Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
Part of The British Airways Club hub · Virgin Atlantic Flying Club hub
COMPARISON
Avios vs Virgin Atlantic points: how they compare
Avios is the loyalty currency of The British Airways Club, and Virgin Points are the currency of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, so comparing them means comparing two separate reward balances with different expiry, sharing and spending rules. [1] [2] Avios will not expire while a member collects, spends, buys or shares at least one Avios every 36 months [1], whereas Flying Club says Virgin Points never expire [2] and its terms set no prescribed time frame for redeeming them while a member stays in the programme [3]. This comparison covers the two currencies for UK-based readers as of 18 October 2026 and describes programme structure rather than a fixed cash value; Virgin Atlantic's terms state that Virgin Points have no cash value. [3]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Expiry is the clearest structural difference: Avios lapses after 36 consecutive months without collecting, spending, buying or sharing at least one Avios, [1] while Flying Club states that Virgin Points never expire. [2]
- "Never expire" does not mean points can never be lost: Flying Club terms allow Virgin Points to be forfeited if a member cancels or terminates the account. [3]
- Neither currency has a published cash value here, and Virgin Atlantic's terms state that Virgin Points and Tier Points have no cash value and are not exchangeable for cash. [3]
- Both programmes pool points inside a household, but on different terms: a British Airways household account covers up to six household members including children, [1] while a Flying Club Household Account links up to nine other members at one address and pays their points into the Household Leader's balance. [3]
What are Avios and Virgin Points?
Avios is the loyalty currency of The British Airways Club and its partners, collected on flights, online shopping, hotel bookings and supermarket spending. [1] Virgin Points are the currency of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, earned when a member travels with Virgin Atlantic, flies with its airline partners or spends with partner brands, and spendable on rewards or on reducing the price of future flights and holidays. [2] Flying Club membership is free to join. [2] Virgin Points also sit alongside Virgin Red, a separate Virgin loyalty programme where members can find rewards from Virgin and other brands. [2]
Both programmes keep status progress separate from the spendable currency. Flying Club Tier Points move a member from Red to Silver to Gold and are earned on flights booked with Virgin Atlantic, SkyTeam and other partner airlines, or on Virgin Holidays bookings, [2] and British Airways adds Avios and tier points to an account automatically after travel, allowing up to three days after the flight for them to appear. [1]
How do you earn Avios and Virgin Points?
On Virgin Atlantic, the number of Virgin Points earned depends on the distance flown in miles, the booking class and the member's tier status; Silver members receive a 30% tier bonus on top and Gold members 60%. [5] The rates below are percentages of miles flown, as published on the Flying Club earning page.
| Cabin and booking class | Red | Silver | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper, booking classes J, C, D | 500% | 650% | 800% |
| Upper, booking classes I, Z | 300% | 390% | 480% |
| Premium, booking classes W, S | 250% | 325% | 400% |
| Economy Delight, booking class V | 150% | 195% | 240% |
| Economy Classic, booking classes L, U, M | 100% | 130% | 160% |
| Economy Light, booking class T | 25% | 33% | 40% |
Flying Club members also earn Virgin Points on eligible airline partners. [5] If a membership number was not added at booking or travel, a member can request credit for Virgin Atlantic flights flown up to six months earlier, and points normally appear within seven days of travel. [3]
British Airways sets out Avios collection across flights, holidays, hotel stays and car hire with British Airways and its partners, and Avios can be bought to top up a balance or bought as a gift. [1] Members can claim missing Avios within six months of a flight, and new members can claim for British Airways flights flown in the three months before joining. [1] Flying Club members can likewise buy Virgin Points, pay to transfer or gift them to other members, and pay to increase the points earned on a Virgin Atlantic flight through Points Booster. [3] Flying Club also lists bonuses: 12,000 Virgin Points for flying with Virgin Atlantic in five different years, and 200 bonus Tier Points for the lead booker of a qualifying Virgin Atlantic holiday booked by 31 January 2027. [2]
How do you spend Avios and Virgin Points?
