SKYTEAM LAUNCH: How to earn Virgin Atlantic tier points and Virgin Points on SkyTeam flights

Today, 2nd March, is the day that Virgin Atlantic joins the SkyTeam airline alliance.

This means that today is also the day that you can earn Virgin Atlantic tier points and Virgin Points on any airline in the SkyTeam alliance.

Let’s have a look at the charts.

Which SkyTeam airlines will now earn Virgin Atlantic tier points and Virgin Points?

• Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Aeromexico
• Air Europa
• China Airlines
• Czech Airlines
• Garuda Indonesia
• ITA Airways
• Kenya Airways
• Korean Air
• Middle East Airlines
• SAUDIA
• TAROM
• Vietnam Airlines
• Xiamen Air

Delta Air Lines, Air France and KLM already earned Virgin Points and Virgin Atlantic tier points before today as part of the transatlantic joint venture agreement.

Which SkyTeam airlines do not earn Virgin Atlantic tier points or Virgin Points?

China Eastern will not earn Virgin Points or Virgin Atlantic tier points until later in 2023.

How many Virgin Atlantic tier points do you need for elite status?

Let’s look at the Virgin Atlantic tier point system, which is outlined on its website here.

Virgin Flying Club is tiered like this:

• Red – sign-up level

• Silver – requires 400 tier points per year, does not give lounge access across SkyTeam

• Gold – requires 1,000 tier points year, gives lounge access across SkyTeam and arrivals lounge access at Heathrow

IMPORTANT: Unlike British Airways Executive Club, there is no requirement to fly a minimum number of Virgin Atlantic segments to earn status in Virgin Flying Club. You can earn status based purely on partner flights.

What benefits do you get on SkyTeam airlines?

This article looks at the SkyTeam benefits you get if you are Virgin Flying Club Gold.

This article looks at the SkyTeam benefits you get if you are Virgin Flying Club Silver.

The Virgin Atlantic SkyTeam Virgin Points and tier points earning charts:

This list does not cover Delta Air Lines, Air France or KLM as they have been Virgin Atlantic partners for some years. This HfP article explains how you earn Virgin Points and tier points with Air France and KLM.

If you want to earn more Virgin Points, our review of the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard credit card is here (15,000 bonus points) and our review of the free Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard credit card is here.

Earning Virgin Points and tier points on Aerolineas Argentinas (AR flight number required):

Cabin	Booking class	Virgin Points	Tier Points < 2,000 miles	Tier Points > 2,000 miles
Business	J, C	150%	30	75
Premium Economy	D, I, W, S	125%	20	50
Economy	Y	100%	10	25
Economy	B, M, U, K, H, L, Q	50%	10	25
Economy	T, E, G, V, N, A*, R*	25%	10	25

A and R discounted economy tickets do not earn on domestic routes.

Earning Virgin Points and tier points on Aeromexico (AM flight number required):

Cabin	Booking class	Virgin Points	Tier Points < 2,000 miles	Tier Points > 2,000 miles
Premier (business)	J, C, D, I	200%	30	75
Premium Economy	W	125%	20	50
Economy	Y, B, M	125%	10	25
Economy	T, Q, L, H, K, U	100%	10	25
Economy	E, N, R	50%	10	25
Economy	V	25%	10	25

Aeromexico flights booked under the Virgin Atlantic codeshare arrangement, with a VS flight number, will earn Virgin Points and tier points at the standard Virgin Atlantic rates.

Earning Virgin Points and tier points on Air Europa (UX flight number required):

Cabin	Booking class	Virgin Points	Tier Points < 2,000 miles	Tier Points > 2,000 miles
Business	J, C, D	150%	30	75
Business	I	125%	30	75
Premium Economy	F	125%	20	50
Economy	Y, B, M, L, E	100%	10	25
Economy	K, V, H, S, W, P	50%	10	25
Economy	R, U, T, Q	25%	10	25

Earning Virgin Points and tier points on China Airlines (CI flight number required):

Cabin	Booking class	Virgin Points	Tier Points < 2,000 miles	Tier Points > 2,000 miles
Business	J	175%	30	75
Business	C	150%	30	75
Business	D	125%	30	75
Premium Economy	W, U	125%	20	50
Premium Economy	A	115%	20	50
Premium Economy	E	100%	20	50
Economy	Y, B, M	100%	10	25
Economy	K, V, T	75%	10	25
Economy	R,Q, H, N	50%	10	25

Earning Virgin Points and tier points on Czech Airlines (OK flight number required):

Cabin	Booking class	Virgin Points	Tier Points < 2,000 miles	Tier Points > 2,000 miles
Business	J, C, D	200%	30	75
Business	I	175%	30	75
Economy	Y, M	175%	10	25
Economy	B, H, K	100%	10	25
Economy	A, L, T	75%	10	25
Economy	G, Q, U, X	50%	10	25
Economy	N, O, S, V, W, P, R	25%	10	25

