  Last week, Virgin Atlantic announced its own deal with Gogo.  This will see in-flight wi-fi with download speeds of up to 70Mb available from mid-2015.

It makes Virgin the first European airline to use this technology and is presumably another benefit from the tie-up with Delta, an existing Gogo customer.  Gogo leases transponder capacity from major commercial satellite operators such as SES and Intelsat.  It is a different and faster system to that used by Virgin America which works by connecting with base stations on the ground – obviously not an option when flying transatlantic!

The Gogo service will not be free to passengers but, based on my experience of using Gogo on Virgin America last week, it will not be extortionately priced either.

This deal is likely to increase the pressure on British Airways to agree its own inflight wi-fi deal, as the ability to work is likely to be valued by the corporate market.  It may be less valued by the business traveller of course ….

In other news, Virgin has announced that its first non-American 787 route – pictured above – will be Delhi.  This comes just weeks after the carrier announced that it was abandoning flights to Mumbai in order to focus on the North American market.

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How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (April 2025)

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

18,000 bonus points 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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 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.