How 5,000 credit card points saved me over $650 on a flight to London

18.03.2024 - 19:01 / thepointsguy.com / John F.Kennedy / Credit Card / London

While Virgin Atlantic is not always my go-to choice when it comes to award travel redemptions due to its incredibly high taxes and fees, the carrier is offering a 50% points discount on all flights to London. For bookings made through March 20 for travel between March 14 and June 30, Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club program will reduce the points needed for all Virgin-operated flights between the U.S. and the United Kingdom by 50% in all cabins.

Unfortunately, I still have to pay the fees, taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges, but this is still an excellent award deal, especially since I purchased an economy ticket. Keep reading to find out how 5,000 credit card points saved me more than $650 on my flights from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR).

Since I need to fly from New York City back to my home in London in April, this Virgin Atlantic promo deal came at the perfect moment and has helped me save money on my flight.

A one-way ticket flying in Economy Light (basic economy) on Virgin Atlantic on my travel dates was priced at $739 when I researched my options. A ticket for my preferred option, Economy Classic, which includes seat selection and a checked bag, was priced higher at $829.

Related: Is Virgin Atlantic premium economy worth it on the A330-900neo?

While you can find round-trip tickets to Europe for less than the cash price of a Virgin Atlantic ticket, these fares required a Saturday night stay, which didn't work for me.

If you think spending more than $700 for a one-way flight to Europe in economy is expensive, take a look at what it costs to book a flight in the other direction. You can expect to pay three times this amount for a comparable itinerary in the opposite direction.

Luckily, Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club still operates using award charts, a rarity among loyalty programs. According to its award chart, Flying Club charges just 10,000 points plus $152.80 in fees, taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges for a one-way redemption from JFK to LHR on off-peak dates.

While other programs don't impose surcharges, other carriers use dynamic pricing, meaning you'll pay far more than 10,000 points. For example, Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles program is charging 48,000 miles for this Virgin Atlantic flight.

Knowing this, I couldn't ignore this great 50% points discount offer from Virgin. So, I booked my flight to London through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for just 5,000 Virgin points plus $152.80 in fees, taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges.

Since Virgin Atlantic award redemptions book in Economy Classic, I'll be able to select a standard seat for free and check a bag in if I wish ahead of my flight in April. Because Virgin Atlantic is a