Earning Virgin Points and tier points on Garuda Indonesia (GA flight number required):

Cabin	Booking class	Virgin Points	Tier Points < 2,000 miles	Tier Points > 2,000 miles
First	F	200%	40	100
First	A	150%	40	100
Business	J, C, D, I	125%	30	75
Economy	Y	100%	10	25
Economy	B, M, K, N	100%	10	25
Economy	Q, T, V, H, S	75%	10	25

Earning Virgin Points and tier points on ITA Airways (AZ flight number required):

Cabin	Booking class	Virgin Points	Tier Points < 2,000 miles	Tier Points > 2,000 miles
Business	J, C, D, I, E	200%	30	75
Premium Economy	P	150%	20	50
Premium Economy	A	100%	20	50
Economy	Y, B, M, H	150%	20	50
Economy	K, V, T	100%	10	25
Economy	N, S, Q, X, W	50%	10	25
Economy	R,Q, H, N	25%	10	25

Earning Virgin Points and tier points on Kenya Airways (KQ flight number required):

Cabin	Booking class	Virgin Points	Tier Points < 2,000 miles	Tier Points > 2,000 miles
Business	J, C, D, I	150%	30	75
Business	Z	125%	30	75
Economy	Y, B, M	100%	10	25
Economy	U, K, H, Q, T, R, E, N	50%	10	25
Economy	G, V, W	25%	10	25

Earning Virgin Points and tier points on Korean Air (KE flight number required):

Cabin	Booking class	Virgin Points	Tier Points < 2,000 miles	Tier Points > 2,000 miles
First	F	200%	40	100
Business	J	135%	30	75
Business	C, D, I, R	125%	30	75
Economy	Y, B, M, W	100%	10	25
Economy	S, H, E	75%	10	25
Economy	K, L, U	50%	10	25
Economy	Q, T	25%	10	25

Earning Virgin Points and tier points on Middle East Airlines (ME flight number required):

Cabin	Booking class	Virgin Points	Tier Points < 2,000 miles	Tier Points > 2,000 miles
Business fully flex	J, C, D	200%	30	75
Business value	I, Z	150%	30	75
Economy fully flex	B, M	100%	10	25
Economy value	U, K	75%	10	25
Economy saver	H, L, Q, T	50%	10	25
Economy super deal	N, R, V	25%	10	25

Middle East Airlines flights booked under the Virgin Atlantic codeshare arrangement, with a VS flight number, will earn Virgin Points and tier points at the standard Virgin Atlantic rates.

Earning Virgin Points and tier points on SAUDIA (SV flight number required):

Cabin	Booking class	Virgin Points	Tier Points < 2,000 miles	Tier Points > 2,000 miles
First	F	250%	40	100
First	A, P	200%	40	100
Business	J	125%	30	75
Business	C, D, I	150%	30	75
Guest (economy)	Y, B, M, E	100%	10	25
Guest (economy)	K, H, L, Q, T, V, N	50%	10	25
Guest (economy)	U	25%	10	25

Earning Virgin Points and tier points on TAROM (RO flight number required):

Cabin	Booking class	Virgin Points	Tier Points < 2,000 miles	Tier Points > 2,000 miles
Business	J, C, D	150%	30	75
Business	I, Z	100%	30	75
Economy	Y, B, M, L	100%	10	25
Economy	U, K, H, Q, R, N, A	50%	10	25
Economy	F, T, V, S, E, P, G	25%	10	25

Earning Virgin Points and tier points on Vietnam Airlines (VN flight number required):

Cabin	Booking class	Virgin Points	Tier Points < 2,000 miles	Tier Points > 2,000 miles
Business	J, C	200%	30	75
Business	D, I	150%	30	75
Premium Economy	W	130%	20	50
Premium Economy	U, Z	120%	20	50
Economy	Y, B, M, S	100%	20	50
Economy	L, Q, H, K	65%	10	25
Economy	N, R	50%	10	25
Economy	T, E, A	25%	10	25
Economy	G, P	10%	10	25

Earning Virgin Points and tier points on Xiamen Air (MF flight number required):

Cabin	Booking class	Virgin Points	Tier Points < 2,000 miles	Tier Points > 2,000 miles
First	F, A	150%	40	100
Business	J, C, D, I	125%	30	75
Economy	Y, B, M, H, L	100%	20	50
Economy	K, N, Q, V	50%	10	25
Economy	T	25%	10	25

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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):

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.

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.

Small business owners should consider the two American Express Business cards. Points convert at 1:1 into Virgin Points.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Virgin Points.