My husband and I have always dreamed of visiting London, but we knew we wanted to do it the right way: comfortable flights and a chic hotel stay, with room left in our budget for things like afternoon tea, souvenirs and even a day trip.
All of that can sometimes require some pretty deep pockets, which is why we spent the past year allocating our spending strategically, using my to earn points toward both our flights and our hotel stay.
But like anyone on a budget, we wanted to get the most bang for our “point.” So when American Express last offered a 30% transfer bonus to the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for eligible U.S. cardmembers, I knew I had to jump on the opportunity and book our trip asap. The good news? Amex is offering this same transfer bonus to Virgin again, now through Nov. 30, 2026.
Here’s how I made the most of the transfer bonus, including the redemptions I made and how you can do the same with the current offer.
Transferring my Amex points to Virgin with the 30% bonus
First, let’s break down how the bonus works:
The American Express Membership Rewards® program is offering a 30% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for eligible U.S. cardmembers until Nov. 30, 2026. That means every 1,000 Membership Rewards points you transfer becomes 1,300 Virgin Points®. Terms apply. Note that Amex points must be transferred in multiples of 1,000, with a minimum of 1,000 points.
Now I’m no math whiz, but I do know that means 100,000 Membership Rewards points would convert to 130,000 Virgin Points, instead of the standard 1:1 ratio. That’s one of the best transfer rates Amex offers.
Several Amex cards earn transferable Membership Rewards points, including:
Editor tip: If you’re new to transferring Membership Rewards, like I was, I highly recommend checking out our beginner-friendly guide that breaks down how to transfer Membership Rewards points to partners like Virgin step by step, along with any restrictions you need to be aware of.
The best part about Virgin as a transfer partner is its surprising breadth. You can redeem your points for flights on Virgin Atlantic, as well as stays at Virgin Hotels and cruise sailings with Virgin Voyages.
I had built up a solid balance of Membership Rewards points through a combination of the Gold Card’s welcome offer and my everyday spending, but the limited-time window of that bonus meant I couldn’t afford to think about it for too long.
How I booked my Virgin Atlantic flights to London with Virgin Points
Outbound in premium economy
I live in Central Florida, and luckily for me, Virgin Atlantic offers nonstop flights from Orlando
International Airport (MCO) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR). However, Virgin Atlantic also flies nonstop to LHR from airports across the U.S., including:
- New York: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Boston: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
- Washington, D.C.: Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- Miami: Miami International Airport (MIA)
- Tampa: Tampa International Airport (TPA)
- Atlanta: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Las Vegas: Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
- Los Angeles: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- San Francisco: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Seattle: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Personally, I’ve always been curious about Virgin’s premium economy cabin after hearing so many great things about it from my fellow TPG colleagues. So for our outbound flight, we booked premium economy, which comes with perks like extra legroom and an elevated meal service.
It cost me 35,000 Virgin Points per person, plus taxes and fees. With the 30% bonus, I only needed to transfer 54,000 Amex points for the two of us, which means I saved 16,000 Amex points on the outbound leg alone.
Note that taxes, fees and charges apply in addition to the points price for reward flights in all classes. These vary depending on factors such as your destination and travel dates, and the applicable amount is shown at the time of booking.
From check-in to landing, the premium economy cabin proved to be the perfect balance of value and comfort. Extra touches like a dedicated check-in desk, a glass of bubbly after boarding, upgraded dining and amenity kits made the experience feel so special. The wide leather seats with extra legroom meant we arrived in London well-rested and ready to explore. I could see why so many people rave about it; it was the perfect middle ground between budget-friendly and comfortable.
Inbound in Upper Class
The real splurge was our return flight, which turned out to hardly be a splurge at all because I found a nonstop Upper Class flight home from LHR to MCO for just 29,000 Virgin Points per person, plus taxes and fees. Thanks to the bonus, I only needed to transfer 46,000 Amex points total for two people. That’s 12,000 Membership Reward points saved on an already incredible redemption. Needless to say, I felt like I’d won the lottery.
I’ll be the first to tell you that it doesn’t get any better than Virgin’s Upper Class for R&R on a nine-hour flight across the Atlantic. The direct-aisle-access seats converted into lie-flat beds, and the amenity kits were well curated. Not to mention that the dining and inflight service made me feel like, well, royalty.
By the time we touched down in Orlando, I had slept through most of the flight, which is a rarity for me as a nervous flyer. We arrived home feeling restored rather than depleted.
