4. Spending Miles

4.1. General

4.1.1 Rewards are as set out on in Current Rewards 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 Spending Miles Table (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 this 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 Reward tickets may only be mailed 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. A minimum of 14 days notice is 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. Children between the ages of 5 and up to the day before their 16th birthday must complete a K-id information form.

4.1.10 Members are not permitted to sell or auction free tickets or Miles in any circumstance. Selling or auctioning tickets 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 £25 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. Changes to domestic flights within the UK can be made for an amendment fee of £15. Where the reward is a companion ticket and the person travelling on the paying ticket changes his or her flight or class of travel, the companion ticket 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 7 days or more prior to departure, 75% of the Miles will be recredited to the member’s account. A cancellation fee of £30 for changes to flights originating in the UK, US$25 for changes to flights originating in the US or local currency equivalent of US$25 for changes to flights originating in any other region will apply. If for any reason a flight reward is cancelled less than 7 days prior to departure, no Miles will be refunded and no fee will be charged. If you change the original travel date (within 7 days of departure) and later decide to cancel your flights, you will forfeit the mileage used for the reward. Once travel has commenced Miles cannot be refunded. Except as expressly stated in these Flying Club Terms, Miles are not refundable and changes or revalidation are not permitted in case of no-show.

4.2.2 All Virgin Atlantic Reward seat travel is strictly subject to availability. The number of Reward seats available on each flight is restricted and it is possible that the 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 (ie. 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 redemption seat availability is a guide only and is correct at time of publication.

4.2.3 In the event that any of VAA’s flight Programme or operations are altered, suspended, cut-back or cancelled, we are unable to guarantee that any affected Reward flights booked will be honoured. Miles for such Reward flights booked but not honoured will be reinstated to the Member’s account. If we are able to transfer the Reward flight to another airline, travel will be for economy/coach class only, subject to availability. Post departure the members must claim the difference in Miles by submitting their boarding pass to Flying Club.

4.2.4 VAA Upper Class Rewards and certain APEX type fares do not include a chauffeur driven car or other ground transfer services. Please check when booking.

4.2.5 Members exchanging Miles for an Upper Class reward ticket or upgrade are not entitled to complimentary ground transfers. However, members may spend additional Miles for a single journey in conjunction with the purchase of an Upper Class reward ticket in the UK, USA or South Africa either to or from the airport. Members must be redeeming Flying Club Miles for their Upper Class reward ticket in order to be able to redeem Flying Club Miles for a chauffeur-driven car transfer. Further information is available on the Tristar page.

4.2.6 Flying Club members can spend Miles online for Virgin Atlantic one way or return reward flights but not upgrade, companion and chauffeur driven car service Rewards.

4.2.7 Reward Seat Sale
(a) Virgin Atlantic offers Reward Seat Sales from time to time. 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.

(b) Normal Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Terms apply to Reward Seat Sales.

(c) The offer is applicable to Adult, Child and Infant redemption fares. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

(d) Upgrades will be applied in the normal way. The Economy sale fare would be cancelled and normal Premium Economy or Upper Class redemption levels applied (both during and post offer). For one way upgrades, again the Economy fare sale would be cancelled, and two one way levels applied, thereby the Sale fare would not be applicable.

e) This offer is open to registered Members of the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club only.

(f) Please check at time of booking that you are getting the correct Sale fare type. Virgin Atlantic holds no responsibility to check this on a Member’s behalf.

(g) Normal redemption passenger taxes, fees, charges and surcharges apply (subject to change).

(h) All travel is strictly subject to availability. The number of redemption seats available on each flight is restricted and it is possible that the seats allocated to this offer 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 (ie. Weekends, school and public holidays) will fill quickly and Virgin Atlantic cannot guarantee availability. More seats for a particular flight not available during the offer period, may become available at a later date.

(i) If any Sale fare flight is changed to a date following the end of the offer period the Member will be charged the normal fare level for such flight rather than the Sale fare. Normal change fees will also apply.

