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From flying domestically for a discount to touring to Europe in fashion in Delta One suites for 50,000 factors, it can save you a bunch of Delta SkyMiles by reserving by means of Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership. However vacationers like me based mostly in Seattle (SEA) is perhaps the most important winners to save lots of on this wonderful workaround.
After I wish to escape the rain and gloom of the Pacific Northwest, a nonstop Delta flight to a different state can price simply 8,500 factors and even much less – whereas the seashores of Hawaii are simply 30,000 Virgin factors away for roundtrip flights. And because of the proximity to the Pacific Ocean up right here in Seattle, you can too e-book Delta flights to Asia for a discount, too – usually a fraction of what Delta prices in SkyMiles for the very same flight.
It is doable on account of airline alliances and partnerships, permitting vacationers to make use of miles from one airline to e-book flights on a dozen (or extra) different carriers. Few of those partnerships are extra useful to Delta flyers than this relationship with Virgin Atlantic – each belong to the SkyTeam alliance.
Plus, Virgin factors are even simpler to earn than Delta SkyMiles. Journey bank cards just like the *amex gold*, *chase sapphire most well-liked*, and *enterprise x* earn factors which can be transferrable to Virgin Atlantic … usually with a 30% switch bonus, lowering what number of factors it’s worthwhile to e-book an already-fantastic deal by means of Virgin.
And this workaround is pretty straightforward to e-book, too. We’re seeing pretty wide-open availability by means of the vacations and into 2024 to e-book these Delta economic system flights between Seattle and Hawaii, South Korea, and Japan by way of Virgin Atlantic. Whether or not you are a fellow Seattleite or prepared to e-book a positioning flight to benefit from flight deal redeemable with factors, let’s take a look at these three Delta routes you possibly can e-book for a lot fewer factors by turning to Virgin Atlantic.
Learn our full information on reserving Delta flights by means of Virgin Atlantic!
The Fundamentals of Reserving Delta by way of Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic is the British airline based by businessman (and now astronaut) Sir Richard Branson in 1984. It is obtained an in depth partnership with Delta, which owns nearly half the U.Okay. airline along with belonging to the identical alliance.
After all, you should use Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership factors to fly Virgin Atlantic between the U.S. and U.Okay. Nevertheless it’s not an amazing worth: Their charges aren’t one of the best, and so they tack on fairly exorbitant taxes and costs.
However their partnership means you can too use these factors to fly Delta – and it is a a lot better deal. Whereas Delta’s dynamic award pricing signifies that the variety of SkyMiles you may have to e-book a flight is unpredictable and continuously fluctuating, Virgin Atlantic’s award charges are steady.
By looking for Delta flights by means of the Virgin Atlantic web site, you possibly can usually e-book Delta award tickets for a fraction of the SkyMiles Delta is charging for the very same flights. And the charges are cheap, too: Simply $5.60 for many one-way flights from the U.S., until you are heading to London-Heathrow (LHR).
And that is the place we vacationers can take benefit, reserving for fewer factors by means of Virgin.
Virgin Atlantic’s Award Chart
Delta removed its SkyMiles award chart – the cheat sheet that determines what number of factors it’s worthwhile to e-book a flight from level A to level B – years in the past. However Virgin Atlantic has nonetheless obtained one, together with for the Delta flights we care about.
For many Delta flights, Virgin Atlantic makes use of a distance-based award chart for home flights throughout the U.S., and to locations like Asia, Australia, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The longer the flight, the extra factors it’s going to price you.
Which means many long-haul flights will price you extra factors. Some price way more than they did years in the past after Virgin made some adverse modifications – particularly if you wish to e-book enterprise class seats on Delta.
Learn extra: Virgin Atlantic Simply Destroyed Delta Redemption Candy Spots
There is a separate award charts for flights to United Kingdom and one other for all different flights to Europe. However that is not what we’re frightened about right here.
We have damaged it down right into a useful chart with among the hottest redemptions, with all pricing listed for one-way flights. Need to e-book a round-trip? Simply double it. As you possibly can see, a few of these flights are way more cheap than others – particularly from Seattle.
