Virgin To Give You 12000 Points For Five Years of Flying - Even For Those Without Status

As we wrote about back on 10th July, Virgin Atlantic has unveiled the first update to its Flying Club loyalty programme. At that time, we noted that “a revamp is in the works to acknowledge long-time Virgin loyalists who may not travel frequently enough to reach elite tiers” - and that vision has now taken flight with the introduction of High Five, Virgin Atlantic’s newest way to say thank you to those who’ve stayed loyal over time.

Recognising Loyalty That Lasts

Launching officially next January, High Five is a new reward recognising members who have flown with Virgin Atlantic across five different years, consecutive or otherwise. Unlike traditional tier-based programmes that focus on frequent flyers, this scheme celebrates enduring loyalty - rewarding customers who continue to choose Virgin Atlantic over the long term.

This is a particularly welcome move for travellers who are brand-loyal but may not fly often enough to achieve Silver or Gold status. In doing so, Virgin appears to be appealing to passengers who may have felt disenfranchised by the British Airways Club restructuring, which has made it increasingly challenging for occasional travellers to earn meaningful status.

12000 Virgin Points for Five Years of Flying

Flying Club Red, Silver, and Gold members who have flown in five separate years will receive 12,000 Virgin Points each. Which is enough for a return Saver Reward Seat from London to New York, Dubai, Barbados or even the Maldives if you are lucky in Economy, plus a number of other destinations (go check out our recent Virgin Atlantic Bargain Bin).

For Red members (this is where everyone starts), there’s an additional perk: a 10% Virgin Points bonus on all future flights, offering a steady uplift in earning potential. Members with household accounts can also pool multiple 12,000-point rewards earned in the same year, increasing flexibility and value which we love.

One of the best things about Virgin Points is that unlike other loyalty point schemes, these lovely little ones remain valid indefinitely, meaning members can continue to save for more meaningful redemptions.

Backdated Tracking and Automatic Rewards

To ensure that existing loyalty doesn’t go unnoticed, Virgin Atlantic has backdated flight tracking to 1 January 2021. This means that tens of thousands of Flying Club members will automatically receive their High Five reward at launch in 2026, with no need to claim or register manually.

From early 2026, members will be able to track their progress towards the reward directly within the Virgin Atlantic app, making the process transparent and simple to follow.

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A Thoughtful but Conservative Start

While High Five is undeniably a positive step towards more inclusive recognition, I rather thought, and hoped, that there might also be tier points awarded as part of the reward, providing a more tangible progression within the Flying Club structure for those who fly every year but not enough to move up from the Red tier. That isn’t the case for now, so I will just have to live in hope that Virgin may roll that out separately in future as the loyalty programme continues to evolve.

Still, the introduction of High Five does mark an important shift: a recognition that loyalty isn’t only about how often you fly, but how long you’ve been flying with the same airline.

Continuing a Legacy of Reward Innovation

High Five follows a series of great innovations from Virgin Atlantic which other airline loyalty programmes should really take not of. As mentioned they are one of few airline which offer non-expiring points, not to mention that reward flights count towards tier status (listen up British Airways), and Unlimited Availability for reward seats introduced in 2024. Ok, alright, I know. Dynamic pricing is a thing with this and it sucks, but you can at least still find some bargains and if you don't already follow our "Virgin Atlantic Bargain Bin" series at the end of each month, what is even the point guys!

A Strategic Shift in Airline Loyalty

Virgin Atlantic’s High Five marks a meaningful evolution in airline loyalty recognition. Rather than rewarding only frequent business travellers, this initiative embraces the broader spectrum of Virgin’s customer base, the holidaymakers, the occasional adventurers, and those who have consistently chosen Virgin for years.

It’s a clever strategic play too. A truly welcome contrast to competitors tightening their criteria for earning rewards. Yes, we are looking at you British Airways! Do better!

What Comes Next

As we wrote in July, High Five is just the beginning. Virgin Atlantic has signalled that more updates are on the horizon as part of its ongoing loyalty programme revamp. If tier points or enhanced progression paths are introduced later, that will be another meaningful way to recognise customers who’ve been flying the airline’s flag for years, even if not as often as others.

For full details on the High Five reward and to track your journey, visit Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club.

Helena

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