Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

The O2: Virgin and Marriott release new VIP tickets but which deal is best?

Links on Head for Points may support the site by paying a commission.  See here for all partner links.

A couple of months ago, Virgin Red signed a deal on a box at The O2 arena in London, with tickets available for members of Virgin Red and Virgin Flying Club.

Marriott Bonvoy, of course, has been doing this for years – almost a decade if you include the box when it was run as part of Starwood Preferred Guest.

Both groups have just released a new batch of tickets. Which is the best deal?

Marriott Bonvoy O2 suite

The picture above is of the Marriott Bonvoy VIP suite. We don’t have pictures of the Virgin Red suite because it is in the process of being refurbished. I am there for a press preview of the new look in three weeks so we’ll get some pictures then.

In terms of what you get, the only difference is in food and drink. Marriott Bonvoy offers a free hot buffet and free drinks all night. Virgin Red offers no food and only two free drinks per person, although a cash menu is available.

Which deal is best value?

We value a Virgin Point at 1p and a Marriott Bonvoy point at 0.5p. In reality, few of you are likely to have an unlimited stash of both currencies so it’s a moot point.

Looking at the list below, events are generally ‘cheaper’ – using HfP valuations – with Marriott Bonvoy, and that’s before you factor in unlimited free drinks and the buffet.

However, I am more protective of my Bonvoy points than I am of my Virgin Points, purely because I have over 1m of the latter. It is very likely I would redeem via Virgin Red irrespective of any valuation gap, even if I do have to buy my third drink and go hungry!

It is also important to note that Virgin Red releases seats far earlier than Marriott Bonvoy. You can book now via Virgin for events in October but Marriott is only booking for September.

What is bookable at The O2?

These tickets were available at 5pm yesterday. All pricing is for TWO tickets.

USA Basketball Showcase London (23rd July)

  • 30,000 Virgin Points

Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora (27th July)

  • 50,000 Virgin Points

Justin Timberlake (11th and 12th August)

  • 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Arjit Singh (17th August)

  • 40,000 Virgin Points

Noah Kahan (21st and 22nd August)

  • 30,000 Virgin Points
  • 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Niall Horan (3rd September)

  • 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Texas (5th September)

  • 40,000 Virgin Points
  • 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Karan Aujla (6th September)

  • 40,000 Virgin Points

Peter Kay (7th September)

  • 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Jungle (12th September)

  • 50,000 Virgin Points
  • 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Jonas Brothers (16th and 17th September)

  • 50,000 Virgin Points
  • 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Dude Perfect (18th September)

  • 30,000 Virgin Points
  • 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Moby (19th September)

  • 50,000 Virgin Points
  • 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Aventura (22nd September)

  • 50,000 Virgin Points
  • 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Melanie Martinez (26th September)

  • 50,000 Virgin Points
  • 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Janet Jackson (28th and 29th September)

  • 50,000 Virgin Points
  • 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Marriott Bonvoy redemptions are not yet available for October events:

Peter Kay (8th October)

  • 50,000 Virgin Points

McFly (9th and 10th October)

  • 50,000 Virgin Points

Crowded House (11th October)

  • 40,000 Virgin Points

Sid Siram (13th October)

  • 30,000 Virgin Points

Ms Lauren Hill & The Fugees (14th October)

  • 45,000 Virgin Points

The Rest Is Politics (15th October)

  • 30,000 Virgin Points

Dream Theater (20th October)

  • 40,000 Virgin Points

Chris Stapleton (23rd October)

  • 40,000 Virgin Points
NinetyThird o2 london

Don’t forget Privilege Club Collection

For the ultimate experience at The O2, you will want to redeem Avios via Qatar Airways Privilege Club.

Qatar Airways is the core sponsor of The NinetyThird, the VIP club at The O2 (membership is £18,000 per year, image of The Walkway above) and auctions two tickets for almost all shows.

Importantly, each pair of tickets comes with a £400 tab to spend in the fine dining restaurant and the many bars in The NinetyThird.

With only one pair of tickets per show and the auction only closing four weeks in advance, you are taking a gamble if you hold off redeeming for the Virgin Red or Marriott Bonvoy suites when those tickets appear.