| Route | Economic system (one-way) | Enterprise Class (one-way) |
|---|---|---|
| Flights beneath 500 miles | 7,500 miles | 17,500 miles |
| Flights 501-1,000 miles | 8,500 miles | 27,500 miles |
| Detroit (DTW) to Honolulu (HNL) | 27,500 miles | 105,000 miles |
| Seattle (SEA) to Honolulu (HNL) | 15,000 miles | 52,500 miles |
| U.S. to Europe (excluding U.Okay.) | 30,000 miles | 50,000 miles |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Tokyo-Haneda (HND) | 35,000 miles | 130,000 miles |
| Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo-Haneda (HND) | 27,500 miles | 105,000 miles |
| Atlanta (ATL) to Seoul-Incheon (ICN) | 45,000 miles | 165,000 miles |
| Seattle (SEA) to Seoul-Incheon (ICN) | 35,000 miles | 130,000 miles |
| New York Metropolis (JFK) to Sao Paulo (GRU) | 27,500 miles | 105,000 miles |
| Los Angeles (LAX) to Sydney (SYD) | 45,000 miles | 165,000 miles |
Undecided how lengthy your flight is? Plug it into GCmap.com.
Observe the chart and you will see the shortest home flights begin at 7,500 miles every approach. Even flights as much as 1,000 miles generally is a deal at simply 8,500 miles every approach in economic system. And since a one-way flight from Seattle to Tokyo-Haneda (HND) measures roughly 4,800 miles, you possibly can e-book it for 27,500 Virgin factors every approach.
To e-book at these charges, you may have to look at VirginAtlantic.com. However there are some essential caveats when reserving Delta flights utilizing Virgin Atlantic factors:
- Nice award charges are one factor, however first it’s worthwhile to discover the supply to e-book these Delta flights by way of Virgin … and that may require some flexibility (even typically for Delta economic system class). You would possibly discover what you are on the lookout for, however your search would possibly come up utterly empty-handed
- You sometimes have to e-book at the least three weeks earlier than departure, in any other case you will not see Delta flights when looking out by means of Virgin Atlantic, interval
- You will wish to concentrate on nonstop flights, as Virgin prices per phase. In case your flight entails a connection, Virgin Atlantic will measure the gap of every flight and add them collectively for the ultimate complete
- You may enter your SkyMiles quantity whenever you e-book to simply handle your journey by means of Delta, however you will not earn SkyMiles or Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) in direction of Medallion Standing with these tickets
- Because you’re flying Delta, you possibly can nonetheless get Delta Sky Membership entry with a card just like the *delta reserve card* or *amex platinum* (with new restrictions)
Past the higher offers, there’s one enormous upside reserving by means of Virgin Atlantic. Whereas the most affordable charges you would possibly discover utilizing your SkyMiles is perhaps a fundamental economic system award, every Delta economic system fare you possibly can e-book with Virgin factors is a Delta most important cabin economic system ticket.
That is enormous. Which means you would use extra SkyMiles for a skimpier ticket, which means you’d board final and must pay additional to choose a seat … or you would e-book for fewer factors by means of Virgin, and get that possibility free of charge
With that out of the best way, let’s have a look at these financial savings in motion from Seattle.
Seattle to Wherever in Hawaii for 15K
Do not sleep on Seattle for those who’ve obtained Hawaii in your wishlist.
Seattle is one in every of Delta’s most-important hubs, so they have loads of nonstop flights to Hawaii – and never simply Honolulu (HNL), however Maui (OGG), Kauai (LIH) and the Huge Island (KOA), too.
Irrespective of the place you go, you possibly can e-book these flights for simply 30,000 Virgin factors and $11.20 roundtrip. Time it proper, and you would make this deal even sweeter by utilizing a 30% switch bonus (like a present bonus from Chase) that bank cards often supply to Virgin Atlantic – solely 24,000 Virgin factors to make your trip to Hawaii a actuality.
Discovering these Delta flights by means of Virgin is often pretty straightforward: We’re seeing plentiful availability from Seattle to the Hawaiian islands from November by means of February 2024. Getting again needs to be straightforward, too.
For instance, here is a take a look at all of your choices for flying nonstop from Seattle to Maui early subsequent yr for simply 15,000 factors.
What’s nice about these flights is that you simply’re reserving Delta most important cabin tickets, so you possibly can choose your seats with out additional charges – or threat getting caught within the center. After reserving, simply go to Delta.com and discover your flights, the place you possibly can shortly choose a seat free of charge.
flights you would e-book proper now that depart as quickly as December (with some extra sparse availability in November), you would neglect about these costly vacation fares.
That mentioned, you would possibly be capable to e-book these flights from Seattle at even cheaper charges utilizing SkyMiles – particularly if a tremendous Delta SkyMiles flash sale pops up. And paying money, these fares from Seattle (SEA) can typically be fairly low-cost – assume $300 or much less roundtrip – which means you would possibly fairly save your factors for an additional deal.
On the very least, it is value evaluating between each Delta and Virgin Atlantic.