(j) 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 seat sale, any difference in mileage will not be refunded to you.
(k) All passengers will be subject to Virgin Atlantic’s general Conditions of Carriage.

4.3. Miles Plus Money
(a) Virgin Atlantic reserves the right to withdraw Miles Plus Money or change all or any part of the Miles Plus Money offer at any time without any further notice. The Miles Plus Money fares vary from time to time.

(b) Miles Plus Money fares can be booked up to 11 months prior to departure.

(c) The Miles Plus Money fares shown are only applicable for bookings and outbound travel within the dates stated and cannot be extended.

(d) Miles Plus Money fares must include a minimum stay of a Saturday night. Maximum stay is 12 months.

(e) All flights are subject to availability and capacity control. Popular dates (i.e. weekends, school and public holidays) will fill quickly and Virgin Atlantic cannot guarantee availability on any dates.

(f) Miles Plus Money fares cannot be combined with any other Virgin Atlantic or Flying Club promotion.

(g) No Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Miles and Tier Points will be earned on Miles Plus Money fares.

(h) For Miles Plus Money fares, infants (under 2 years) not occupying a seat will be charged 10% of the applicable adult fare. Infants (under 2 years) occupying a seat and children (aged 2 - 11 years) will be charged a percentage of the applicable adult fare which is at the sole discretion of VAA. Unaccompanied infants and children will not be accepted for travel on Miles Plus Money fares.

(i) Each sector of Miles Plus Money Mixed itinerary fares will be charged at half the price of the round trip fares.

(j) Open jaw travel (i.e. outbound travel to a Virgin Atlantic destination covered via a Miles Plus Money fare and inbound travel via another Virgin Atlantic destination covered via a Miles Plus Money fare) is permitted.

(k) Chauffeur driven cars and other ground transfer options are not offered on any Miles Plus Money fares (even Upper Class Miles Plus Money Fares).

(l) Buy and/or Gift Miles cannot be used towards a Miles Plus Money fare unless previous earning activity is evident in a member’s account.

4.3.1 Mileage levels
(a) 15,000 Flying Club Miles will be debited for each Upper Class round trip Miles Plus Money fare; 7,500 Flying Club Miles will be debited for each Premium Economy round trip Miles Plus Money fare; and 2,000 Flying Club Miles will be debited for each Economy round trip Miles Plus Money fare. This is applicable to adult and child (2-11 years) fares. Please note double the Miles are needed for round trip upgrades to and from Sydney.

(b For each Infant (under 2 years) not occupying a seat a Member will be debited 1,500 Flying Club Miles for each Upper Class round trip Miles Plus Money fare; 750 Flying Club Miles will be debited for each Premium Economy round trip Miles Plus Money fare; and 200 Flying Club Miles for each Economy round trip Miles Plus Money fare.

(c) For mixed itinerary travel, 7,500 Flying Club Miles will be debited for each sector flown in Upper Class, 3,750 Flying Club Miles will be debited for each sector flown in Premium Economy and 1,000 Flying Club Miles will be debited for each sector flown in Economy.

4.3.2 Miles Plus Money changes and upgrades
(a) Tickets are non refundable. However changes may be possible at applicable charges. Changes can be made subject to availability in the same class for a charge of GBP50 per ticket per change for changes to flights originating in the UK, US$75 for changes to flights originating in the US or local currency equivalent of US$75 for changes to flights originating in any other region. Should you change your itinerary or dates of travel, this may affect the fare to be paid. You will be required to pay any difference in fare, taxes, fees and surcharges, in addition to the change fee. However, where the change results in a lower fare no refund will be given.

(b) Change fees are waived for upgrade to a higher revenue fare or higher Miles Plus Money cabin.

(c) The difference in fare will also be applied as well as the difference in mileage, e.g. 7,500 - 2,000 = 5,500 Flying Club Miles will be debited from the Flying Club member’s account for an Economy to Premium Economy upgrade.

