What are the benefits of the Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus Mastercard credit card?
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Why should you get the Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus Mastercard credit card?
Today, I want to look at the top 10 card benefits you will receive if you apply for a Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus Mastercard credit card.
You can apply for the card here.
Here is the legal information we need to tell you:
Sign-up bonus and earn rate:
- Get 15,000 Virgin Points after your first transaction
- Earn 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 spent
- Earn 3 points per £1 spent with Virgin Atlantic
Other information:
- Get a ‘2 for 1’ voucher, valid on cash or points tickets, when you spend £10,000 in a year
- Alternatively, claim an upgrade voucher or Clubhouse lounge passes
- Annual fee: £160
Representative 69.7% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £160 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 26.9% APR variable.
You receive a bonus of 15,000 Virgin Points after your first purchase, however small.
There are no restrictions on earning the bonus if you are accepted.
You cannot apply if you have had a Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card in the previous six months. You are free to apply if you have any other Virgin Money credit card or the free Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card.
When you spend £10,000 per year on the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard, you can choose a benefit. This is what you can pick from:
A 2-4-1 voucher, valid for two years, for a Virgin Atlantic cash flight or Virgin Flying Club redemption, in Upper Class, Premium or Economy
A return upgrade – on either a cash or points ticket – from Premium to Upper Class, or from Economy Delight/Classic to Premium. You can either upgrade 1 x return flight if travelling alone or 2 x one-way legs of two return flights if travelling with someone else.
For elite members, Virgin Clubhouse lounge passes (require a same-day Virgin Atlantic or Delta Air Lines flight) – one pass if you are Silver, two passes if you are Gold
Here’s the small print:
If you are a Red (no status) member, you need to pay 50% of the points for your 2nd ticket if you redeem your 2-4-1 voucher in Upper Class. This means that, for Upper Class redemptions for Red members, it is effectively a ‘2 for 1.5’ voucher. For Economy or Premium redemptions, it is a genuine ‘2 for 1’.
Taxes and charges need to be paid on the ‘free’ ticket as part of your 2-4-1 booking
Vouchers are valid for two years and you must fly the outbound leg of your trip before the expiry date
The top 10 benefits of the Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus credit card:
1. There is a generous sign-up bonus of 15,000 Virgin Points
You will receive 15,000 Virgin Points when you sign up and make your first purchase.
Occasional special offers see the bonus increase to 25,000 or 30,000 miles, although there is a spending target to hit during these periods. We haven’t seen one for some time now, however.
If a higher bonus is currently running, it will show in the box above. The box is automatically updated with the best deal available on the date you are reading this.
2. You receive 1.5 Virgin Points for every £1 you spend on the card
There are a few exceptions (cash withdrawals do not earn points) but in reality virtually every £1 you spend will earn you 1.5 Virgin Points.
3. You earn double miles when you spend with Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays
3 Virgin Points per £1 you spend is an attractive extra return on your flight and holiday spending.
4. You do not pay foreign exchanges fees in the Eurozone
The Virgin Atlantic cards are the ONLY travel reward credit cards in the UK which charge no foreign exchange fees in the Eurozone.
There are also no fees for purchases in Romania or Slovakia.
This will save you 3% over using a traditional credit card.
5. You get a special bonus for spending £10,000 in a card year
You can choose one of the following options when your annual spending hits £10,000:
- A 2-4-1 voucher, valid for two years, for a Virgin Flying Club points redemption OR a Virgin Atlantic cash ticket, in Upper Class, Premium or Economy
- A return upgrade – on either a cash or points ticket – from Premium to Upper Class, or from Economy Delight/Classic to Premium. You can either upgrade 1 x return flight if travelling alone or 2 x one-way legs of two return flights if travelling with someone else.
- A Virgin Clubhouse lounge pass (requires a same-day Virgin Atlantic, Delta, KLM or Air France flight)
There is some small print:
- If you are a Red (no status) member, you need to pay 50% of the points for your 2nd ticket if you redeem your 2-4-1 voucher in Upper Class. This means that, for Upper Class redemptions for Red members, it is effectively a ‘2 for 1.5’ voucher. For Economy or Premium redemptions, it is a genuine ‘2 for 1’.
