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Virgin Atlantic sours Delta sweet spot mileage redemptions
Update: We have amended this post after learning that Virgin Atlantic has kept their Delta chart to Europe in tact, and the devaluation affects US to Asia flights only.
We know that all good things come to an end, and Virgin Atlantic decided to do their worst with their Delta redemption charts without warning and in the middle of the night. Should we be surprised? Virgin Atlantic did a similar thing to the Air China chart increasing prices by 300%. While I think the prices had to surely come up at some point, some head’s up would go a long way in customer trust and loyalty. Virgin Atlantic has had loads of financial strains over the past year as it faced seemingly an unending amount of existential crises.
Virgin Atlantic is transfer partner of multiple currencies
There are 5 transferrable currencies currently in existence. Capital One is the only one that doesn’t have transfer capabilities to Virgin Atlantic. That means there are numerous ways to accrue massive amounts of Virgin Atlantic miles and their Delta redemptions have always been a great sweet spot
If you’d like more information on earning transferrable points and which cards may be right for you, click those links for more info.
Here is what you used to be able to do with Virgin Atlantic with a Delta Redemption:
50k One way US to Europe in business – Virgin has confirmed that the flights into Europe will stay unaffected.
60k One Way US to Asia in business
Now, let’s take a look at what we can do now
The new levels of redemption are split into 3 different categories: Standard+Peak to/from UK, and then Distance based. Each category is then defined by Main Cabin vs Delta One/Business
Standard Season/Peak Season to/from UK
These rates aren’t that egregious when it comes to miles – they range from 90k to 135k roundtrip, but the taxes and fees are downright ludicrous. These rates are pretty much akin to what Virgin charges on their own metal, so while the taxes and fees are super high, they are commensurate with Virgin Atlantic’s own redemptions.
Here’s a look at the distance based Virgin Atlantic Delta chart for Asia Only
This is where you see an absolute obliteration of currency value. It’s not even funny how much they tore it up on long haul, premium cabin redemptions.
The flight from Minneapolis to Tokyo that I would have run 60k miles would just sneak in under 165k one way since the flight distance is 5982. That means Atlanta to Asia flights will clock in at that top rate.
Overall
There was a solid week or so where we thought the redemptions had completely exploded, but…while it’s not ideal that the Asia routes have been devalued, at least the US to Europe routes ( aside from those mentioned in the UK examples ) have stayed in tact. 50k to Europe on Delta Metal is still a helluva deal.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
60k Points after $4k spend in 3 months
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 60k points after $4k spend in 3 months
- Worth $750 in Chase Travel℠ and way more if you maximize transfer partners
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.