Our Verdict
This card is not currently open to new applications.
The Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard®* isn’t your average run-of-the-mill airline credit card. In addition to a welcome bonus, it offers a higher than normal everyday rewards rate of 3 points per dollar on Virgin Atlantic purchases and 1.5 points per dollar on all other purchases. As you spend more money, the card unlocks several benefits like a companion pass and bonus Virgin Points. This card is a useful option for those who value the Flying Club loyalty program and for those who frequently fly Virgin Atlantic.
Pros
- Reasonable $90 annual fee
- 1.5 Virgin Points earned on all purchases with no limit
- Ability to spend your way to status by earning tier points
Cons
- High APR
- High spend required to unlock all of the extra mileage offers
- No bonus categories for spending besides on Virgin Atlantic flights
Highlights
- Earn 3 points per $1 spent directly on Virgin Atlantic purchases
- Earn 1.5 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- Earn 25 tier points after spending $2,500 in purchases (maximum 50 per month)
Introduction
Bank of America’s Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard®* can offer incredible value for points and miles enthusiasts, primarily thanks to the ability to accumulate miles quickly with its lucrative loyalty program, Flying Club. In addition to an above average, everyday spend earning rate of 3 points per dollar on Virgin Atlantic purchases and 1.5 points per dollar on all other purchases cardholders can earn the following welcome bonus: 30,000 points after spending $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
All of these benefits come at a reasonable annual fee. And speaking of fees, this card does not impose any foreign transaction fees.
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Quick Facts
- Welcome bonus: 30,000 points after spending $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening
- Earn 3 points per dollar on Virgin Atlantic purchases and 1.5 points per dollar on all other purchases
- Earn 25 tier points per $2,500 in purchases (maximum 50 per month)
Rewards
Earning Rewards
Savvy travelers who value Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club program may find the Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard®* a lucrative addition to their points and miles portfolio. The card offers bonus miles in several achievement tiers and a welcome bonus: 30,000 points after spending $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
One of the most valuable features of this card is the everyday spending rate, which awards you a generous 3 points per dollar on Virgin Atlantic purchases and 1.5 points per dollar on all other purchases with no limit to the miles you can earn. Most other airline cards offer just 1 mile per dollar spent for everyday purchases.
Redeeming Rewards
Virgin Atlantic’s own loyalty program, Flying Club, doesn’t generally offer the best value for your points and miles if you only intend to use them to fly Virgin Atlantic Upper Class. The main reason is that it imposes large fuel surcharges and hefty taxes on its own flights, especially on flights that transit London. The surcharges on economy and premium economy flights are more palatable and deals can be found like 10,000 Virgin Points plus approximately $150 in taxes one way from the East Coast of the U.S. to London.
If you want to fly at the front of the plane, your best bet is to use Virgin’s partner, Delta Air Lines. Flying Delta, you can spend just 50,000 Virgin Points and $5.60 in taxes to fly one way on a non-stop Delta One flight from the U.S. to Europe. Other appealing options include 110,000 miles round trip U.S. to Asia in business class on Virgin partner ANA.
Rewards Potential
Forbes Advisor collects data from various government agencies and uses it to determine income and spending in various categories for consumer credit cards. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households in the United States bring in $116,000 annually and are able to charge around $36,177 onto credit cards every year.
Forbes Advisor estimates that an average consumer will spend $2,443 per year on flights, so someone flying exclusively on Virgin Atlantic and using the Virgin Atlantic credit card to pay for those flights would earn a total of 7,329 Virgin Points.
Other expenses that can reasonably be charged to a credit card add another $33,734 in annual spending and would earn about 50,601 Virgin Points, for a total of 57,950 Virgin Points earned each year in addition to the first-year welcome offer.
Other Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard® Benefits
- Spend To Silver Status: Earn 25 tier points for every $2,500 you spend on purchases, with a maximum of 50 tier points per month. This gives you the chance to earn up to 600 tier points per year. To reach Virgin Atlantic silver status, you need just 400 tier points.
- Earn a Companion Certificate: When you redeem Virgin Points for a Virgin Atlantic award ticket or choose to upgrade your seat to a premium class cabin, you can use your companion certificate to bring a companion in the same cabin class for just the cost of taxes and fees. You must spend $25,000 or more on purchases annually to qualify.
- Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance: You’re automatically protected up to $500,000 when you charge your entire fare to your credit card.
- Purchase Assurance: Items purchased with your credit card are eligible for protection up to $1,000.
- Emergency Roadside Assistance: 24-hour toll-free access to a network of providers who specialize in emergency roadside automotive needs.
- Concierge: Enjoy VIP access to hotel, dining and exclusive tickets from personal Concierge services.
Fine Print
Interest Rates
- Regular APR: 19.99% to 27.99% variable
- Purchase Intro APR: N/A
- Balance Transfer Intro APR: N/A
Fees
- Annual Fee: $90
- Balance Transfer Fee: 3% of the amount of each transaction
- Cash Advance: Forbes Advisor never recommends taking out a cash advance on this credit card.
- Foreign Purchase Transaction Fee: None
How the Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard® Stacks Up
Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard®* vs. American Express® Green Card*
The American Express® Green Card* offers a welcome bonus: 40,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. The Amex Green Card also earns 3 points per dollar on travel and transit including flights, hotels, taxis, rideshare services, trains, parking and more, 3 points per dollar on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and 1 point per dollar on other purchases, offers up to an annual $100 LoungeBuddy statement credit when you use your card and an annual $189 CLEAR® Plus credit when you use your card to pay for your CLEAR® Plus membership. The annual fee on the Amex Green Card is $150.
Membership Rewards can also be transferred to Virgin Atlantic and other airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio and American Express has even offered up to a 30% transfer bonus from time to time. The true value of Membership Rewards lies in their flexibility. Not only can you transfer points to Virgin Atlantic, you can also choose from many other partners including Delta Air Lines or spend them on travel at 1 cent per point.
Finally, the Amex Green Card is eligible for Amex Offers where cardholders can earn statement credits for enrolling their card in an offer and making a purchase.
Compared to the Amex Green Card, the Virgin Atlantic card doesn’t have much of an upper hand except for a lower annual fee and the ability to earn more points on everyday purchases. If you don’t plan on using the LoungeBuddy and CLEAR credits, and know that you only want access to Virgin Atlantic points, the Virgin Atlantic card could potentially be a better option.
Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard®* vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card which has a similar $95 annual fee, offers new cardholders the ability to earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. It has a few perks that can make it a better option, especially if you haven’t had a Sapphire card and are still under Chase’s 5/24 rule. Cardholders will earn 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
For one, Chase’s Ultimate Rewards® are one of the most flexible and valuable currencies available with over a dozen valuable partners such as United Airlines and Hyatt. They can also be transferred to Virgin Atlantic at a 1:1 ratio.
A major downside of the Sapphire Preferred card is that you can hold only one Sapphire product at a time and must wait 48 months before you are eligible for the bonus offer again. The Virgin Atlantic card is much less restrictive as you can receive the welcome offer every 24 months.
Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard®* vs. Citi Premier® Card
The Citi Premier® Card has a $95 annual fee and offers a welcome bonus: 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. The card offers the following rewards: 3 ThankYou points per dollar at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels, 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases and a total of 10 points per dollar on hotels, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024. The Citi Premier® Card also earns an annual $100 credit when you book a single hotel stay of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, through thankyou.com.
ThankYou points are a flexible points currency and can offer loads of value because they can be transferred to various airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, at a 1:1 ratio or be spent directly on travel.
Is the Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard® Card for You?
The Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard®* is packed with value, but only offers value to travelers who utilize the Flying Club loyalty program and need to quickly accumulate Virgin Points. For many travelers, a card that earns flexible points like Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards or Citi ThankYou Points, which all transfer to Virgin Atlantic and other partners at a 1:1 ratio, will be much more rewarding options.
The value in Flying Club lies within its partner redemptions, which means you will have to spend time learning the details of the program. If you want something simple, the Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard®* is probably not the best choice for you. But if you fit the right travel profile and are willing to put in the work, you could find the card, and the program, especially lucrative.
*The information for the following card(s) has been collected independently by Forbes Advisor: Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard®, American Express® Green Card. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
