Virgin Atlantic Credit Card Bonuses Doubled: Earn Up To 36,000 Virgin Points (April 2026)

Virgin Money has today launched boosted welcome bonuses on both of its Virgin Atlantic credit cards, running until 18 May 2026. If you have been thinking about picking up one of these cards, this is the strongest offer we have seen since the autumn, and a solid opportunity to build up a decent stash of Virgin Points before summer.

Today we are going to break down both offers, explain who is eligible, and help you figure out which card actually makes sense for you.

Why does this matter?

Virgin Points are one of the most versatile loyalty currencies available to UK travellers. You can use them to book flights on Virgin Atlantic and a growing list of partner airlines, stay at Virgin Hotels, book a Virgin Voyages cruises, grab VIP concert tickets (we have done this for a concert in May), and much more through Virgin Red. I've used mine to fly Air France business class, whilst Helena used hers for an Upper Class flight to New York.

Our Bargain Bin series regularly uncovers reward flights for as little as 12,000 Virgin Points return, so if you are flexible with dates, 36,000 points from the Reward+ card could stretch to multiple trips. It is worth knowing though that Virgin Atlantic have effectively raised the taxes and fees for most tickets using Virgin Points, so if you want to know exactly what you will pay in taxes and fees on a reward flight before committing, we built a complete breakdown of every Virgin Atlantic route and cabin so there are no surprises.

Lastly, if you are new to the game and not sure whether Virgin Points or Avios are right for you, we have a full comparison article here.

Just a quick heads-up: Points Well Made is here to dish out the juicy details on miles and points, but we're not your financial advisers. Any decisions you make regarding products featured on this site are your own responsibility, and you should always consider whether a product suits your personal circumstances. While we chat about all manner of lender goodies, we're not a lender ourselves. Remember, you know you best.

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card

• The Bonus: Up to 36,000 Virgin Points, double the usual 18,000. You get 18,000 Virgin Points when you make your first purchase, and an additional 18,000 Virgin Points when you spend £3,000 within 90 days of account opening. Outside of promotional periods, you would only receive the first 18,000.

• The Fee: £160 annually

• Who qualifies for the bonus? You must not currently hold a Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card, or have closed one in the last six months.

• Representative APR: 69.7% variable (including fee), 26.9% variable on purchases

Ongoing earning and benefits

Beyond the sign-up bonus, the Reward+ card offers a solid earning structure and some benefits that set it apart from most UK rewards cards:

• 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 spent on everyday purchases

• 3 Virgin Points per £1 spent directly with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays

• No foreign exchange fees in Europe, which is a real standout feature. Most UK rewards credit cards charge 2.99% on foreign transactions, so if you travel in Europe regularly, this card pays for itself fairly quickly.

• A Virgin Atlantic Reward Voucher earned after spending £10,000 in a membership year. This voucher lets you upgrade a flight or take a companion with you. The rules around how it works can be a bit complicated, so read our full Reward Voucher guide here.

The first 18,000 points are the easy bit. Just make a single purchase, any purchase, within the first 90 days and they are yours. The second 18,000 points require you to hit £3,000 in spending within the same 90-day window. That works out to around £1,000 a month, which for many people is achievable if you route your regular spending through the card: groceries, bills, fuel, subscriptions, that sort of thing. Just make sure you are paying off the balance in full every month.

Both Virgin Atlantic cards are Mastercards, which you'll know is a sneaky benefit if you have ever been turned away with an Amex at a smaller shop or restaurant, you will appreciate having a card in your wallet that still earns points.

It goes without saying that you will need a Virgin Atlantic Flying Club account linked to your card to actually earn points. You can sign up for a Flying Club account here.

One more thing to be aware of: Virgin Money caps the number of points you can earn each month based on your credit limit. If your credit limit is £5,000, you will only earn points on the first £5,000 of spending in any given month. Anything above that in the same month will not earn points. You can find this in the full card terms here. For most people this will not be an issue, but if you are a heavy spender it is worth knowing.

Did you know? Previous cardholders can get the bonus again

If you have held one of these cards before, do not assume you are locked out. Unlike American Express, which enforces a strict 24-month rule before you can earn another welcome bonus, Virgin Money only requires that you have not held the same card in the last six months. So if you cancelled your Reward+ card more than six months ago, you can reapply and pick up the full 36,000 points again. The same applies to the free Reward card.

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Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card (Free)

• The Bonus: Up to 6,000 Virgin Points, double the usual 3,000. You get 3,000 Virgin Points when you make your first purchase, and an additional 3,000 Virgin Points when you spend £1,000 within 90 days of account opening. As with the Reward+, the spend-triggered bonus is the limited-time enhancement.

• The Fee: None

• Who qualifies for the bonus? You must not currently hold a Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card, or have closed one in the last six months.

• Representative APR: 26.9% variable

Ongoing earning and benefits

The free card earns at a lower rate than the Reward+, but for a card with no annual fee, it is still solid:

• 0.75 Virgin Points per £1 spent on everyday purchases

• 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 spent directly with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays

• No foreign exchange fees in Europe, which is a real standout feature. Most UK rewards credit cards charge 2.99% on foreign transactions, so if you travel in Europe regularly, this card pays for itself fairly quickly.

• A Virgin Atlantic Reward Voucher earned after spending £20,000 in a membership year. This is a higher threshold than the £10,000 required on the Reward+ card, but the voucher itself works the same way regardless of which card triggered it. The same guide applies.

If the £160 annual fee on the Reward+ is a dealbreaker for you, or if you simply do not spend enough to justify it, the free card is a perfectly reasonable way to start collecting Virgin Points. You are paying nothing for the privilege.

Do these bonuses stack with a referral bonus?

Yes! Since October last year, it has been possible to earn extra Virgin Points for either of these two cards via a referral code.

For the referrer, they will receive 5,000 Virgin Points when the person being referred spends £3,000 within 90 days.

For the person being referred, they will receive either 7,000 Virgin Points (Reward+ card) or 4,000 Virgin Points (free Reward card), in addition to the advertised welcome bonus. The referral code is not applied on application, but instead after you have been approved. Once you have opened your account, you have 60 days to enter the referral code in the Rewards Lounge within the app.

If you wish to use our referral code you can do so by using this code.

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You can find our full post about how to refer a friend here.

Which card should you pick?

If you are someone who can comfortably spend £3,000 in three months without changing your habits, the Reward+ card is the clear winner here. Yes, there is a £160 fee, but you are getting 36,000 Virgin Points back for it, and those points are worth considerably more than £160 when redeemed well.

If you are more cautious about annual fees, or you simply do not spend enough to justify the Reward+ card, the free card is a perfectly sensible choice. 6,000 Virgin Points for nothing is still 6,000 Virgin Points for nothing.

Final thoughts

The last time Virgin Money ran a 36,000-point bonus on the Reward+ card was back in the autumn. These offers tend to pop up a few times a year, but they do not hang around forever, and we have seen gaps of several months between them.

Both offers run until 18 May 2026. Credit is subject to status. Applicants must be UK residents aged 18 or over.

Click here to apply for both the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card and the free Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card.

Sam

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