How to upgrade a flight with Virgin Points

Want to use your Virgin Points to jet around the world? And fancy living the ultimate high life in Upper Class? With Virgin Atlantic’s upgrades, the toughest choice is choosing where to go. 

You could visit ‘The Mother City’ of Cape Town and channel your inner adventurer, soak up the sun in Barbados, experience the thrills of Walt Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, or take a wacky city break in Austin. Wherever you want to travel to, your Virgin Points mean upgrades, and upgrades mean travelling like a rockstar.

Please note that upgrades depend on reward seat availability in the higher cabins on board your flight.

Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic Holidays

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How can I access my Virgin Points? 

Did you know you can link your Virgin Red and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club accounts and access double the benefits? Use your points earned from flying on loads of rewards with Virgin Red. Or use your points earned through everyday spending with Virgin Red to jet around the world with Virgin Atlantic. 

Just add your Flying Club number in the ‘Personal Details’ section of the Virgin Red app.

So if you’re a Virgin Red member and not a Flying Club member, join Flying Club. If you’re a Flying Club member but not a Virgin Red member, sign up to Virgin Red and link your accounts. Once your accounts are linked, you’ll see your Virgin Points within both Virgin Red and Flying Club, unlocking access to loads more rewards. 

Virgin Red

How do I upgrade my flight with Virgin Points? 

One of the questions we get asked most is: How can I upgrade my flight? Well, it’s easy, AND you can do it with your Virgin Points. 

To use Virgin Points to upgrade your flight, you’ll need to have a booking on a flight paid in full with money, or using Points Plus Money. If you’ve saved enough Virgin Points and there is availability in the higher cabin (Premium or Upper Class), the flight can be upgraded*. So if you’ve already made your booking on a reward flight, unfortunately you cannot upgrade. 

Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic guarantees a minimum of 12 reward seats on every flight, helping you to book your dream trip. These seats will be allocated as reward seats when the flight is put on sale. Book fast to reserve your reward seat, so you don’t miss out. If there are not reward seats available when you’re looking to book, check back because often more do get released during the flight selling period. If these reward seats are sold out you can still use your points as part payment on a normal flight from 3,000 Virgin Points with Points Plus Money.

Booking an upgrade in standard season 

If you’ve got Virgin Points to spend and fancy a cheeky upgrade on your next flight, you can choose either standard season or peak season. 

Standard season dates 

• 5 January 2023 - 23 March 2023 

• 18 April 2023 - 17 June 2023 

 Caribbean standard season dates 

• 6 March 2023 - 29 March 2023 

• 19 April 2023 - 28 May 2023 

• 5 June 2023 - 30 June 2023 

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Here are some standard season upgrade prices to/from the UK: 

South Africa

• Economy Classic or Delight to Premium - 25,000 

• Premium to Upper Class - 57,400 

• Economy Classic or Delight to Upper Class - 86,200 

Caribbean

• Economy Classic or Delight to Premium - 17,400 

• Premium to Upper Class - 57,400 

• Economy Classic or Delight to Upper Class - 86,200 

USA - West (Austin, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle) 

• Economy Classic or Delight to Premium - 27,400 

• Premium to Upper Class - 67,400 

• Economy Classic or Delight to Upper Class - 101,200 

Virgin Atlantic

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Virgin Atlantic

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Virgin Atlantic

All Virgin Points values given above are per roundtrip. For one way, the points are simply half of the round trip. Taxes, fees, and carrier imposed surcharges apply to all reward flights. 

Upgrades for infants not occupying a seat will be charged at: 

• Economy to Premium - 1,000 points per flight 

• Premium to Upper Class - 2,500 points per flight 

• Economy to Upper Class - 3,500 points per flight 

Booking an upgrade in peak season 

Virgin Points prices are higher if you want to travel in peak season. For example, you’ll spend 27,400 Virgin Points to the Caribbean for an Economy Classic or Delight upgrade to Premium in peak season, compared with 17,400 in standard season.

Peak season dates 

• 24 March 2023 - 17 April 2023 

• 18 June 2023 - 30 June 2023 

 Caribbean peak season dates 

• 10 December 2022 - 5 March 2023 

• 30 March 2023 - 18 April 2023 

• 29 May 2023 - 4 June 2023 

Want to know some upgrade prices to/from the UK to some Virgin Atlantic locations during peak season? 

South Africa

• Economy Classic or Delight to Premium - 42,400 

• Premium to Upper Class - 67,400 

• Economy Classic or Delight to Upper Class - 101,200 

 Caribbean

• Economy Classic or Delight to Premium - 27,400 

• Premium to Upper Class - 67,400 

• Economy Classic or Delight to Upper Class - 101,200 

 USA - West (Austin, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle) 

• Economy Classic or Delight to Premium - 37,400 

• Premium to Upper Class - 77,400 

• Economy Classic or Delight to Upper Class - 116,200 

Virgin Atlantic

All Virgin Points values given above are per roundtrip. For one way, the points are simply half of the round trip. Taxes, fees, and carrier imposed surcharges apply to all reward flights. 

 Upgrades for infants not occupying a seat will be charged at: 

• Economy to Premium - 1,000 points per flight 

• Premium to Upper Class - 2,500 points per flight 

• Economy to Upper Class - 3,500 points per flight 

Earning tier points on upgrades with Flying Club 

Even though the upgraded booking becomes a reward seat booking when you upgrade to Premium or Upper Class, the fare rules from the original ticket purchase apply, so you’ll still earn Virgin Points and Tier Points based on the original ticket purchase price. 

Once you’ve earned your points, you can either spend them on more holidays, or head over to Virgin Red for a range of rewards. Make sure you’re first in line to see the latest releases (20,000 Virgin Points could earn you 14 VUE film tickets)or enjoy a six-month Rebel Book Club membership (11,200 Virgin Points) plus a paintballing day for four (7,750 Virgin Points). Alternatively, treat yourself to a 12-bottle case of Virgin Wines to enjoy from your sofa for 19,000 Virgin Points. 

Vue Cinemas

Virgin Experience Days

Sofar Sounds

So travel in style and spend your hard earned points on treats for the everyday.

Terms and conditions 

* Please note: Taxes, fees and carrier imposed surcharges apply to all reward flights and vary according to choice of cabin, departure airport, destination and date(s) of travel and are subject to change. Upgrades are subject to reward seat availability in the upgraded cabin (the same as when you purchase a reward seat with Virgin Points). Bookings cannot be upgraded if the original booking was an Economy Light booking. 

• We always do our best to include the most up to date information but our offers do change from time to time. Click on each offer for the current points price and all the details. 

• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club membership is required for upgrades and reward flights. Take a look at the Flying Club terms and conditions.

• Reward flights are subject to availability.