- If you are a Gold member, you would receive two Clubhouse lounge passes instead on one if you chose that option
- Taxes and charges need to be paid on the ‘free’ ticket as part of your 2-4-1 booking
- Vouchers are valid for two years and you must fly the outbound leg of your trip before the expiry date
Reward seat availability is required to use the voucher. This means:
- You can only upgrade a flight if there is a reward seat in the higher class (irrespective of whether you are upgrading a cash or a points ticket)
- You can only apply a 2-4-1 voucher to a cash booking if there is a reward seat available for the 2nd ‘free’ seat
6. The cards have a good cashback programme which doesn’t require opting in
Virgin Money, like many credit card companies, offers cashback rewards when you spend at specific retailers.
What is different about the Virgin Money programme is that none of the offers require you to opt in. You can simply forget about the scheme and bank the cash whenever you unknowingly trigger it at a particular merchant.
7. You receive 0% interest for six months on balance transfers and money transfers
A 3% fee is payable.
8. As a Mastercard, it is far more flexible than an Amex card
Many of the travel rewards credit cards we cover are American Express cards. The problem with these is that they are not universally accepted.
As a Mastercard, your Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card is accepted virtually everywhere that cards are taken.
9. You don’t need a high income to apply
The minimum income requirement is just £7,000 for yourself or at least £15,000 across your household.
10. It is a very classy card
Your name, card number and card expiry date are printed on the back, not the front. Only the chip breaks up the impressive design. The card also has a smart red border.
Conclusion
The Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard is the most generous airline credit card in the UK in terms of rewards. 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 spent is an excellent deal even with the £160 fee. Getting a 2-4-1 voucher or other bonus for spending £10,000 in a year is the icing on the cake.
You can sign up for the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card on the official website here.
Sign-up bonus and earn rate:
- Get 15,000 Virgin Points after your first transaction
- Earn 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 spent
- Earn 3 points per £1 spent with Virgin Atlantic
Other information:
- Get a ‘2 for 1’ voucher, valid on cash or points tickets, when you spend £10,000 in a year
- Alternatively, claim an upgrade voucher or Clubhouse lounge passes
- Annual fee: £160
Representative 69.7% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £160 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 26.9% APR variable.
You receive a bonus of 15,000 Virgin Points after your first purchase, however small.
There are no restrictions on earning the bonus if you are accepted.
You cannot apply if you have had a Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card in the previous six months. You are free to apply if you have any other Virgin Money credit card or the free Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card.
When you spend £10,000 per year on the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard, you can choose a benefit. This is what you can pick from:
A 2-4-1 voucher, valid for two years, for a Virgin Atlantic cash flight or Virgin Flying Club redemption, in Upper Class, Premium or Economy
A return upgrade – on either a cash or points ticket – from Premium to Upper Class, or from Economy Delight/Classic to Premium. You can either upgrade 1 x return flight if travelling alone or 2 x one-way legs of two return flights if travelling with someone else.
For elite members, Virgin Clubhouse lounge passes (require a same-day Virgin Atlantic or Delta Air Lines flight) – one pass if you are Silver, two passes if you are Gold
Here’s the small print:
If you are a Red (no status) member, you need to pay 50% of the points for your 2nd ticket if you redeem your 2-4-1 voucher in Upper Class. This means that, for Upper Class redemptions for Red members, it is effectively a ‘2 for 1.5’ voucher. For Economy or Premium redemptions, it is a genuine ‘2 for 1’.
Taxes and charges need to be paid on the ‘free’ ticket as part of your 2-4-1 booking
Vouchers are valid for two years and you must fly the outbound leg of your trip before the expiry date
Disclaimer: Head for Points is a journalistic website. Nothing here should be construed as financial advice, and it is your own responsibility to ensure that any product is right for your circumstances. Recommendations are based primarily on the ability to earn miles and points. The site discusses products offered by lenders but is not a lender itself. Robert Burgess, trading as Head for Points, is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as an independent credit broker.