Simply bear in mind that the most affordable choices will nearly all the time be Delta fundamental economic system fares, loaded with restrictions. Once you e-book Delta flights by means of Virgin, they’re all the time most important cabin.
Should you do discover a higher deal to Hawaii by means of Delta, you would make it even cheaper for those who’ve obtained a Delta co-branded card just like the *delta skymiles gold card*, which will get you one other 15% off when utilizing SkyMiles. Irrespective of the way you e-book, that card may very well be value having for one purpose: free baggage.
On home Delta flights, you may pay $30 every technique to verify a bag. However with the Delta Gold Card, you get your first checked bag free – and that works even for those who e-book utilizing Virgin Atlantic factors. Contemplating the cardboard has a $0 introductory annual charge for the primary yr, then $99 thereafter (see charges & charges), it may very well be effectively value it.
Seattle to Seoul
Trying to manifest your Okay-drama fantasies in 2024? Seattle is one other unbelievable start line for attending to Seoul (ICN).
Should you’re on the West Coast or prepared to fly out of Seattle, you possibly can e-book nonstop Delta economic system flights to South Korea for 70,000 factors and $44.20 per passenger roundtrip.
It is one of many least expensive methods to get to Asia flying Delta utilizing Virgin factors – and since you’re reserving a most important cabin economic system ticket on this worldwide flight, you possibly can even verify two baggage free of charge. With roundtrip fares to South Korea often $1,200 or extra, this can be a discount. It is a deal I am taking benefit myself, reserving my household of 4 to Seoul early subsequent yr.
Delta operates different nonstop flights to Seoul from hubs like Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), Detroit (DTW), and Atlanta (ATL), however the longer distance means you may want 90,000 factors for roundtrip flights from these cities. That places Seattle within the candy spot once more for decrease charges when reserving by means of Virgin.
Should you can benefit from a frequent Virgin Atlantic switch bonus, you’d want simply 54,000 bank card factors from banks like Chase, Capital One, or Amex to e-book these flights. What a discount!
Higher but, there’s loads of availability for outbound flights to Seoul from January all the best way into April with Delta. Availability on the return flights to Seattle is proscribed to January and February, as of publication.
Should you have been redeeming Delta SkyMiles as a substitute, the identical most important cabin ticket would run you 112,000 Delta SkyMiles plus $45 roundtrip. This isn’t deal.
Whether or not you propose to remain in South Korea or wish to use Seoul as a jumping-off level to go elsewhere in Asia, this can be a strong choice to get to Asia. And it is nice for Seattleites, West Coast residents, or anybody who can hitch an affordable flight to Seattle with a view to benefit from these decrease charges to Seoul.
Seattle to Tokyo, Too
Dreaming of strolling by means of the attractive, pink cherry blossoms paths in Japan? Flying from Seattle to Tokyo is one of the best deal of all of them.
It is simply 55,000 Virgin factors roundtrip – a fraction of what Delta sometimes prices in SkyMiles – with cheap money charges. Time it with a Virgin Atlantic switch bonus, and you would e-book a visit to Japan and again utilizing simply 43,000 factors complete.
Different Delta nonstops to will price you extra Virgin factors as a result of longer flights. Should you have been paying money, this Delta flight may simply price you round $2,000 for a similar route.
Award availability by way of Virgin on this route is at the moment nonexistent, however that is one to maintain monitor of. Previously, we have alerted our Thrifty Traveler Premium members to some wide-open availability from Seattle and different cities – together with for a visit over cherry blossom season!
Trying to e-book this utilizing Delta SkyMiles? Simply neglect about it. Until you luck out with a uncommon SkyMiles flash sale to Tokyo, these nonstop Delta flights will usually price you twice as many factors as reserving by means of Virgin Atlantic … or much more.
Many vacationers making an attempt to make use of factors would possibly assume to fly out of Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO) first. However as a Seattleite, this can be a route I am monitoring carefully – and you need to too.
How one can E-book Delta Flights by way of Virgin
We have written guides on the best way to use Virgin factors extensively right here at Thrifty Traveler due to the wonderful worth it gives to vacationers, each domestically and internationally.
It is a pretty easy course of: Simply head to VirginAtlantic.com and begin looking out. However their web site will be wonky, and discovering the Delta flights you possibly can really e-book can require some trial and error.
Whereas Virgin eliminated a useful worth calendar to see 5 week’s value of flights, you possibly can nonetheless use a trick to tug it up. There’s additionally Virgin’s comparatively new Reward Seat Checker instrument, which you should use to pinpoint Delta flights..
On the Virgin reserving web page, merely click on “Superior search” to start discovering flight availability from your property or close by airport. Make sure to begin with a a method search, then choose “Present versatile dates,” then “Factors,” and “Economic system.”
