Virgin Atlantic places a big A350-1000 order

The Farnborough Air Show last week was suprisingly low on new aircraft orders.  This year will be the first for a long time where Airbus and Boeing will see a net reduction in their order books.

Virgin Atlantic was one of the few airlines to place a large order.  The company confirmed earlier rumours that it will acquires 12 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft for delivery from 2019.   Eight of these will be purchased outright with a further four to be leased.

The total cost of the aircraft would have been $4.4bn at list prices, although you should treat the ‘list price’ of an aircraft with the same seriousness as you would treat the non-sale price of a DFS sofa.

All 12 aircraft will be three class planes but with different configurations.  Those allocated to Gatwick will have 410 seats whilst the Heathrow planes will have just 360, reflecting a larger Upper Class cabin.

It is not clear at the moment if Airbus is letting Virgin off the hook for its six ordered A380 aircraft in return for this deal.  The A380 order was placed back in 2000 but has been constantly deferred.

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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.