Delta allowing one-way Virgin Atlantic redemptions – with no taxes from the US

US airline Delta, 49% shareholder in Virgin Atlantic, gave its Delta SkyMiles reward scheme a major shake-up on January 1st.  I won’t go into the details because it isn’t of much interest to flyers in the UK, but the one upside (against many downsides) from the changes is the introduction of one way redemptions.

Let me tell you why this is good news for UK flyers.  Delta adds fuel surcharges and extraneous fees to redemptions which start outside the US.  Redemptions which start inside the US have always been free of taxes.  However, the requirement to book a return flight – starting in the US – made it very difficult to take advantage if you lived in the UK.

Now that Delta allows you to book one-way redemptions, the game has changed.  You can book a one-way redemption on Virgin Atlantic from the US to the UK using Delta SkyMiles and pay no taxes or charges.

Let’s take a look at a few one way redemptions on Virgin Atlantic to show you what I mean.  Note that Delta seems to have exactly the same availability for Virgin Atlantic redemptions as you would get if you used Virgin Flying Club miles.

Here are two costed examples of flights on Virgin Atlantic from the US to London:

New York to Heathrow – economy

17,500 Virgin Flying Club miles + $135

30,000 Delta SkyMiles + $5

New York to Heathrow – Upper Class

40,000 Virgin Flying Club miles + $420

62,500 Delta SkyMiles + $5

The difference is startling.  When flying FROM the US to the UK, whilst you need more SkyMiles than Flying Club Miles for the same redemption, the charges are virtually nothing.  The best deal is in Upper Class where, in my example, you are saving over $400.

However, if you look at some Virgin Atlantic redemptions starting outside the US, the picture is completely different.  The Delta redemptions are terrible value in all classes:

Heathrow to Atlanta – economy

17,500 Virgin Flying Club miles + £182

30,000 Delta SkyMiles + £235

Heathrow to Atlanta – Upper Class

40,000 Virgin Flying Club miles + £345

62,500 Delta SkyMiles + £361

Heathrow to Dubai – economy

19,250 Virgin Flying Club miles + £173

25,000 Delta SkyMiles + £213

Heathrow to Dubai – Upper Class

40,000 Virgin Flying Club miles + £335

42,500 Delta SkyMiles + £335

If you live in the UK the easiest way of earning Delta miles is from an American Express Membership Rewards transfer at 1:1.

This is definitely a strategy worth bearing in mind if you have a decent pile of Membership Rewards points.  You could choose to use your Amex points for a one-way flight FROM the US on Virgin (booked with Delta miles to wipe out the fuel surcharge) and then use Virgin Flying Club miles or Avios to book the outbound.

As a SkyTeam partner, you can earn Delta SkyMiles from flights on Air France, KLM, Korean etc.  You can also credit Virgin Atlantic flights to Delta.  Delta is a Starwood Preferred Guest partner if you have a decent stash of SPG points.

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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.