What’s the best non-flying use of Virgin Points? (Virgin Redemption University #11)

Is there any value in using Virgin Points for non-flying redemptions?  Let’s take a look.

This article is Part 11 of our updated ‘Virgin Redemption University’ series. Further articles will follow on different aspects of spending Virgin Points. We ran a ‘work in progress’ version of these articles last year and then refined them after reader feedback. This year you are getting the polished versions up front!

If you want to earn more Virgin Points, our review of the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard credit card is here (18,000 bonus points) and our review of the free Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard credit card is here (3,000 bonus points).

Earlier parts of this series have looked at flight redemptions (on Virgin Atlantic, on SkyTeam alliance partners and on non-alliance partners) and on items directly linked to a flight (reducing the cost of a cash flight with Virgin Points, booking a hotel, transferring to hotel loyalty programmes, reducing the cost of a Virgin Atlantic Holiday).

In this article, we want to look at using your Virgin Points for something which isn’t linked to a flight or a hotel.

After all, the launch of the Virgin Red app brought a huge number of new ways to spend Virgin Points – but do they offer real value?

Other Virgin Flying Club partners

Before we get into the Virgin Red app and its partners, I want to look briefly at other Virgin Points redemptions which need to be ordered via Virgin Flying Club.

Ignoring the flight and hotel options which we’ve covered in earlier articles in this series, here are the best of your options (full details are on the Virgin Atlantic website here):

Eurostar

You can redeem Virgin Points for Eurostar vouchers at the following rates:

• 2,500 points = £10 Eurostar e-voucher
• 6,250 points = £25 Eurostar e-voucher
• 12,500 points = £50 Eurostar e-voucher
• 25,000 points = £100 Eurostar e-voucher

At just 0.4p per Virgin Point this makes little sense. Even if you ignore flying options, you can get 0.5p per point via various other Virgin Red redemption choices.

(EDIT: as per the comments, you can now order Eurostar vouchers via the Virgin Red app and get an improved rate of 0.5p per point.)

Duty Free

You can redeem Virgin Points to spend on their Retail Therapy duty free site, for delivery to your seat in-flight or to your home.

You can pay using Virgin Points after logging in.

This redemption route has improved in the last year and you now receive 0.5p per Virgin Point.

Virgin Gift Cards

These can be ordered in various denominations at 0.5p per Virgin Point:

• £10 voucher = 2,000 points
• £15 voucher = 3,000 points
• £25 voucher = 5,000 points
• £50 voucher = 10,000 points
• £75 voucher = 15,000 points
• £100 voucher = 20,000 points

Whilst you can use these at Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays, it makes no sense – you get a higher redemption rate (0.55p per point) by spending your points directly with these companies (see here for Virgin Atlantic, see here for Virgin Atlantic Holidays). Other redemption options include Virgin Pure (water filters), Virgin Experience Days, Virgin Wines and Virgin Balloon Flights.

You can also redeem Virgin Points for standalone Virgin Wines vouchers at the same 0.5p rate, but this makes little sense given that a Virgin Gift Card is more flexible.

The best Virgin Red redemptions

Virgin Red is an app-based reward scheme – although you can also operate it via a website if you wish – which is aimed at the non-flying general public. It lets you collect and spend Virgin Points through a variety of day to day shopping partners.

If you have not already done so, we recommend that you download the Virgin Red app (UK and US addresses only) and link it to your Virgin Flying Club account. This will allow you to see your Virgin Points balance and recent activity, and redeem your points for a wider range of items.

You will receive 1,000 bonus points on your first transaction if you sign up via this link.

The majority of Virgin Red redemptions are worth 0.5p per point

There is a huge variety of stuff on Virgin Red. However, the vast majority get you exactly 0.5p per Virgin Point.

If you are looking to empty out a Virgin Points balance, the most straightforward of the ‘0.5p per point’ options is Virgin Trains Ticketing. You can book a ticket in the Virgin Trains Ticketing app and pay in part or in full with Virgin Points by linking your Virgin Red details. You can reduce your Virgin Points balance on something which you were going to buy anyway.

Some Virgin Red redemptions give outsize value

There are some opportunities – usually special offers – which offer far better value than 0.5p per Virgin Point.

Cruise with Virgin Voyages

By far the best value redemptions we see are for Virgin Voyages cruises.

