Virgin Atlantic Jacks Up Fees for Award Redemptions

Virgin Atlantic is one of the best British airlines out there, competing against British Airways in the market for long-haul flights to and from the UK, especially transatlantic travel. You can book flights with Virgin Atlantic using points through the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club program, which allows you to transfer points from the following reward programs:

• American Express Membership Rewards®
• Bilt Rewards
• Capital One
• Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• Citi ThankYou® Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Wells Fargo Rewards

Virgin Atlantic offers some of the lowest point redemption rewards out there, allowing you to book flights starting in Economy Class all the way up to Upper Class for a relatively reasonable amount of points.

However, the downside of Virgin Atlantic’s award redemptions is that even though they require a relatively lower amount of points, they often come with high fees that might be off-putting to anyone who is looking to save on cash when booking their travel.

Virgin Atlantic has recently increased its fees for award redemptions, devaluing its award redemptions and making it even more difficult for travelers to save money when booking flights with Virgin Atlantic.

Economy Award Fees: Increased to $111

Some of the lowest and best award redemptions that Virgin Atlantic offers are its Saver reward Economy seats. With Saver rewards Economy seats, you can fly to and from the UK across the Atlantic Ocean for as low as 6,000 points.

At the time of writing this article on June 27, 2025, the fees associated with these Saver rewards seats in Economy have increased from a starting baseline of $75 to $111. Even though the 6,000-point redemption is still an amazing deal for a transatlantic Economy ticket, the increased fees have effectively devalued the award redemption.

As seen in this example for a flight from Boston (BOS) to London (LHR), the flight costs 6,000 points + $111 in taxes and fees. The cash fare for the same flight costs $263, meaning that for this redemption, the value you’d be getting for your points is about 2.53 cents per point.

This is a very solid value for your points, but it is a decrease from the old value, which would’ve been 3.13 cents per point with the old baseline of $75 in taxes and fees.

However, another thing to consider is that international flights to the United States are almost always more expensive than international flights out of the United States. This is due to a variety of factors, most notably the fees that the United States charges to international-arriving travelers, such as the U.S. International Arrival Tax, U.S. Customs and Immigration Fees, etc.

As seen in this example for a flight from London (LHR) to New York (JFK), the flight costs 6,000 points and a staggering £215 in taxes and fees. As of today, £215 is worth $294.68, meaning that the taxes and fees for a flight from the UK to the US are almost triple the fees associated with a flight from the US to the UK.

Premium Award Fees: Increased to $240

In the past, award fees for Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy seats were at a baseline of $106. As of today, the fees for Premium flights start at $240, and cost as low as 10,500 points for Saver fares.

As seen in this example for a flight from New York (JFK) to London (LHR), the Premium fare costs 10,500 points and $240 in taxes and fees. The cash fare for the same flight in Premium Economy costs $749, meaning that the point valuation for this redemption would be 4.85 cents per point, down from 6.12 cents per point with the old taxes and fees of $106.

Upper Class Fees: Increased to $588

Upper Class is the highest and most luxurious service class that Virgin Atlantic offers on its flights. Upper Class seats are lie-flat, offering travelers the most comfort when it comes to airplane seats, as well as a luxury four-course meal service.

In the past, award fees for Virgin Atlantic Upper Class seats started at $255. However, they have more than doubled to $588. Point costs for Upper Class seats are as low as 28,500 points for Saver fares.

As seen in this example, a flight from Boston (BOS) to London (LHR) in Upper Class costs 29,000 points and $588 in taxes and fees.

Even though the taxes and fees are very high on this award redemption, being able to fly in a first-class lie-flat seat on a transatlantic flight for only 29,000 points is an amazing deal.

These Upper Class seats with saver fares come and go very quickly, so if you see a flight that works for you, and you’ve been eyeing to fly in Upper Class, make sure to snag a seat as soon as possible.

Final Remarks

Virgin Atlantic continues to offer some of the most enticing award redemption rates across all cabin classes, from Economy to Upper Class. While the recent increase in taxes and fees may dampen the appeal for some travelers, there’s still significant value to be had, especially when cash fares are high. Saver award flights remain a great opportunity to stretch your points, particularly if you’re flexible with dates and book in advance. If you’re planning a transatlantic trip and have points to spare from any of Virgin Atlantic’s numerous transfer partners, these redemptions can still unlock premium travel experiences at a fraction of the cash cost. Just be sure to factor in the new fee structure when calculating your points value.