Avios can be spent on Reward Flights to worldwide destinations, seat upgrades, hotel stays and car hire, and can also pay part of the price of an ordinary flight booking, with the cash price falling as more Avios are used. [1] Flying Club offers reward seats, part-payment, upgrades and Companion Rewards. [2] [3]
On every Virgin Atlantic-operated flight, Virgin Atlantic makes available a minimum of 12 reward seats across the three cabins, made up of 8 in Economy Classic, 2 in Premium and 2 in Upper Class, at the point the flight is released for sale 331 days before departure; any not booked 30 days before departure may be released back into general sale. [3] Reward seats remain subject to availability, and Economy reward bookings are made in the Economy Classic product. [3] The Flying Club page promotes saver seats across the Atlantic "from just 6,000 points one way". [2]
Points Plus Money lets Flying Club members redeem Virgin Points for a discount on any published fare for Virgin Atlantic-operated flights booked on virginatlantic.com, with no blackout dates or inventory restrictions, and the discount can be applied to the base fare and all taxes, fees, charges and surcharges. [3] It covers adult and child fares but not infant fares, and only points from one Flying Club account can be used per booking. [3] Upgrade and Companion Rewards can be combined with a booking that already has a Points Plus Money discount, but cannot be applied to bookings made in the Economy Light product. [3] Virgin Atlantic reward flights do not include passenger taxes, fees, charges and surcharges, which are payable for each passenger. [3]
Do Avios and Virgin Points expire?
Avios will not expire as long as a member collects, spends, buys or shares at least one Avios every 36 months; with no collection or use at all for three years, the Avios expire and are removed. [1] Flying Club states that Virgin Points never expire, [2] and its terms set no prescribed time frame within which Virgin Points must be redeemed, provided the member continues to be a member and complies with the terms. [3] Virgin Points are personal to a member and are forfeited if the account is cancelled or terminated, [3] although if a member also holds a linked Virgin Red account, points stay available for use through Virgin Red after Flying Club membership is cancelled. [3]
Sharing works differently. Avios can be pooled in a household account with up to six members of the same household, including children, [1] and can be transferred to or from Iberia Club, AerClub, Loganair Loyalty, Vueling Club, Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Finnair Plus accounts, or transferred to friends and family. [1] A Flying Club Household Account links a maximum of nine other members who live at the same address, and points earned by linked members through Virgin Atlantic or Flying Club partners transfer automatically to the Household Leader, who is the only person able to spend them unless an Authorised User is added. [3] Each member earns their own Tier Points, and linked members must stay linked for at least 12 months. [3] Outside those arrangements, Virgin Points cannot be transferred between accounts except in limited circumstances, such as a transfer to a named beneficiary after a member dies, or where the transferring member pays the published transfer fee. [3]
Exceptions and limits
- Once Virgin Atlantic reward tickets are issued, the travel date, route or class can be amended before travel for a fee on international flights originating in the UK, a fee for changes to international flights originating in the US, or a fee in the local currency elsewhere; cancelling a reward outside 24 hours of the outbound flight returns 100% of the points, subject to the same cancellation fee. [3] No name changes are allowed once tickets are issued. [3]
- The 12-seat reward commitment applies at the point flights are released for sale, and availability may be restricted or unavailable after an aircraft change, large-scale disruption or where a cabin is not provided on the aircraft; popular dates such as weekends and school holidays fill quickly. [3]
- A Gold member's free date change covers the member and passengers on the same booking reference for reward, Companion Reward or points-redemption bookings, but does not apply to Points Plus Money bookings, normal revenue bookings or bookings upgraded using Virgin Points. [3]
- Virgin Points exchanged from a Flying Club account to another Participating Company's account cannot be transferred back. [3]
- The Avios expiry rule applies to The British Airways Club as described on British Airways' Avios page, [1] and the Flying Club rules above come from terms that apply to bookings made from 30 October 2024. [3]
Frequently asked questions
Do Virgin Atlantic points expire?
Flying Club states that Virgin Points never expire [2], and its terms set no prescribed time frame for redeeming them while a member remains in the programme [3]. Points can still be forfeited if the account is cancelled or terminated [3].
Do Avios expire?
Yes, if there is no activity: Avios expire when a member has not collected, spent, bought or shared at least one Avios for 36 consecutive months [1].
How many Virgin Points are needed for a transatlantic reward seat?
Flying Club promotes saver seats across the Atlantic "from just 6,000 points one way" [2], and reward seats are subject to availability, with at least 12 released on each Virgin Atlantic-operated flight 331 days before departure [3].
Can families pool Avios or Virgin Points?
A British Airways household account shares Avios with up to six members of the same household, including children [1], while a Flying Club Household Account links up to nine other members at the same address and pays their points into the Household Leader's balance [3].
Are taxes and fees included in a Virgin Atlantic reward flight?
No. Reward flights exclude passenger taxes, fees, charges and surcharges, which are charged for each passenger [3].
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers The British Airways Club and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club only; other programmes, including Iberia Club, AerClub, Loganair Loyalty, Vueling Club, Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Finnair Plus, are not covered here.
- British Airways: About Avios, checked 18 October 2026
- Virgin Atlantic: Flying Club, checked 18 October 2026
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club terms and conditions, effective from 30 October 2024, checked 18 October 2026
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: what you can earn, checked 18 October 2026