Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
Part of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club hub
GUIDE
How to Bid for a Paid Flight Upgrade
A paid upgrade bid is an offer to pay for a seat in a higher cabin on a flight you have already booked, and what it does to your miles depends on which channel the offer comes through and when the upgrade is confirmed. In the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club terms that applied to bookings made from 30 November 2021 to 29 October 2024, upgrades bought at the airport and upgrades bought through Plusgrade are listed as reduced-rate tickets that earn no Virgin Points or Tier Points, while a cash upgrade bought within 24 hours of departure leaves the points for the original booking intact. [5]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Upgrades purchased at the airport and upgrades purchased through Plusgrade are named in Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club terms among the reduced-rate tickets on which Virgin Points and Tier Points cannot be earned. [5]
- Cash upgrades bought within 24 hours of departure are handled differently: the member receives the Virgin Points and Tier Points for the booking as it stood before the upgrade. [5]
- Virgin Points and Tier Points are issued only for flights actually flown, and are credited once travel is completed rather than at the time of booking. [5]
- The earning rate is set by distance flown, the booking class of the ticket paid for and tier status, so the higher cabin you sit in after a paid upgrade does not by itself change the calculation. [5] [6]
How are Virgin Points worked out after a paid upgrade?
Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club terms separate the cabin you fly from the fare that earns. Virgin Points and Tier Points are issued only for flights actually flown by the member, are based on the class of ticket paid for, and do not reflect complimentary or Reward upgrades. [5] The programme's earning page sets out the calculation as the distance flown in miles multiplied by a booking-class percentage, with the result depending on the member's Flying Club tier. [6] Silver members earn a 30% tier bonus and Gold members a 60% bonus on top of the base rate. [6]
| Cabin | Booking classes | Red | Silver | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Class | J, C, D | 500% | 650% | 800% |
| Upper Class | I, Z | 300% | 390% | 480% |
| Premium | W, S | 250% | 325% | 400% |
| Premium | H, K | 175% | 228% | 280% |
| Economy Delight | V | 150% | 195% | 240% |
| Economy Classic | Y, B, R | 150% | 195% | 240% |
| Economy Classic | L, U, M | 100% | 130% | 160% |
| Economy Classic | Q, X, N, O | 50% | 65% | 80% |
| Economy Light | T | 25% | 33% | 40% |
The practical result is that a paid upgrade to a higher cabin does not move a ticket into the higher row of that table on its own: the booking class of the fare you paid is what the percentages are applied to. [5] [6] Cabin and booking-class naming varies between airlines, so it helps to know what the letters on your ticket mean before you compare offers — see cabin classes explained. [6]
Which paid upgrades count as reduced-rate tickets?
The Flying Club terms rule out Virgin Points and Tier Points on any free or reduced-rate ticket and give examples of what that covers: upgrades purchased at the airport, Plusgrade, travel agent or industry discounts, charter flights operated by VAA, Vex Courier, and complimentary tickets. [5] On the terms as written, a flight upgraded at the airport or through Plusgrade is therefore one on which Virgin Points and Tier Points cannot be earned. [5]
The same clause carves out one case. Members who have purchased cash upgrades within 24 hours of departure receive the original Virgin Points and Tier Points — that is, those of the booking before it was upgraded. [5] Two conditions are visible in that wording: the upgrade has to be bought with cash, and it has to fall inside the 24-hour window before departure. [5] The distinction matters more than the size of the bid, because it decides whether the flight earns at all. [5]
Date limits and exceptions
- Which edition applies. The rules quoted here come from the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club terms in force for bookings made from 30 November 2021 until 29 October 2024. [5] Virgin Atlantic publishes a separate edition for bookings made from 30 October 2024, which is the version to read for a newer ticket. [4] [5]
- Cash only. The 24-hour carve-out is written for cash upgrades bought within 24 hours of departure; the airport and Plusgrade upgrades named in the same clause sit on the reduced-rate side of the line. [5]
- Flown, not booked. Virgin Points and Tier Points are credited only after travel has been completed, not when the booking is made. [5]
- Rate, not cabin. For a cash upgrade inside the 24-hour window, the points credited are those of the original booking, so the calculation uses the fare originally paid rather than the upgraded cabin. [5]
- Tier bonus. The Silver and Gold bonuses shown in the table apply to the booking-class percentage of the fare flown, at 30% and 60% respectively. [6]
Frequently asked questions
Do you earn Virgin Points on a paid upgrade?
Under the Flying Club edition covering bookings made from 30 November 2021 to 29 October 2024, upgrades purchased at the airport or through Plusgrade earn no Virgin Points or Tier Points, while a cash upgrade bought within 24 hours of departure keeps the points for the original booking. [5]
Do you still earn Tier Points if the upgrade is bought at the airport?
No — the same clause excludes both Virgin Points and Tier Points on airport upgrades and Plusgrade upgrades. [5]
How many points does an Upper Class booking earn?
Upper Class fares in booking classes J, C and D earn 500% for Red members, 650% for Silver and 800% for Gold; classes I and Z earn 300%, 390% and 480% respectively. [6]
When do the points land in the account?
Virgin Points and Tier Points are credited only once travel has been completed, not at the time of booking. [5]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. The rules described here are Virgin Atlantic Flying Club rules for the booking dates stated; other programmes, including Air France Flying Blue and the wider SkyTeam partners, are not covered, and their treatment of paid upgrades may differ.
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club terms and conditions effective from 30 October 2024, checked 18 October 2026
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club terms and conditions, bookings from 30 November 2021 to 29 October 2024, checked 18 October 2026
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club earning calculator and cabin earning rates, checked 18 October 2026