What are the benefits of the Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus Mastercard credit card?
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Why should you get the Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus Mastercard credit card?
Today, I want to look at the top 10 card benefits you will receive if you apply for a Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus Mastercard credit card.
You can apply for the card here.
Here is the legal information we need to tell you:
Sign-up bonus and earn rate:
- Get 18,000 Virgin Points after your first transaction
- Earn 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 spent
- Earn 3 points per £1 spent with Virgin Atlantic
Other information:
- Get a reward voucher worth 75,000 or 150,000 Virgin Points when you spend £10,000 in a year
- Use it towards a companion ticket when you buy a cash or reward flight
- Solo travellers can use it to upgrade a cash or reward flight by one cabin
- Vouchers are valid for two years
- Annual fee: £160
Representative 69.7% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £160 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 26.9% APR variable.
You receive a bonus of 18,000 Virgin Points after your first purchase, however small.
There are no restrictions on earning the bonus if you are accepted.
You cannot apply if you have had a Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card in the previous six months. You are free to apply if you have any other Virgin Money credit card or the free Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card.
When you spend £10,000 per year on the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard, you will receive a reward voucher.
The voucher is worth:
75,000 Virgin Points if you have no status in Virgin Flying Club on the date you book
150,000 Virgin Points if you have Silver or Gold status in Virgin Flying Club on the date you book
The voucher is valid for two years and will get you:
A discount on a companion flight when you book a cash or reward flight at full price for yourself (taxes and charges need to be paid on the companion ticket)
A discount on a one category upgrade for yourself when you book a cash or reward flight
The top 10 benefits of the Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus credit card:
1. There is a generous sign-up bonus of 18,000 Virgin Points
You will receive 18,000 Virgin Points when you sign up and make your first purchase.
There is no spending target to hit – just make a single transaction and your bonus will post.
Occasional special offers see the bonus increase to 25,000 or 30,000 miles, although there is a spending target to hit during these periods. We haven’t seen one for some time now, however.
If a higher bonus is currently running, it will show in the box above. The box is automatically updated with the best deal available on the date you are reading this.
2. You can get the bonus even if you have the free Reward card
You CAN apply and get the bonus if you already have the free Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card.
You are allowed to hold both cards AND get a bonus on the second application.
3. You receive 1.5 Virgin Points for every £1 you spend on the card
There are a few exceptions (cash withdrawals do not earn points) but in reality virtually every £1 you spend will earn you 1.5 Virgin Points.
4. You earn double miles when you spend with Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays
3 Virgin Points per £1 you spend is an attractive extra return on your flight and holiday spending.
5. You do not pay foreign exchanges fees in the Eurozone
The Virgin Atlantic cards are the ONLY travel reward credit cards in the UK which charge no foreign exchange fees in the Eurozone.
There are also no fees for purchases in Romania or Slovakia.
This will save you 3% over using a traditional credit card.
6. You get a special bonus for spending £10,000 in a card year
The Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus credit card comes with an annual voucher for spending £10,000 in a card year. spending target.
Unlike British Airways American Express vouchers, there is no difference between the voucher you receive for spending £20,000 on the free Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card and the voucher you receive for spending £10,000 on the £160 Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card.
Both vouchers are valid for two years and both vouchers have the same value.
There are two ways of using your voucher:
- if you bought a ticket, for either cash or Virgin Points, you can use your voucher to pay for a 2nd ticket (same flight, same cabin) for a companion
- if you are travelling alone, you can use your voucher to upgrade a cash or reward ticket by one class
Credit card vouchers have a fixed value:
- Flying Club Red members can redeem their voucher up to a maximum of 75,000 Virgin Points
- Flying Club Silver or Gold members can redeem their voucher up to a maximum of 150,000 Virgin Points
The value of your voucher will be calculated by your status at the time of redemption, not when you fly.
No ‘change’ is given if you use your voucher for less than its maximum value.
You can use your voucher even if it doesn’t cover the full amount of the companion ticket or upgrade, as Virgin Atlantic will let you top it up.
7. The cards have a good cashback programme which doesn’t require opting in
Virgin Money, like many credit card companies, offers cashback rewards when you spend at specific retailers.
What is different about the Virgin Money programme is that none of the offers require you to opt in. You can simply forget about the scheme and bank the cash whenever you unknowingly trigger it at a particular merchant.
8. As a Mastercard, it is far more flexible than an Amex card
Many of the travel rewards credit cards we cover are American Express cards. The problem with these is that they are not universally accepted.
As a Mastercard, your Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card is accepted virtually everywhere that cards are taken.
9. You don’t need a high income to apply
The minimum income requirement is just £7,000 for yourself or at least £15,000 across your household.
10. It is a very classy card
Your name, card number and card expiry date are printed on the back, not the front. Only the chip breaks up the impressive design. The card also has a smart red border.
Conclusion
The Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard is the most generous airline credit card in the UK in terms of rewards. 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 spent is an excellent deal even with the £160 fee. Getting a 2-4-1 voucher or other bonus for spending £10,000 in a year is the icing on the cake.
You can sign up for the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card on the official website here.
Sign-up bonus and earn rate:
- Get 18,000 Virgin Points after your first transaction
- Earn 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 spent
- Earn 3 points per £1 spent with Virgin Atlantic
Other information:
- Get a reward voucher worth 75,000 or 150,000 Virgin Points when you spend £10,000 in a year
- Use it towards a companion ticket when you buy a cash or reward flight
- Solo travellers can use it to upgrade a cash or reward flight by one cabin
- Vouchers are valid for two years
- Annual fee: £160
Representative 69.7% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £160 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 26.9% APR variable.
You receive a bonus of 18,000 Virgin Points after your first purchase, however small.
There are no restrictions on earning the bonus if you are accepted.
You cannot apply if you have had a Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card in the previous six months. You are free to apply if you have any other Virgin Money credit card or the free Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card.
When you spend £10,000 per year on the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard, you will receive a reward voucher.
The voucher is worth:
75,000 Virgin Points if you have no status in Virgin Flying Club on the date you book
150,000 Virgin Points if you have Silver or Gold status in Virgin Flying Club on the date you book
The voucher is valid for two years and will get you:
A discount on a companion flight when you book a cash or reward flight at full price for yourself (taxes and charges need to be paid on the companion ticket)
A discount on a one category upgrade for yourself when you book a cash or reward flight
Disclaimer: Head for Points is a journalistic website. Nothing here should be construed as financial advice, and it is your own responsibility to ensure that any product is right for your circumstances. Recommendations are based primarily on the ability to earn miles and points. The site discusses products offered by lenders but is not a lender itself. Robert Burgess, trading as Head for Points, is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as an independent credit broker.
