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

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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.

How to spend Virgin Points on SkyTeam flights

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 to spend Virgin Points on SkyTeam flights

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.

Skyteam tailfins

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):

CabinBooking classVirgin PointsTier Points
< 2,000 miles
Tier Points
> 2,000 miles
BusinessJ, C150%3075
Premium EconomyD, I, W, S125%2050
EconomyY100%1025
EconomyB, M, U, K, H, L, Q50%1025
EconomyT, E, G, V, N, A*, R*25%1025

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

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

CabinBooking classVirgin PointsTier Points
< 2,000 miles
Tier Points
> 2,000 miles
Premier (business)J, C, D, I200%3075
Premium EconomyW125%2050
EconomyY, B, M125%1025
EconomyT, Q, L, H, K, U100%1025
EconomyE, N, R50%1025
EconomyV25%1025

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):

CabinBooking classVirgin PointsTier Points
< 2,000 miles
Tier Points
> 2,000 miles
BusinessJ, C, D150%3075
BusinessI125%3075
Premium EconomyF125%2050
EconomyY, B, M, L, E100%1025
EconomyK, V, H, S, W, P50%1025
EconomyR, U, T, Q25%1025

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

CabinBooking classVirgin PointsTier Points
< 2,000 miles
Tier Points
> 2,000 miles
BusinessJ175%3075
BusinessC150%3075
BusinessD125%3075
Premium EconomyW, U125%2050
Premium EconomyA115%2050
Premium EconomyE100%2050
EconomyY, B, M100%1025
EconomyK, V, T75%1025
EconomyR,Q, H, N50%1025

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

CabinBooking classVirgin PointsTier Points
< 2,000 miles
Tier Points
> 2,000 miles
BusinessJ, C, D200%3075
BusinessI175%3075
EconomyY, M175%1025
EconomyB, H, K100%1025
EconomyA, L, T75%1025
EconomyG, Q, U, X50%1025
EconomyN, O, S, V, W, P, R25%1025

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

CabinBooking classVirgin PointsTier Points
< 2,000 miles
Tier Points
> 2,000 miles
FirstF200%40100
FirstA150%40100
BusinessJ, C, D, I125%3075
EconomyY100%1025
EconomyB, M, K, N100%1025
EconomyQ, T, V, H, S75%1025

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

CabinBooking classVirgin PointsTier Points
< 2,000 miles
Tier Points
> 2,000 miles
BusinessJ, C, D, I, E200%3075
Premium EconomyP150%2050
Premium EconomyA100%2050
EconomyY, B, M, H150%2050
EconomyK, V, T100%1025
EconomyN, S, Q, X, W50%1025
EconomyR,Q, H, N25%1025

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

CabinBooking classVirgin PointsTier Points
< 2,000 miles
Tier Points
> 2,000 miles
BusinessJ, C, D, I150%3075
BusinessZ125%3075
EconomyY, B, M100%1025
EconomyU, K, H, Q, T, R, E, N50%1025
EconomyG, V, W25%1025

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

CabinBooking classVirgin PointsTier Points
< 2,000 miles
Tier Points
> 2,000 miles
FirstF200%40100
BusinessJ135%3075
BusinessC, D, I, R125%3075
EconomyY, B, M, W100%1025
EconomyS, H, E75%1025
EconomyK, L, U50%1025
EconomyQ, T25%1025

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

CabinBooking classVirgin PointsTier Points
< 2,000 miles
Tier Points
> 2,000 miles
Business fully flexJ, C, D200%3075
Business valueI, Z150%3075
Economy fully flexB, M100%1025
Economy valueU, K75%1025
Economy saverH, L, Q, T50%1025
Economy super dealN, R, V25%1025

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):

CabinBooking classVirgin PointsTier Points
< 2,000 miles
Tier Points
> 2,000 miles
FirstF250%40100
FirstA, P200%40100
BusinessJ125%3075
BusinessC, D, I150%3075
Guest (economy)Y, B, M, E100%1025
Guest (economy)K, H, L, Q, T, V, N50%1025
Guest (economy)U25%1025

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

CabinBooking classVirgin PointsTier Points
< 2,000 miles
Tier Points
> 2,000 miles
BusinessJ, C, D150%3075
BusinessI, Z100%3075
EconomyY, B, M, L100%1025
EconomyU, K, H, Q, R, N, A50%1025
EconomyF, T, V, S, E, P, G25%1025

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

CabinBooking classVirgin PointsTier Points
< 2,000 miles
Tier Points
> 2,000 miles
BusinessJ, C200%3075
BusinessD, I150%3075
Premium EconomyW130%2050
Premium EconomyU, Z120%2050
EconomyY, B, M, S100%2050
EconomyL, Q, H, K65%1025
EconomyN, R50%1025
EconomyT, E, A25%1025
EconomyG, P10%1025

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

CabinBooking classVirgin PointsTier Points
< 2,000 miles
Tier Points
> 2,000 miles
FirstF, A150%40100
BusinessJ, C, D, I125%3075
EconomyY, B, M, H, L100%2050
EconomyK, N, Q, V50%1025
EconomyT25%1025

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (April 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 15,000 Virgin Points):

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

15,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard

A generous earning rate for a free card at 0.75 points per £1 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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with 40,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 40,000 Virgin Points.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a 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

40,000 points sign-up bonus 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.)

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