4. Spending miles

4.1. General

4.1.1 Rewards are as set out on the ”Spend Miles” page of our website or as may otherwise be notified to Members from time to time, and are subject to these Flying Club Terms and the specific terms and conditions of each Reward Provider. Cash can only be combined with Miles in part payment for Rewards where expressly stated by Virgin Atlantic or the relevant Reward Provider. 

4.1.2 You may claim Rewards only once sufficient Miles have been credited to your account. The number of Miles required to reach a Virgin Atlantic destination is as set out in the Spend Miles pages of our website (as may be amended from time to time). The number of Miles required to redeem Rewards made available by other Reward Providers is as published by such Reward Provider from time to time as set out in the Partner Rewards section of our website.

4.1.3 All Reward bookings including Partner Rewards are not binding on us or a third party (as applicable) until they have been confirmed in writing by us or the applicable third party. When you place an order with us we will send you an acknowledgment of your order but we are not contractually obliged to fulfil your order until we send a subsequent confirmation to you. 

4.1.4 On occasions when Reward tickets need to be mailed, they will be sent to the billing address of the credit card which has been given as payment for applicable taxes. Tickets mailed to this billing address will be deemed to have been received by you. Reward confirmation documents and correspondence will be mailed to you at the address shown on your membership account. We are not responsible for the timely performance of postal or courier services. If a ticket is lost, stolen or destroyed, a replacement may be issued at the airport for a replacement fee. If a Reward confirmation document is lost, stolen or destroyed it will not be replaced and Miles will not be re-credited to your account. On some routes e-tickets will be the only type of ticket that we issue for a Reward Booking, when payment is made for applicable taxes with a credit card. In this case an email address and/or fax number will need to be supplied so that an e-ticket confirmation can be sent. This confirmation will need to be taken to the airport.

4.1.5 Rewards do not include insurance. It is your responsibility to arrange whatever cover you need yourself and to consider how participating in any Reward activity or offer may affect any existing policies such as personal accident and life insurance. You may be required to provide proof of your insurance policy to us.

4.1.6 Reward flights do not include any applicable passenger taxes, fees, charges and surcharges, which will be charged and payable in respect of each passenger in accordance with paragraph 4.1.8. The amount of these is subject to change.

4.1.7 All Flying Club Rewards are subject to availability. Blackout dates (i.e. dates upon which Rewards are not available) may apply with certain Flying Club Participating Companies. Please call Flying Club for details or check at the time of booking. In some cases, a minimum of 14 days’ notice may be required for booking Participating Companies’ Rewards where the Participating Company is located outside or the Reward originates outside your country of residence and for Eurostar Rewards. 

4.1.8 We will issue a Reward to a third party at your request, but once issued Rewards are not transferable. Only you as a Member or any Authorised Account User may authorise the deduction of Miles or issue of Rewards from your account. 

4.1.9 Children travelling as unaccompanied minors or young persons travelling alone may travel on Reward Bookings at full adult mileage redemption levels.

4.1.10 Members are not permitted to sell or auction Reward tickets or Miles in any circumstance. Selling or auctioning Reward tickets or Miles could lead to the termination of a Member’s membership in accordance with clause 9.1.

4.2. Virgin Atlantic Flight Rewards

4.2.1 Once Reward tickets are issued, you may amend your travel date, route or class of service prior to travel for an amendment fee of £30 for changes to international flights originating in the UK, US$50 for changes to international flights originating in the US or local currency equivalent of US$50 for changes to flights originating in any other region. Where the Reward is a Companion Reward and the person travelling on the paying ticket changes his or her flight or class of travel, the Companion Reward may be similarly amended for the same amendment fees, subject to availability of seats and the provisions of section 4.4 of these Flying Club Terms

Once tickets for a Reward Booking are issued, no name changes are allowed. If for any reason a flight Reward is cancelled by the Member outside 24 hours of departure, 100% of the Miles will be re-credited to the Member’s account. A cancellation fee of £30 for changes to flights originating in the UK, US$50 for changes to flights originating in the US or local currency equivalent of US$50 for changes to flights originating in any other region will apply.

4.2.2 All Virgin Atlantic Reward tickets are strictly subject to availability. Reward Bookings in the Economy cabin will be booked under the Economy Classic product. The number of Reward seats available on each flight is restricted and it is possible that the Reward seats allocated on a particular flight may be fully booked, even though seats are still available in other booking classes. Some flights may have no availability on certain routes, and popular dates (e.g. weekends, school and public holidays) will fill quickly and Virgin Atlantic cannot guarantee availability. More seats for a particular flight may become available closer to departure. Information online regarding our latest Reward seat availability is a guide only and is correct at time of publication.

4.2.3 In the event that VAA’s flight programme or operations are altered, suspended, cut-back or cancelled we will endeavour to accommodate you in accordance with applicable law. Miles for Reward Flights booked but not honoured will be reinstated to the Member’s account. If you are transferred to another airline and travel in a lower class, Members may claim the difference in Miles by submitting their boarding pass to the Customer Centre.

4.2.4 Members exchanging Miles for an Upper Class Reward ticket or Upgrade Reward are not entitled to complimentary ground transfers. However, Members may spend additional Miles for a single Chauffeur Driven Car Service Reward journey in conjunction with the purchase of an Upper Class Reward ticket in the UK or USA either to or from the airport. Further information is available on the Upper Class chauffeur page on our website. 

4.2.5 Flying Club Members can spend Miles online for Virgin Atlantic one way or return Reward flights and Miles Plus Money discounts. Upgrade, Companion and Chauffeur Driven Car Service Rewards must be booked by phoning the Customer Centre. 

