Two new credit cards are the first products to be launched from the partnership between Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Money, facilitated by Mastercard. Briony Richter takes a looks at the cards’ primary features and benefits
The Virgin Atlantic Reward and Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit cards will enable customers to earn Flying Club miles when using their card.
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Their bold and eye-catching designs, created by Virgin, reinforce the Virgin Atlantic ethos of standing out from the crowd with strong statements.
Miles earned on the cards can be exchanged for the full range of Flying Club rewards including flights and cabin upgrades. Customers will also have free access to Virgin Money lounges and several offers from the Virgin Group.
Depending on spend, customers using the Reward and Reward+ credit cards can access a range of credit card rewards.
Red Flying Club members can choose a free premium upgrade when flying economy, or an economy reward companion seat which enables them to take a companion for no additional miles.
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By GlobalDataSilver members have access to the same options, as well as a premium reward companion seat or a pass for a Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse. Gold members can choose two Clubhouse passes, an economy, premium or upper-class reward companion seat. They can also choose a free premium upgrade.
Key features of the Virgin Atlantic Reward card include:
- Earn 5,000 bonus Flying Club miles with the first card purchase – this only applies within the first 90 days of the account opening;
- Earn 0.75 Flying Club miles for every £1 ($1.50) spent;
- If £20,000 is spent in a year, customers can choose a credit card reward, and
- No annual fee attached.
The features of the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ card differ slightly:
- Earn 1.5 Flying Club miles for every £1 spent;
- Earn 15,000 bonus Flying Club miles with the first card purchase – within the first 90 days of the account opening;
- If £10,000 is spent on this credit card a year, customers can choose from a range of credit card rewards;
- Free access to over 1 million global hotspots via Boingo Wi-Fi, and
- An annual fee of £160.
Both cards offer double miles when bookings are made directly with Virgin Atlantic Virgin Holidays as well as access to Virgin Money lounges across the country.
Simon Hall, senior public relations manager at Virgin Money, tells CI: “Successful partnerships are a key part of Virgin Money’s strategy and we’re delighted to be working with Virgin Atlantic to offer customers exciting products supported by excellent customer service.
“Choice in the airline rewards credit card market has reduced significantly compared with recent years, so we’re delighted to offer new and attractive options for customers looking to earn miles.
“The Reward and Reward+ cards give customers an easy way to earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles when they use their card for everyday spending, which can be redeemed for flights and ticket upgrades, and customers can also receive companion seats and Clubhouse access.”
However, users must be careful to play by the rules with these credit cards, or they could face some hefty penalties. For example, the representative APR on the Reward Plus card is 63.9% and on the Reward card 22.9%.
Furthermore, the purchase rate is 22.9% and while there is a 0% balance transfer offer for the first six months, it comes with a 3% fee. These charges are high and can eat into any potential rewards offered.
Oliver Byers, senior VP of sales and customer loyalty at Virgin Atlantic, concludes: “We are incredibly excited to launch our new credit cards. With our cards, customers can earn miles on their everyday spend to redeem for flights and upgrades and more. On top of that, we’re offering our most valuable customers even more choice of rewards so that they can create the Virgin Atlantic experience that suits them best.’’
Customers have access to Virgin Money lounges, as well as free refreshments, use of iPads and Wi-Fi. Offers from the Virgin Group include discounts on train tickets, holidays and experience days.
Virgin Money believes the new credit cards meet the demands of travel-hungry consumers, and will allow them to accrue holiday benefits no matter where they are in the world.