Virgin Voyages is a new Virgin Group business. To encourage people to give it a try, it has been running exceptional occasional deals.

Here is an example from 2023. You would pay 80,000 Virgin Points for a seven night all inclusive (except alcoholic drinks) cruise FOR TWO PEOPLE around the Mediterranean.

Cash rates were up to £3,000, so you were getting well over 3p per Virgin Point.

A lot of HfP readers jumped on this redemption. The feedback in our forum was fantastic – from young and old, from those who wanted a bit of a party to those who simply wanted a quiet break after a tricky couple of years.

Offers in 2024 have not been as good because the ships are busier with cash-paying customers. I suspect we will see decent deals in the future however.

‘Red Room’ VIP concert packages at The O2 arena in London

Virgin Red has a private suite at The O2 arena in London. Tickets for upcoming events are offered for points via the Virgin Red app.

The price varies but currently includes, for example, Kasabian and The Script for 50,000 points for two people. Some events are as low as 30,000 points for two.

Whether this is good value depends on the premium you place on being in a VIP suite rather than on the arena floor, but if it works for you then it is decent value for your points. Note that no food is provided but there is a cash menu, and your first two drinks are free.

This HfP article shows you what to expect in the Virgin Red Room suite at The O2.

Virgin Wines cases

Whilst Virgin Flying Club will give you a Virgin Wines gift voucher for 0.5p per point, Virgin Red has access to regular special cases. These generally give you a decent value per point, well above 0.5p.

A range of cases are always available outside of promotional periods. Here are some of the options:

• Classic six bottle white or red wine case: 9,000 points
• Exclusive six bottle mixed wine case: 12,000 points
• Exclusive six bottle Prosecco case: 12,000 points
• Classic 12 bottle white or red wine case: 19,000 points

These cases tend to get you nearer 0.5p per Virgin Point based on the regular Virgin Wines selling price and so do not offer outsize value.

Get down to Greggs

Yes, bizarrely some of the best value for your Virgin Points can be found at Greggs.

You redeem your points in the Virgin Red app. In return you get a QR code which can be scanned at the till in Greggs as payment for an item.

Greggs pricing varies across the country, but the points price is static. London readers may therefore get better value.

Options include:

• 300 Virgin Points for a regular hot drink
• 200 Virgin Points for a sausage roll
• 300 Virgin Points for a savoury
• 385 Virgin Points for a breakfast roll deal (hot roll plus choice of drink)
• 200 Virgin Points for a doughnut or muffin

For more information, read our guide to redeeming Virgin Points at Greggs.

Virgin Limited Edition hotels

We said that we wouldn’t look at flight or hotel redemptions in this article, but it would be amiss not to squeeze this one in as we haven’t covered it yet in this series.

In the mood to splurge? Virgin Limited Edition gives you access to some exclusive boutique hotels owned by Richard Branson himself, from safari lodges in Kenya and South Africa to private island escapes.

The following properties are currently available:

• 7 nights at Necker Island for 2,000,000 points during a Celebration Week
• 2 nights at Son Bunyola, Mallorca for two: 100,000 points low season / 130,000points high season
• 2 nights at Mont Rochelle, South Africa for two: 60,000 points low season / 100,000 points high season
• 2 nights at Ulusaba, South Africa for two: 280,000 points
• 2 nights at Mahali Mzuri, Kenya for two: 320,000 points
• 2 nights at Kasbah Tamadot, Morocco for two: 130,000 points low season / 160,000 points high season
• 2nights at The Lodge, Verbier for two: 200,000 points

These redemptions have come down in ‘price per night’ in 2024 and the minimum stay reduced from three nights to two nights, apart from Necker Island. I suspect that you can easily get more than the usual 0.5p per Virgin Point here.

Virgin Hotels

We should also mention that Virgin Hotels is due to become a full Virgin Red redemption partner in 2025.

We have seen the occasional promotion in the past, but only for a small selection of dates at selected hotels. At the time of writing the only redemption available is for Virgin Hotels Dallas.

Conclusion

We hope this article gave you a few ideas if you really can’t face any more flights on top of the ones you already did to earn your Virgin Points!

Head for Points will always write about new or limited time Virgin Red redemptions which offer outsize value for your Virgin Points, so keep an eye on the site or sign up for our daily or weekly email newsletters.