Virgin Atlantic has revealed increased limited-time bonus offers on their new(ish) Reward+ and Virgin Reward credit cards, issued by Virgin Money.
Until 14th December 2018, you can get:
- 25,000 Virgin miles for signing up to the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card – an increase of 10,000 miles on top of the usual offer.
- 10,000 Virgin miles with the Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card – an extra 5,000 miles compared to the regular offer.
These are both excellent offers. The bonus on the Reward+ card is equally good as the 25,000 Avios sign-up bonus currently available on the British Airways Premium Plus card. While the 10,000 miles bonus on the free Virgin Reward card is doubly as generous as the current 5,000 Avios offer on the free British Airways Credit card.
Which card is best for you?
Both cards offer excellent earning rates for a rewards Visa/Mastercard. But which one is more suited to your requirements? Here’s a reminder of the key features of each card:
Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card
- Earn 5,000 bonus Flying Club miles with your first card purchase (within 90 days of account opening)
- Bonus 5,000 miles when you spend £1,000 within 90 days of opening your account.
- Earn 0.75 Flying Club miles for every £1 spent
- Earn double miles for all direct bookings with Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays
- Spend £20,000 in a year and choose a credit card reward (see below)
- 0% interest on balance and money transfers for six months (3% fee)
- No annual fee
This card has a representative APR of 22.9% variable based on a notional credit limit of £1,200.
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card
- Earn 15,000 bonus Flying Club miles with your first card purchase (within 90 days of account opening)
- Bonus 10,000 miles when you spend £1,500 within 90 days of opening your account.
- Earn 1.5 Flying Club miles for every £1 spent
- Earn double miles for all direct bookings with Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays
- Spend £10,000 in a year and choose a credit card reward (see below)
- Free access to over 1 million global hotspots via Boingo Wi-Fi
- 0% interest on balance and money transfers for six months (3% fee)
- Annual fee: £160
This card has a representative APR of 63.9% based on a notional credit limit of £1,200 and a £160 annual fee. The representative APR on purchases is 22.9% variable.
After spending £10,000 or £20,000…
Reward+ and Reward cardholders can select a further credit card reward of their choice upon hitting £10,000/£20,000 of annual spend.
The rewards vary according to your Virgin Atlantic elite status.
Red (the basic level that you get when you join) Flying Club members
Can choose a free upgrade to Premium Economy when flying Economy, or an Economy reward companion seat which enables them to take a companion for no additional miles.
Silver Flying Club members
Can choose from the above options, as well as a Premium Economy reward companion seat or a Virgin Clubhouse lounge pass.
Gold Flying Club members
Can choose two Clubhouse passes, an Economy, Premium or Upper Class reward companion seat, or a free premium economy upgrade.
The 2-4-1 companion ticket will be awarded within seven days of hitting the £10,000/£20,000 thresholds.
All rewards will have a 2-year expiry date – this is a major plus for the free Reward card over its British Airways counterpart. The 2-4-1 voucher on the free BA credit card is only valid for a year.
Other card perks
Free use of Virgin Money lounges
All Virgin Atlantic credit card customers can access the Virgin Money Lounges. Membership is free, as are the refreshments, use of iPads, wi-fi, newspapers etc.
Complimentary global Wi-Fi access with Boingo
Reward+ cardholders receive free global Wi-Fi access via Boingo. This includes in-flight access and can be used on up to four devices. Depending on your travel patterns, this may be very useful.
Verdict
When these cards were launched, I stressed just how impressive their day-to-day earning rates are for a Visa/Mastercard rewards card. Granted, they still come up short when it comes to their take on the 2-4-1 companion voucher. They could solve this in an instant by allowing all cardholders to redeem their voucher for Upper Class. Now that would ruffle some BA feathers.
However, these increased sign-up bonuses may well mean you turn a blind eye to any companion voucher limitations.
10,000 miles for the free Virgin Reward card is worth a punt in most people’s books – even if only to bank the miles without keeping the card long-term.
And if you’ve held off applying for the Reward+ for whatever reason (like I have), this hefty 25,000 miles sign-up bonus alone should be giving you second thoughts. Not to mention the superb 1.5 miles per £1 day-to-day earning rate.
You can apply for the free Virgin Reward credit card here
You can apply for the Virgin Reward+ credit card here
Will you be taking advantage of these increased bonuses?
Disclaimer: The information provided by Tricks of the Trade is intended solely as a helpful guide to relevant travel rewards card products and their various features and offers. You should always conduct your own research as recommendations provided within may not be suitable for your personal financial circumstances.