4.2.6 Reward Seat Sale

4.2.6.1 Virgin Atlantic offers Reward Seat Sales from time to time, where a reduction in miles is applied to the standard redemption rates. Virgin Atlantic reserves the right to withdraw or change all or any part of a Reward Seat Sale offer at any time without any further notice.

4.2.6.2 These Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Terms apply to Reward Seat Sales.

4.2.6.3 To upgrade to a higher cabin, the Miles used in the Reward Seat Sale will be refunded in full and the full amount for the higher cabin Reward will apply.

4.2.6.4 Reward Seat Sales are open to registered Members of the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club only.

4.2.6.5 Standard passenger taxes, fees, charges and surcharges (subject to change) apply to Reward Bookings made in the Reward Seat Sale.

4.2.6.6 If you amend your travel date to a date following the end of the offer period, you will be charged the standard redemption rate for such flight rather than the Reward Seat Sale rate. Normal change fees as shown in paragraph 4.2.1 will apply. 

4.2.6.7 If you wish to make a change to any existing Reward Booking such that the Reward Booking would take place during a period within our Reward Seat Sale, any difference in mileage will not be refunded to you.

4.2.7 All passengers will be subject to Virgin Atlantic’s general Conditions of Carriage.

4.3. Miles Plus Money (MPM)

4.3.1 MPM allows Flying Club Members to redeem Miles in exchange for a discount when booking any published fare on flights operated by Virgin Atlantic at www.virginatlantic.com, and is available to all Flying Club members.

4.3.2 There are no blackout dates or inventory restrictions.

4.3.3 Ticket rules and restrictions are governed by the published fare.

4.3.4 To receive a discount, Flying Club Members must be logged in to their Flying Club account. Discounts can only be applied online and are selected on the payment summary page. Miles can be redeemed for discounts on adult and child fares only. Infant fares are not eligible. Discounts can be applied to the total cost of the booking, including the base fare and all taxes, fees, charges and surcharges.

4.3.5 Upgrade and Companion Rewards can be combined with a booking where a MPM discount has been applied. 

4.3.6 Flying Club members are applicable to earn Miles and Tier Points on a MPM booking.

4.3.7 Only Miles from one Flying Club account can be used to apply a MPM discount per booking.

4.3.8 Changes and refunds are permitted in line with the published fare rules. Miles used to apply the discount will not be refunded except in the event that VAA’s flight programme or operations are altered, suspended, cut-back or cancelled. In those circumstances we will endeavour to accommodate you in accordance with applicable law. Miles for Reward Flights booked but not honoured will be reinstated to the Member’s account. 

4.3.9 Any changes that require additional payment in fare, change fees, taxes, fees, charges and surcharges cannot be paid with Miles. 

4.3.10 Virgin Atlantic reserves the right to withdraw MPM or change all or any part of the MPM offer at any time without any further notice.

4.4. Upgrade and Companion Rewards 

4.4.1 Flying Club Miles can be used to obtain certain Upgrade Rewards and/or Companion Rewards subject to availability. Upgrades and Companion Rewards cannot be applied to bookings that have been made in the Economy Light product.

4.4.2 Current qualifying fare classes and the number of Miles required for Upgrade Rewards and Companion Rewards can be found on our website. Qualifying fare classes and the number of Miles required for Upgrade Rewards and Companion Rewards may vary from time to time and should be checked at time of booking. 

4.4.3 To use Upgrade Rewards on bookings made via a travel agent, contact your Customer Centre.

4.4.4 Mileage Upgrade Rewards are subject to availability and payment of any additional taxes and charges. Upgrade Rewards may be redeemed by calling your local Customer Centre. Alternatively, you may redeem your Miles for an Upgrade Reward (subject to availability) on the day of departure at the Virgin Atlantic ticket desk at the airport prior to checking in and at least two hours prior to departure. Upgrade Rewards will not be processed at the boarding gate.

4.4.5 Flying Club Upgrade Rewards cannot be used in conjunction with any promotional fare or discount. Round trip Upgrade Rewards relate to two flown sectors only.

4.4.6 The same conditions for Changes and Cancellations to Flying Club Reward Bookings apply to Flying Club Upgrade Rewards as detailed in Clause 4.2.1 of these Flying Club Terms.

4.4.7 Companion Rewards and Complimentary Companion Rewards must be for the same date and flight as that of the paying passenger. The paying passenger is entitled to travel in the same or higher cabin than that of the companion, however Companion Rewards may never be booked into a higher cabin than the revenue ticket holder. Companion Rewards and Complimentary Companion Rewards that are booked in Economy will be booked into the Economy Classic product.

4.4.8 Flying Club Upgrade Rewards, Companion Rewards and Complimentary Companion Rewards are not valid on codeshare flights. Applicable flights must have a “VS” prefix and be operated by Virgin Atlantic.

4.5. Participating Companies

4.5.1 You may only spend Miles that have been recorded in your Flying Club account if they have been earned in accordance with the Participating Companies’ conditions and these Flying Club Terms. Any Miles not earned in this way will be forfeited.

4.5.2 Once tickets are issued, you may make a change to your travel date, route or class of service for an amendment fee in accordance with section 4.2.1, except where the Reward is a Companion Ticket and the person travelling on the paying ticket changes his or her flight or class of travel. In these circumstances, the Companion Reward may be similarly amended, subject to availability of seats and other conditions laid down by the Reward Provider. Once tickets are issued, no name changes are allowed. Once travel has commenced, date and name changes are not permitted

4.5.3 Members travelling with baggage exceeding the limit set by Participating Company airlines must pay the relevant excess baggage charge to the Partner Airline at the departing airport on the day of travel.

4.5.4 Members who are also American Express Card members, enrolled in the Membership Rewards Classic Programme can convert their Membership Rewards points into Flying Club Miles. Flying Club Miles cannot however be converted into American Express Membership Rewards points.