(d) All travel is subject to Virgin Atlantic’s Conditions of Carriage.

(e) We try to ensure that the Miles Plus Money fares available to you as a Flying Club member are amongst the most competitive in the marketplace. However, it is possible that greatly reduced sale fares will not have a Miles Plus Money counterpart and whilst we endeavour to offer our members the lowest rate we cannot guarantee that this will always be the case. Please ask at time of booking for the lowest available fares.

4.4. Upgrades and Companion Rewards

4.4.1 Flying Club Miles can be used to obtain certain upgrades and/or companion tickets subject to availability.

4.4.2 Current qualifying fare classes and the number of miles required for upgrades and companion tickets can be found online at Upgrades/Companion Flights. As qualifying fare classes and the number of Miles required for upgrades and companion tickets may vary from time to time, please check at time of booking.

4.4.3 Companion tickets and free complimentary companion tickets 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 if required, however companion tickets may never be booked into a higher cabin than the revenue ticket holder.

4.4.4 Each complimentary companion ticket provided to a Gold Member is valid for 12 months from the Gold Member’s account applicable renewal date. The Flying Club Gold Member must travel with the companion and is required to book the companion reward within this period. However the travel dates do not need to fall within this 12-month period.

4.4.5 For bookings made via a travel agent please contact your local flying Club helpline. If we are unable to confirm your upgrade, you may call Flying Club no earlier than 72 hours prior to departure to check availability try to confirm the upgrade, or stand by at the airport on the departure date. If seats become available, you may be upgraded. Alternatively, you may exchange your Miles for an upgrade (subject to availability) on the day of departure by approaching the Virgin Atlantic ticket desk at the airport prior to checking in and at least two hours prior to departure (upgrades will not be permitted at the boarding gate).

4.4.6 If you cancel a confirmed upgrade at least seven days before departure, we will recredit 75% of your Miles to your Flying Club account. A handling fee of £25 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. The re-credited Miles will be available for their original validity period. If for any reason you cancel a confirmed upgrade inside 7 days of departure, no Miles will be refunded and no fee will be charged. Once travel has commenced Miles cannot be refunded. Miles are not refundable and changes or revalidation are not permitted in case of no-show.

4.4.7 Flying Club upgrades, companion Rewards and free complimentary companion tickets are not valid on codeshare flights.

4.4.8 Flying Club upgrades cannot be used in conjunction with any promotional fare or discount. Round trip upgrades relate to two flown sectors only. Please note double the Miles are needed for round trip upgrades to and from Sydney.

4.4.9 If you have booked any flights which connect within 24 hours and all such flights have a VS prefix then, if you wish to request an upgrade to any such flight(s) (i) you must upgrade all of the connecting flights; and (ii) there must therefore be upgrade availability for all the connecting flights before the relevant requested upgrades can be applied.

4.4.10 The Member or authorised account user can request one companion return flight reward with Virgin Atlantic, provided that the Flying Club Member and the companion both travel on the same flight and date, and the Flying Club Member’s ticket has been purchased at a qualifying adult fare. Companion Rewards are not valid for flights purchased through Virgin Holidays, Virgin Atlantic Vacations or any other tour operator. Other exemptions include flights purchased at group fares, promotional rates or other selected discount levels.

* For journeys Lagos to the USA and Delhi to USA, Virgin Atlantic published Upper Class fares booked in D class are eligible. All other ticket types such as but not limited to discounted, corporate, travel agent or tour operator fare types are NOT eligible.

4.4.11 Qualifying fare levels for Economy to Premium Economy upgrades and Economy Companion tickets on Virgin Atlantic flights (see table above for country of fare origin restrictions):
Only published adult fares in the below booking classes are eligible:

• Any Economy fares booked in Y or B class are eligible including Virgin Atlantic published, discounted, corporate, travel agent or tour operator type fares. 
• Only Virgin Atlantic published Economy fares booked in R, L, U or M class are eligible. All other ticket types such as but not limited to discounted, corporate, travel agent or tour operator fare types are NOT eligible.
  

