Virgin Upgrade Voucher & Tier Points

[tyler13]

Hi all,

I am new to this and would greatly appreciate it if you could help me out on how to maximize the VS reward vochuer.

I earned a VS upgrade vochuer from VS credit card, expiring on 31st December 2026, and I am looking to use the vochuer for the new LHR-ICN route (it seems both ticket cash sale and reward redemption pulled out by virgin), and I am a red member with 140 tier points already, 260 tier points to go to silver, in order to max the voucher value to 150k points, I am plan to reach the silver member status by 30th Nov 2025 before the tier points expires.

I currently have 70k points on my account already, and I have booked tickets with China Eastern airline for my upcoming 2-week holiday to Auz in early-Nov, flying from LHR-PVG-MEL for a round trip, which I believe once completed, the round trip will earn me 100 tier points. Then it leaves me a 160-tier points gap to fill between now and early November, which seems a bit challenging.

However, I noticed the LHR – RUH (Riyadh) upper class reward seats would cost me 46k points + £500 taxes, but it will earns me 200 tier points (probably the quickest way to earn tier points in the upcoming few months in my view). Essentially, it is a trade-off by spending 46K+ £500 in taxes + hotel for 3 nights/3 full days in Riyadh, a destination that wasn’t on my bucket list to be honest.

I hear others view on this and whether you feel it is a good trade-off? Or should I be better off by saving the £500 tax money + spending on hotels to buy virgin points instead when on sale to making any differences when claim the vochuer to use? If there are other efficient ways can help me to earn tier points in a blocking of 4 days/3 nights between now and November, I am keen to hear about it – many thanks!

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

Your entire decision making seems based around achieving this, correct? “ I am looking to use the vochuer for the new LHR-ICN route (it seems both ticket cash sale and reward redemption pulled out by virgin)”

I think it is unwise to spend and indeed travel unnecesarily in the hopes of achieving this. Virgin may never launch the route (they have form), the points price may be so high as to never be reachable even with an upgrade voucher, and your voucher/status could expire whilst holding on for a reasonable points price.

I would suggest aiming much lower than Seoul for using the Virgin voucher. An analysis article on HfP in the last 10 days suggested that other than New York and Washington, nothing is remotely reasonably priced on a consistent basis. (Granted some readers managed to find once in a blue moon dates that worked price wise for elsewhere but HfP’s analysis showed these to be very much the exception).

I think you are being overly optimistic about the utility the Virgin scheme can offer you. When even this site’s owner is intending to cash out their points balance at the next opportunity, you know a scheme has killed itself off.

[tyler13]

Blair Waldorf Salad wrote:

Your entire decision making seems based around achieving this, correct? “ I am looking to use the vochuer for the new LHR-ICN route (it seems both ticket cash sale and reward redemption pulled out by virgin)”

I think it is unwise to spend and indeed travel unnecesarily in the hopes of achieving this. Virgin may never launch the route (they have form), the points price may be so high as to never be reachable even with an upgrade voucher, and your voucher/status could expire whilst holding on for a reasonable points price.

I would suggest aiming much lower than Seoul for using the Virgin voucher. An analysis article on HfP in the last 10 days suggested that other than New York and Washington, nothing is remotely reasonably priced on a consistent basis. (Granted some readers managed to find once in a blue moon dates that worked price wise for elsewhere but HfP’s analysis showed these to be very much the exception).

I think you are being overly optimistic about the utility the Virgin scheme can offer you. When even this site’s owner is intending to cash out their points balance at the next opportunity, you know a scheme has killed itself off.

Hi @Blair Waldorf Salad – thank you for sharing your view/opinion, LHR-ICN isn’t the only route I was hoping to use the vochuer on, as my general rule of thumb, I do hope to use the vochuer on a long haul route (such as ICN / SFO / SEA / LAX etc) if possible, your points on the HfP articles regarding VS points pricing are well taken, I am glad I have asked around here to hear all of your views, and indeed I’d need consider very carefully, and agreed some of the pricing looks unreachable (i.e. CPT /JNB / MLE etc)