You can learn more about Privilege Club Collection here.

PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (April 2025)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express

20,000 points for signing up and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

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.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

and for small business owners:

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points.

Category

Marriott Bonvoy, Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club

Comments (30)

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

  • Dave B says:
    21 Jul21 July 07:24

    Thanks Rob. Peter Kay booked. Perfect as it’s also my birthday 😃

    • chelseafifi says:
      21 Jul21 July 08:10

      Did that one last Saturday with Marriott, it was a good evening, as usual we went in Amex lounge early for a drink but had to ask for the free drink voucher, as they weren’t just handing them out on entering. We also went back after the show to let the crowds disperse.

  • Terry Butcher says:
    21 Jul21 July 08:41

    Better, not best. The comparative adjective not the superlative👌😜

  • BJ says:
    21 Jul21 July 08:41

    Not sure if I’m showing my age or if the O2 is just desperate to use tve venue, I reckon I’ve not heard about half the acts and those I have are a bit aved just like me. What is the buffet like provided by Marriott, I’m guessing nothing worth writing home about if Rob is passing on that and the free drinks for the Virgin offer? Lrotecting the Bonvoy points at the expense of the Red points is a little intriguing given amex offers on Marriott are frequently widely available abd he could surely wrestle a few of those many ‘review nights’ off Rhys who frequently complains how hard work they are despite soldiering relentlessly and happily on.

    • Rob says:
      21 Jul21 July 09:35

      The buffet is actually OK.

      It’s more about my desire to run down 1.3m Virgin Points (which we’ve had for 8 years now and not used – well, we used some but have earned an equivalent amount since them) for something of decent value!

      I believe its just old age which means you’ve never heard of half of these (and neither have I!). Plenty of smaller venues around for those who can’t fill a 20,000-seater. Culture Club and Paul McCartney in December for us oldies ….

      • BJ says:
        21 Jul21 July 10:43

        I figured you’d have thought you won big having held your nerve with Virgin during Covid when they subsequently launched Dubai. A voucher plus one of their quite regular reward discount sales amounts to a good deal for those who want to go where Virgin fly and who value flexibility.

        • Rob says:
          21 Jul21 July 10:51

          I need 4J for long haul though and I’m never booking a 2am out of Dubai.

          • TGLoyalty says:
            21 Jul21 July 11:56

            Best flight out of Dubai!

          • Chris W says:
            21 Jul21 July 13:30

            It is a waste of points to book business class for kids and teens.

          • Rob says:
            21 Jul21 July 13:45

            Obviously not!

          • TGLoyalty says:
            21 Jul21 July 14:01

            Dunno if that’s for the flight time or for J for kids/teens.

            But 100% on flight especially in J. You have a full day in Dubai, including dinner. You head to the airport about 11pm when there’s nil traffic. You take off and as soon as you can bed mode your J seat, stick in some ear plugs, put on an eye mask and completely knock out. Fresh for whatever you need to do the next morning.

            There’s 0 need for anything on board or to be disturbed. Have your breakfast in the arrival lounge or even at home.

          • BJ says:
            21 Jul21 July 14:33

            @Chris W, how do you work that out? Having flown alone to LAX on AA and got upgraded to F as a 14yo I hardly considered it a waste of time. Are you suggesting it’s ok for parents to fly up front and dump their kids down the back? Never had kus of my own but I cannot imagine I’d do this, even if I could afford premium for everybody but could for some I’m quite certain I’d still opt to sit with the kids in Y.

      • david says:
        21 Jul21 July 16:30

        “It is a waste of points to book business class for kids and teens.” Dont feed the troll.

    • Matt says:
      21 Jul21 July 09:48

      I’ve used the Marriott box about seven or eight times. A few times they did not put out a buffet at all (circa 2021-2022) you could only order from a takeaway menu, so I got a hamburger – but they had no ketchup at all in the box! The open bar used to include spirits but it’s only wine and beer now…

      • BJ says:
        21 Jul21 July 10:47

        Figure I’d only fo 3 or 4 drinks max so would need to value buffet. May try sometimes if a a suitable act coincides with a London break as I’ve never been to O2

      • Michael says:
        21 Jul21 July 13:54

        It was bottomless Lanson champagne when I did it in May of this year.