4.4.12 Qualifying fare levels for Premium Economy to Upper Class upgrades and Premium Economy Companion tickets on Virgin Atlantic flights (see table above for country of fare origin restrictions):
Only published adult fares in the below booking classes are eligible:

• Any Premium Economy fares booked in W class are eligible including Virgin Atlantic published, discounted, corporate, travel agent or tour operator type fares. 
• Only Virgin Atlantic published Premium Economy fares booked in S class are eligible. All other ticket types such as but not limited to discounted, corporate, travel agent or tour operator fare types are NOT eligible.
  

4.4.13 Qualifying fare levels for Upper Class Companion tickets on Virgin Atlantic flights (see table above for country of fare origin restrictions):
Only published adult fares in the below booking classes are eligible:

• Any Upper Class fares booked in J class are eligible including Virgin Atlantic published, discounted, corporate, travel agent or tour operator type fares.

4.5. CombiFares
CombiFares allows Members to combine a one way Virgin Atlantic mileage reward flight and half of a return revenue Economy or Premium Economy fare (which usually costs less than a one way flight). The revenue fare is based on Virgin Atlantic’s ‘Published’ fares.

a) The published fare that is applied to the booking is half of a return published fare. Weekend surcharges and different seasonality may affect the price of the published fare.

b) The published fare sector of the CombiFare is entitled to earn Miles and Tier Points, in accordance with sections 3.3.1 and 3.3.3 of the Flying Club Terms and Conditions.

c) The reward sector of the CombiFare is not entitled to earn Miles and Tier Points, in accordance with section 4 of the Flying Club Terms and Conditions.

d) Bookings cancelled more than 7 days prior to departure will receive a refund for 75% of the Miles.

e) Bookings cancelled within 7 days of the outbound journey will receive no refunded Miles.

f) The refund policy of a CombiFare booking is governed by the most restrictive fare rules e.g. if the published fare rule states the booking is non refundable and the Flying Club mileage reward rule states a GBP25 cancellation fee, the non refundable rule will apply.

g) When changing dates of travel , the most restrictive fare rules apply e.g. if the published fare rule states a minimum stay of a Saturday night and the Flying Club mileage reward rule states no minimum stay, the Saturday night rule will apply.

h) If the booking is cancelled after travel has commenced, the revenue sector will be recalculated as a full one way published fare and you will have to pay us the difference. Mileage will be non refundable.

i) The CombiFare can only be booked via your local Flying Club helpline.

j) CombiFares cannot be combined with Miles Plus Money rewards.

k) The Mileage Reward sector of the journey can be booked in Economy, Premium Economy or Upper Class (subject to availability).

l) The published fare sector of the journey can be booked in Economy or Premium Economy only.

m) Additional Flying Club Miles can be redeemed (subject to availability) to upgrade to a higher cabin if an applicable published fare has been purchased in the correct booking class. See sections 4.4.5 and 4.4.6 for the applicable booking classes.

n) Infants (under 2 years) occupying a seat and children (aged 2 - 11 years) will be charged a percentage of the applicable adult published fare which is at the sole discretion of VAA.

o) A companion reward cannot be used in conjunction with the CombiFare reward.

4.6. Participating Companies

4.6.1 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 so earned will be forfeited.

4.6.2 Partner flight Rewards are only valid for round trip travel between the destinations specified by the reward provider using the routes stipulated by the relevant reward provider. Members can redeem one-way reward flights with partner airlines, however the full redemption levels (as listed) will apply, unless specified on the Participating Company page

4.6.3 All flight Rewards are for economy or coach class travel unless otherwise stated.

4.6.4 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 ticket 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. No changes can be made within 14 days of travel. Once travel has commenced, date and name changes are not permitted.

4.6.5 Flight Rewards are subject to capacity control. Airlines may limit the number of reward seats available on any flight and prohibit travel on certain days.

4.6.6 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.

4.6.7 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..