Total savings
Combined, our flights cost us 128,000 Virgin Points plus taxes and fees, which took 100,000 Amex points to cover. The transfer bonus saved my husband and me 28,000 Membership Rewards points across both flights, and we used them to redeem on Virgin Red for a rewards stay at Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch.
| Redemption | Virgin Points (for 2 people) | Membership Rewards points transferred | Virgin Points saved with 30% transfer bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium economy: MCO to LHR |
70,000 | 54,000 | 16,000 |
| Upper Class: LHR to MCO |
58,000 | 46,000 | 12,000 |
| Flights total | 128,000 | 100,000 | 28,000 |
Using Virgin Points for my stay at Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch
Booking my stay
Once I had committed to the Virgin Atlantic booking, staying at Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch was a no-brainer with that 30% transfer bonus. And yes, when you transfer Membership Rewards points to the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, you can use them toward a stay at a Virgin Hotels property.
Editor tip: Once you’ve transferred your Membership Reward points to Virgin, check out our easy-to-follow guide to booking Virgin Hotels with Virgin Points.
On our dates, the stay came out to about 60,000 Virgin Points per night. For our four-night stay, I was looking at 240,000 points in total, which felt like a lot to give up. With the 30% transfer bonus, though, I only needed to transfer 185,000 Membership Rewards points, which was much easier to wrap my head around.
Staying at Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch
When I booked the hotel, I had a feeling using my points would be well worth it, and from the moment we arrived at Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch, my suspicions were confirmed. The hotel sits in trendy East London, far enough from the crowds and tourist traps, but close to the Old Street Tube station for easy access to activities and dining across the city. It’s also a convenient 10-minute walk from Liverpool Street Station, which has direct access to LHR.
The hotel has quintessential Virgin design, with red accents everywhere, from the lobby carpets to the Smeg fridges in the guest rooms. Beyond the rooms, the property has a rooftop pool for the warmer months and a retro hi-fi listening bar called Hidden Grooves, which serves creative cocktails that are perfect after a long day exploring London.
As for how it compares to cash pricing, a comparable room size runs around $450-$550 per night. Our four-night stay on Virgin Points was equivalent to saving roughly $2,000 in cash, which suddenly made the Amex transfer bonus feel like money in the bank.
The activities I fit in with the money I saved
With our flights and hotels covered by points, we had cash to spend on our most anticipated experiences in London. Here are a few of my favorite trip highlights:
- Afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason: When in London, you have to make time for it. Fortnum & Mason’s classic afternoon tea came out to £168 (about $233) for two people. I loved trying the different teas, finger sandwiches and pastries. Of course, I stopped in their department store on the way out to pick up several tea flavors and biscuits to enjoy back home. If you’d rather use points, you can also redeem 23,000 Virgin Points for a Champagne afternoon tea for two at Fortnum & Mason through Virgin Red.
- Tours and experiences: There is so much history to see in London, so visiting the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London was absolutely surreal. My husband and I like to visit these places at our own pace, so we opted for self-guided audio tours at places like Westminster Abbey, which was surreal to see in person after watching coronations and royal weddings on TV growing up. We did the same at The National Gallery, where I teared up seeing some of my favorite paintings in person, like Claude Monet’s The Bridge over the Water-Lily Pond.
- London shopping crawl: This was a nonnegotiable for me. During our trip, we spent an entire day wandering and shopping through different London neighborhoods, like Notting Hill and Marylebone, to pick up souvenirs. I picked up a few art prints and shirts at Abbey Road Studios, and took a tour of the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studios. I’m also a big Disney fan, of course, we had to make a pit stop at the Disney Store to grab special London-edition items like pins and t-shirts for my Disney collection.
Bottom line
My Membership Rewards transfer to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club covered nearly every big-ticket item on our London trip: flights in both directions, including a lie-flat Upper Class seat home, and four nights at Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch. With the 30% transfer bonus stretching every point further, we were able to spend our cash on experiences, dining and souvenirs.
If you’ve been sitting on a stash of Membership Rewards points, this is one of the best ways to use them right now, and you don’t need to go to London. Virgin Atlantic also flies nonstop from the U.S. to Manchester and Edinburgh and connecting through Heathrow opens up destinations like Barbados, Cape Town, Dubai, Mumbai and the Maldives.
Your points aren’t limited to flights, either. You can put them toward a stay at Virgin Hotels or even a Virgin Voyages cruise. Just keep in mind that the 30% transfer bonus, available to eligible U.S. cardmembers, ends Nov. 30, 2026, so whether you’re dreaming of a lie-flat seat across the Atlantic or days in the sun at sea, now is the time to book your next trip.
Transfer your Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club here.
