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Take advantage of the Virgin Hotels San Francisco launch offer

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The new Virgin Hotels chain is gearing up to open in San Francisco next month, following the successful launch of the first property in Chicago three years ago.

It is a new-build property at 250 Fourth Street, South of Market.

If you are a Virgin Flying Club member you can get special deals on stays between 1st February and 31st May:

All Flying Club members will earn 2,000 miles per stay, double the usual rate

Silver Flying Club members will receive a free upgrade (subject to availability at check-in)

Gold Flying Club members will receive a free upgrade (subject to availability at check-in) and free breakfast

You can enter your Flying Club number during the booking process on the Virgin Hotels website.

The Virgin Flying Club page which explains the benefits you get at Virgin Hotels is here.  You cannot, at present, redeem miles for free nights at Virgin Hotels.

Next up will be properties in Dallas and New York.  The first site outside the US will be Edinburgh where Virgin Hotels is converting the historic India Buildings in the Old Town.

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (December 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

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 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is increased to 30,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 30,000 Virgin Points. 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 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card from American Express is increased to 80,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 80,000 Virgin Points! The spend requirement is changed to £10,000 in six months for this offer. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

Huge 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. 

(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

Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club

Comments (237)

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

  • Dillo says:
    25 Jan25 January 15:52

    Oh and I need 60 tier points to bump to Silver (so I can do the same with premium), any ideas how I can get there without flying (Unless it’s SAS short haul to copenhagen…)

  • David P says:
    25 Jan25 January 16:56

    OT but Marriott-related bits:

    My Marriott ’29 ways to stay’ points posted a few weeks ago but these don’t seem to have reset the expiry date for my points. Was there ever a definitive answer to the question of whether these points counted as eligible activity or not?

    • TGLoyalty says:
      25 Jan25 January 21:07

      They don’t count as qualifying activity. Credit card spend or a stay does.

  • Roger says:
    25 Jan25 January 17:31

    Rob,

    Is it safe to assume a Curve article coming tomorrow morning?
    I am tempted to apply for metal but not until I see full analysis.

    As others posted, don’t need insurance or lounge benefits, so in two minds.

  • Dillo says:
    25 Jan25 January 18:41

    There’s no timetable, as it’s in beta right now. The free blue curve will have a fee for top up of Amex wallet 0.65%, but black and metal will have free top up (black will have a cap, but metal won’t, subject to fair use)

  • Lady London says:
    25 Jan25 January 18:52

    At least it would have covered the dry cleaning bills.

  • KBuffett says:
    25 Jan25 January 18:55

    OT – What is the best sign up bonus for a company AMEX and can I self refer?

    • Rob says:
      25 Jan25 January 18:58

      None, if you already have a personal Membership Rewards earning Amex. Otherwise it is 45k for Plat.

  • Leo says:
    25 Jan25 January 19:17

    Can I just keep my old blue card (which is physically black) and pay the Amex 0.65% fee when putting my tax through to get my BAPP 241? I know Anna has asked something similar twice and no-one has got back to her.

  • Berneslai says:
    25 Jan25 January 19:52

    OT: I need to get my hands on 40k Marriott points to complete a reward booking. What’s the best card to get (if any) for reward points if I already have Amex Gold and Platinum and have held Amex SPG in the last six months?

    • Steve says:
      25 Jan25 January 20:40

      Amex MR is not the optimal way to get Marriott points but if you need the points desperately – I assume you have reached your 90k referral limit this year?

      Also consider asking partner/family member/very good friend to take out a SPG amex, which you use to spend (and pay back your trusting person) and transfer the sign up spend points to you.

      • berneslai says:
        25 Jan25 January 21:08

        Thanks. I wasn’t sure if Marriott points could be transferred (I know Hilton points can) between members.

        What’s another way of earning Marriott points? This is for a booking in August that I’ve already secured at 100k points for 2 nights (I already have 60k points). I don’t stay often enough at a Marriott to get 40k through nights and Megabonuses.

        • Alex W says:
          25 Jan25 January 22:04

          Sorry is this a trick question? August is more than 6 months away so you should be able to refer yourself for the SPG Amex again.

          I’m not aware of any other way to get 40k points quickly except buying them, but you would probably be better off doing 1 night redemption and 1 night paid.

        • Steve says:
          25 Jan25 January 22:12

          Alex W, thats cutting it fine/impossible, 6 months from now is 25th July. Allow a day or two for card to be processed, then you need to wait a months statement to get points to move from amex to Marriott you are well into August already and IIRC Marriott want the balance of points a week/two before check in

        • Steve says:
          25 Jan25 January 22:13

          Ignore me! I though SPG was currently held

    • Alex W says:
      25 Jan25 January 20:51

      I think your only option is via referrals. If you could refer someone from plat to SPG and get them to spend £1k and transfer the Marriott points to you, that would get you 63k Marriott points I think.
      Alternatively 2 X referrals from plat to any other card would get you 54k Marriott.

      • berneslai says:
        25 Jan25 January 21:08

        Thanks. Transferring Marriott points between members was a new one on me.

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

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