When coming into your airports, you would possibly encounter some points: Virgin would possibly pull up nothing. In that case, manually choose “see full airport record” and discover the airport you want.
You’ll have to search week-by-week till you see a display screen exhibiting the accessible flights for that week.
One you get to this display screen, edit the “flexible-dates” portion of the URL hyperlink to “flexible-calendar” with a view to get a extra useful, month-to-month view of availability.
Making these magical redemptions work can require some endurance and adaptability. Typically, Delta will launch loads of these seats to e-book by way of Virgin Atlantic. Different instances, you possibly can scroll by means of months of flights with out seeing a single seat – or your search could error out. Fortuitously, it is a lot simpler for these economic system flights out and in of Seattle.
Merely repeat the method when researching for a return flight after which change the search from “A method” to “Spherical journey” to finalize your reserving. That is essential for some worldwide flights as a result of roundtrip bookings originating within the U.S. could have decrease taxes than reserving two separate one-way flights.
Flying into one metropolis and again from one other? Use the multi-city search instrument to e-book as soon as you’ve got pinpointed accessible dates.
Should you encounter any points with no accessible flights being accessible, merely repeat the steps for various dates and close by airports till you’ll be able to discover one of the best flights for you.
How one can Earn Virgin Atlantic Factors
Sadly, you possibly can’t switch Delta SkyMiles to a Virgin Atlantic account. But Virgin factors are among the best to earn since you possibly can immediately switch factors to Virgin at a 1:1 ratio from all main transferrable factors packages.
Should you’re incomes Amex Categorical Membership Rewards, Chase Final Rewards, Capital One Enterprise Miles, and Citi ThankYou factors, these will be transferred to Virgin. And for those who’re incomes factors on lease, you can too switch Bilt Rewards. Simply beware that with each Bilt and Capital One, you may really switch factors to your Virgin Pink account – try our walkthrough of the best way to do it!
Should you’re simply beginning out with factors and miles, we take into account the *CSP* one of the best journey rewards bank card for learners. At present, you possibly can earn a welcome bonus of 60,000 Chase Final Rewards factors after spending $4,000 within the first three months. And with 3x factors per greenback spent for eating and 2x factors for journey purchases, it is very easy to rack up a ton of Chase factors that may be immediately transferred to Virgin factors.
Be taught extra concerning the *csp*.
The *enterprise x* is loaded with advantages reminiscent of entry to Capital One Lounges and Precedence Move lounges, a $300 annual journey credit score, a credit score for World Entry or TSA PreCheck, nice journey and rental automobile insurance coverage safety, and extra. The annual charge clocks in at $395 a yr, however the advantages can simply outweigh that.
One of the best half is you could at the moment earn 75,000 Enterprise Miles after spending $4,000 within the first three months. Contemplating you earn at the least 2x for each greenback you spend on the Enterprise X Card, you’ll earn a complete of at the least 83,000 Enterprise Miles, which will be transferred immediately to 83,000 Virgin factors. That alone is sufficient to fly Delta One enterprise class to Europe from wherever within the U.S.
Be taught extra concerning the *enterprise x*.
The *amex gold card* is at the moment providing a 60,000-point welcome bonus after spending $4,000 within the first six months. Higher but, you might be able to qualify for a whopping 75,000-point welcome bonus utilizing CardMatch – and even discover a 90,000-point bonus for those who’re fortunate!
Past that bonus, this card is well the most effective all-around journey playing cards available on the market thanks largely to an unbeatable 4x return on a limiteless quantity of spending at eating places and 4x factors on as much as $25,000 a yr spent at U.S. supermarkets – and 1x factors after that.
Be taught extra concerning the *amex gold*
Let’s make one factor clear: Bank cards are severe enterprise. You need to by no means apply for a bank card for those who’re already in debt, and by no means cost extra to a bank card than you possibly can afford to repay instantly. Any factors or money again you would possibly earn from a bank card aren’t value it.
But when you are able to do so responsibly, why not maximize these factors by reserving flights to Hawaii or Asia for even much less by means of Virgin?
Backside Line
There are numerous methods to e-book Delta flights for fewer factors by turning to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership. However Seattle is the sweetest spot of all of them.
Journeys to Hawaii, South Korea, and Japan are in style locations that usually include a hefty price ticket if booked with money. However that is not the case when reserving from Seattle utilizing Virgin factors, as you may get among the lowest charges yow will discover from any mileage program.
Do not be sleepless in Seattle. You will miss the window to e-book these offers accessible now.