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Are you one of those people who finds it tough and complex to check the availability of award seats? And without proper knowledge, it really is tough and complex. But Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has come up with a solution for the problem with its new tool named the Reward Flight Finder. The Reward Flight Finder is a tool designed to make finding award flights a breeze. It’s here to help you overcome the challenges you may face in your search.
Reward Seat Checker offers a convenient daily overview of reward availability for each month, categorized into three cabins: Upper Class, Premium, and Economy. For now, you can check the Virgin Atlantic and Delta flights.
How Does The Reward Seat Checker Work?
As I mentioned above, this tool offers a straightforward and reliable way to check the availability of reward seats based on your desired destination. It provides a daily snapshot of available seats for each month, covering all three cabin classes. Moreover, it includes information on both Virgin Atlantic and Delta award availability for travel to and from the UK.
To check the availability of the Virgin Atlantic Awards, firstly, go to the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club website and navigate to the seat checker page. You need to select whether you want to check the award availability for Virgin Atlantic or Delta. Next, choose the desired travel route and month of travel.
With Virgin Atlantic, you have the option to choose London Heathrow (LHR), Manchester (MAN), and Edinburgh (EDI) as departure points.
Compared to the award seat availability search of other airlines, this one is easier to use and understand. For instance, here is an example of availability for the month of September from Heathrow (LHR) to New York (JFK) of Virgin Upper Class.
After checking the availability of the flight you want to take, you will need to go back to the current search feature in order to actually book your ticket. This award search feature is truly well executed and stands out from the rest.
Another great feature on the result page is the ability to check the availability of return award space for your selected route. To do this, click on the “See Return” button on the result page.
Trick To Use Reward Flight Finder
Virgin Atlantic has done a great job with its Reward Flight Finder, incorporating some fantastic features that make it easier to check for awards. If you take a closer look at the URL of your search, you’ll notice that it includes details such as the route, airline, month, and even the year.
If you look at the URL above, you’ll notice that it includes the origin, destination, month, and year. This is actually quite convenient because it allows for quicker subsequent searches. Let’s say you want to switch from searching for flights in September to November. All you have to do is modify the URL. Having the option to tweak the URL can be quite handy for customizing your search based on your specific travel plans.
Another use of this trick is to check the award availability by searching by month instead of using the flexible date option. You’ll notice the term “flexible-dates?” in the URL. To switch to the Virgin award calendar search results, all you have to do is replace the word “dates” with the word “calendar”.You’ll be able to view the Virgin award calendar search results, which provide a broader view of the available award options for your desired month.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Reward Seat Checker For Delta
The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Reward Seat Checker is a really handy tool that lets you check if there are available reward seats specifically for flights operated by Delta Airlines. It’s perfect for members of the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club program who want to use their miles for Delta flights. With this tool, you can easily search for and find out if there are reward seats available on Delta flights, making it much easier for you to plan and book your travel.
Whether you’re looking to fly within the United States or to an international destination, this tool gives you valuable information about seat availability, making the process of redeeming your miles smoother and more efficient.
Virgin Atlantic may seem limited in terms of Delta routes; these origins are available:
- London Heathrow (LHR)
- London Gatwick (LGW)
- Edinburgh (EDI)
However, you can use the URL trick that allows you to explore any Delta route by manually adjusting the URL. By editing the web address, you can search for cities with nonstop Delta service, expanding your options beyond the initial list.
Modify The URL For Delta Flights
As mentioned earlier, there are only three available origins. To search for other available origins, you need to manipulate the URL. Once the search results are displayed, you have the flexibility to modify the city pairings based on your preference as long as Delta offers non-stop flights between those cities.
Here is the award availability for a flight from DFW to ATL in September 2023
You can check that booking Delta on this route requires 27,000 points + $5.60.
Additionally, keep in mind that the search function only allows you to look for nonstop Delta routes. Furthermore, the Virgin Atlantic reward seat calendar is not limited; You can utilize this tool to search for reward availability on other international routes as well.
Ways To Boost Your Virgin Atlantic Points
Virgin AtlanticFlying Club has partnerships with six major credit card and transferable points programs. This flexibility adds even more value to the Flying Club because it allows you to combine and consolidate multiple small points balances into one larger balance. This means you can make the most out of your points by pooling them together and using them for Virgin Atlantic Awards.
American Express Membership Rewards
American Express Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic at a ratio of 1:1 with a minimum transfer of 1,000 points. In terms of time frames, the transfers are immediate, which makes Membership Rewards an excellent choice for instantly boosting your balance to book a much sought-after award.
- The Platinum Card from American Express.
- The American Express Gold Card.
- The American Express Green Card
- Blue from American Express card
- Amex Everyday® Preferred Credit Card
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
- Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
- American Express® Business Gold Card
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Capital One Miles
You can also transfer one of the relative newcomers on the block Capital One Miles to Virgin Atlantic. Typically transfers are at a ratio of 1:1, and the minimum transfer amount is 1,000 miles.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Chase Ultimate Rewards
You can also transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. In terms of ratios and minimums, Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Virgin at a ratio of 1:1 with a minimum transfer of 1,000 points.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
Citi ThankYou Points
Typically transfers are at a ratio of 1:1, and the minimum transfer amount of 1,000 points. Just like Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi transfers are immediate.
Marriott Bonvoy Points
Marriott Points transfers occur at a ratio of 3:1 with a minimum transfer of 3,000 points. For every 60,000 points you transfer, you will earn a 5,000-mile bonus. So transferring 60,000 points will yield 25,000 Virgin points instead of 20,000 at a 3:1 ratio.
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
Bilt Rewards
With Bilt, transfers are at a ratio of 1:1, with a minimum transfer of 2,000 points. Currently, there are insufficient data points to tell how long the transfer takes accurately. So if you are looking to boost your balance for an immediate award, you are best using another point currency.
Bottom Line
I think this recent development by Virgin Atlantic is truly excellent and customer-friendly. Instead of tediously searching day by day, you can now quickly assess the availability across a whole year, allowing you to plan your travel with greater ease and flexibility. This development is a game-changer for award travellers, providing a seamless and time-saving experience.
Interest in flying around the world using credit card points? Check out our site to learn the basics, and follow our blog for more tips on how to make your dream vacation a reality. You can also sign up for our travel concierge and get unlimited credit cards and travel assistance for one full year.
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