  • paul says:
    21 Jul21 July 08:49

    Do they provide binoculars for these “VIP” or “Premium” boxes ?

    Unless I can book in the front 10 rows, I ain’t booking. I can watch a TV at home.

    • BJ says:
      21 Jul21 July 08:56

      Don’t most just go for the booze?

      • Rob says:
        21 Jul21 July 09:27

        Your distance from the stage is no worse than 75% of the people in the arena. You are only nearer the stage if a) you’re in the front part of the seating tier below (which I did for the Brits, and its not great because you are a bit low) or b) you are standing, and having done that for The Killers, it really doesn’t work well unless you’re 6’2′ (which I am). The majority of the seats are in the tier above the boxes which is further back.

        There are no really good seats (or standing spots) at The O2. If you want a top quality experience, see the act elsewhere. The bad news, though, is that Paul McCartney, Janet Jackson, Peter Kay etc are not playing the Cadogan Hall anytime soon.

        • HampshireHog says:
          21 Jul21 July 15:41

          Pop back to Yorkshire Rob, the Leeds Arena is much much better

        • paul says:
          21 Jul21 July 19:06

          I said “book in the first 10 rows” – I would not stand anywhere thanks.

          • Rob says:
            21 Jul21 July 19:47

            I was in Row 3 for the Brits – wasn’t great, I felt looking down on the stage actually works a bit better.

  • Neil says:
    21 Jul21 July 09:01

    The location of the boxes might be the deciding factor. I know the Virgin box is at the back of the arena directly opposite the stage. Where is the Marriot one?

    • Rob says:
      21 Jul21 July 09:24

      It moved. It was where the Virgin box is, but is now on the right hand side (if standing on the stage). This means you are nearer but your view is angled.

  • Paul says:
    21 Jul21 July 09:04

    What does Qatar do with the rest of their seats for each event?

    • Rob says:
      21 Jul21 July 09:24

      They only have two, I think.

      • TGLoyalty says:
        21 Jul21 July 11:58

        Does the area only open for certain events as not all events 4+ weeks away seem to be listed as available for auction or coming soon.

  • Alex says:
    21 Jul21 July 11:03

    Thanks Rob. Just redeemed on Virgin. Got a poorly worded confirmation email requiring you to “tap redeem to get this offer” – despite no obvious “redeem” to tap either in email or the Red app. Presumably a wording issue.

    • Dave B says:
      21 Jul21 July 12:21

      Snap. I guess it’s just a question of waiting for an email now.

      • Alex says:
        21 Jul21 July 12:58

        Emailed the Red CS team who confirmed no further action required. Looking again at the wording in question in the email, it’s the same as that in the app pre-purchase.

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

New to Head for Points?

Welcome!  We’re the UK’s most-read source of business travel, Avios, frequent flyer and hotel loyalty news. Let us improve how you travel. Got any questions? Ask them in our forums.

Get 25,000 Avios with the Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

GET A SIGN-UP BONUS OF 18,000 VIRGIN POINTS!

Latest Forum Posts

Get 80,000 bonus points (worth 80,000 Avios) and £400 of dining credit with The Platinum Card (Offer ends 27th May)

Check reward flight availability instantly for free!

See a whole year of reward seat availability on one page at SeatSpy.com

Get up to 10,000 bonus Hilton Honors points

Booking a luxury hotel?

Our luxury hotel booking service offers you GUARANTEED extra benefits over booking direct. Works with Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, The Ritz Carlton, St Regis and more. We've booked £1.7 million of rooms to date. Click for details.

SME? GET THE ONLY FREE SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT CARD WHICH CAN EARN AVIOS

Get points worth 30,000 Avios with 'first year free' American Express Gold (ends 27th May)

The UK's biggest frequent flyer website uses cookies, which you can block via your browser settings. Continuing implies your consent to this policy. Our privacy policy is here.

Got it!