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Virgin Atlantic to relaunch Manchester to Las Vegas flights

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Virgin Atlantic has announced the return of the popular Manchester to Las Vegas route for Summer 2024.

This is the second new route announcement today, following the launch of London Heathrow to Dubai flights which we covered in this article.

The Las Vegas page of the Virgin Atlantic website is here.

Virgin Atlantic to resume Manchester to Las Vegas flights

Flights from Manchester to Las Vegas will return from 2nd June 2024.

It is described as a ‘seasonal’ service so it will not run year-round.

There will be three flights per week, departing on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Lucky passengers will get to fly an Airbus A350-1000 (the poor Dubai passengers are stuck with a Boeing 787-9) which features the first generation of Virgin Atlantic’s ‘with a door’ Upper Class Suite.

The A350-1000 was designed for leisure routes and has a small Upper Class cabin of just 16 suites, with 56 Premium and 325 Economy seats. Instead of ‘The Loft’, Upper Class has ‘The Booth’, a space where two people can sit together for a snack or wine tasting session.

(You can read more about the A350-1000 and ‘The Booth’ in this article.)

The launch may coincide with the launch of the long-awaited Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Manchester Airport. This was delayed due to the pandemic, but the area it will occupy is currently sitting empty in the new Terminal 2 pier – it is just waiting for Virgin Atlantic to fit it out.

Seats will be bookable from 7th July 2023, although only the first flight will pop up then due to the 331 day booking window.

You can find out more on the Las Vegas page of the Virgin Atlantic website.

PS. In another announcement today, Virgin Atlantic announced that it will start inter-island flying in the Caribbean.

From 14th June 2023, you will be able to buy tickets between Barbados and Grenada and Barbados and St Vincent & The Grenadines. Virgin Atlantic was already flying these routes but had not been selling stand-alone tickets. There will be 2-3 flights per week, depending on season and route.

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (October 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.

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 50,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 50,000 Virgin Points.

The Platinum Card from American Express

50,000 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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased to up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 80,000 Virgin Points. You will receive 8 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased to up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 40,000 Virgin Points. You will receive 4 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. The card is FREE for your first year. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

American Express Business Platinum

Up to 80,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

Get up to 40,000 points as a sign-up offer 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 (19)

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

  • Sean says:
    1 Jun1 June 15:12

    From 2 June per my email.

  • Sean says:
    1 Jun1 June 15:16

    Will be Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
    Booking opens 7 June 23.

    • Richie says:
      1 Jun1 June 15:51

      Are hotel rooms cheaper Sunday to Friday?

      • Blair Waldorf Salad says:
        1 Jun1 June 20:25

        Very much so. Unless you need to be there I’d be scarpering from Vegas on Fri evening

        • The Savage Squirrel says:
          1 Jun1 June 21:37

          If your plans involve a weekend then Sun-Fri on strip and Fri/Sat nights downtown or off-strip is the way to go.

  • Sean says:
    1 Jun1 June 16:50

    Vegas definitely cheaper Sunday to Thursday night

  • Sean says:
    1 Jun1 June 16:52

    Fri and Sat = California comes to visit so doubles in price.

    • SamG says:
      1 Jun1 June 17:47

      Yep. I’ve got an upcoming booking with the Weds at $39 and the sat at $330!

      • Blair Waldorf Salad says:
        1 Jun1 June 20:26

        Fri and Sat nights in Vegas are what Amex FHR is made for. Major competition amongst the hotels so you generally get a boosted resort credit and unexpected discounts

  • iEimis says:
    1 Jun1 June 18:02

    Doh my voucher expires on 31st May 2024. Would have been an interesting option

  • NorthernLass says:
    1 Jun1 June 19:16

    Any addition to the underwhelming MAN portfolio is welcome, but I would have though LAS is a year-round destination and probably best avoided in the height of summer?!

    • Blair Waldorf Salad says:
      1 Jun1 June 20:29

      Not as such. I was there in August when 41 degrees and it is so low in terms of humidity that it felt no different than a 25 degree day in Manchester. Dubai at 41 degrees on the other hand – paper book reading only as hands too sweaty to hold my Kindle. I’d gladly go to Vegas in July/Aug.

    • TimM says:
      2 Jun2 June 08:08

      Agreed. MAN is my local airport but I am on a boycott of the USA due to too many past, inhuman immigration experiences. With many Virgin points in the bank and a voucher ticking away, I believe my only option remains Barbados – not known for its good value hotels. I suppose I could take a Moonbag and sleep on the beach.

    • QwertyKnowsBest says:
      2 Jun2 June 08:14

      It is year round, but some major conference events drive hotel rates sky-high. CES for example every January, an influx of 200K + people for this event. Check before booking flights.

    • Panda Mick says:
      2 Jun2 June 10:13

      I was there twice last august and will be there twice this august. It’s nice enough that I still manage an 8km run every morning before work. Bear in mind that I normally find 0c too hot 🙂

      • Doommonger says:
        2 Jun2 June 10:36

        Quite agree, I find a 8m run down the stairs to the breakfast room usually suffices personally.

  • Gav says:
    1 Jun1 June 19:27

    Lucky passengers will get to fly an Airbus A350-1000 (the poor Dubai passengers are stuck with a Boeing 787-9)

    In upper yes. In PE that new seat is 18 in width very narrow and uncomfortable 787 has the old wider pe seat

  • What Why says:
    2 Jun2 June 15:19

    This is definitely good news and a step in the right direction.

    I am still pained that PRE pandemic Vegas could fill 2 flights a day easy from Manchester, and Virgin completely copying Thomas Cook’s network (rather than launch new routes), partially causing the demise of TC. And now with the monopoly and having retired most of their Manchester fleet, Virgin don’t have capacity and get away with charging anything as demand far outstrips supply.

    I also don’t forget how various companies treated us through Covid, but people have very short memories.

    What really baffles me is the fact no one runs a daily MAN-BKK. I estimate conservatively over 1k pax do this daily on QR, EK and EY. I suspect the real figure is closer to 2k, and people would and do pay for business class.

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

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