Can you get value from the Virgin Red Rewards Credit Card?
Rethinking the Virgin Red Rewards Card: Is it More Valuable than We Thought?
As a points and miles enthusiast, I’ve been reevaluating the Virgin Red Rewards Card and I think we’ve all been thinking about it the wrong way. Initially, I thought it was just another airline card with limited benefits, but after digging deeper, I’ve discovered some hidden gems that make it a more valuable card than I initially thought.
Earning Virgin Red Points
The Virgin Red Card earns 3 points per dollar on all Virgin purchases, including Virgin Hotels, Virgin Voyages, and Virgin Airlines. It also earns 2 points per dollar at grocery stores, dining, streaming, and EV charging, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. These points are interchangeable with Virgin miles or hotel points and can be redeemed for Virgin cruises and other options.
How to Earn Virgin Red Points Outside of Purchases
In addition to earning points through purchases, you can also earn Virgin Red points by transferring points from American Express, Chase, Capital One, or Citi. This makes it easy to accumulate points if you’re already earning bank reward currencies.
Card Benefits
The Virgin Red Card comes with a $99 annual fee, but it also offers some valuable benefits, including:
5,000 anniversary bonus points
No foreign transaction fees
World Elite MasterCard benefits
A free third night at participating Virgin Hotels
Companion ticket benefits after spending $15,000 or $30,000 on the card
Companion Ticket Benefits
One of the most valuable benefits of the Virgin Red Card is the companion ticket benefit. After spending $15,000 or $30,000 on the card, you can earn one or two bonus gifts. You can redeem those gifts for a companion ticket for a round-trip flight, which can save you up to $1,000 on an economy round trip fare, or $2,000 on premium economy. If you’re a Silver Tier member, which you can earn by spending on the card, your companion fare can be used up to 150,000 points, which can get you a free round-trip upper class ticket on Virgin Airlines.
Hotel Benefits
The Virgin Red Card also offers some valuable hotel benefits, including a free third night at participating Virgin Hotels. With locations in Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, you can get up to $500 in value just by holding the card and staying at one of these hotels.
Is the Virgin Red Card Worth It?
So, is the Virgin Red Card worth the $99 annual fee? I think it can be, especially if you′re a frequent Virgin customer or if you can take advantage of the companion ticket benefits. The 5,000 anniversary bonus points can be worth up to $50 or $1,200 in value, depending on how you redeem them.
Conclusion
I think we’ve all been thinking about the Virgin Red Rewards Card the wrong way. It’s not just an airline card, but a lifestyle card that offers some valuable benefits, including companion ticket benefits, hotel benefits, and no foreign transaction fees. If you’re a frequent Virgin customer or if you can take advantage of the benefits, I think the Virgin Red Card is worth considering. Let me know what you think about the card in the comments below!