Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard review: Earn 30,000 points you can redeem on partners like Delta and ANA

09.02.2024 - 10:57 / insider.com / Delta

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The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard®, Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

The Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard® often flies under the radar, as co-branded credit cards from foreign carriers tend to do. The card offers a decent welcome bonus and has a reliable set of perks that can be worth the $90 annual fee. Between a generous earning rate and annual bonuses, this card can offer hundreds of dollars in value.

3 points per dollar spent directly on Virgin Atlantic purchases. 1.5 points per dollar spent on all other purchases.

$90

17.49% to 25.49% Variable

Good to Excellent

Not only are the Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard®'s benefits exceptional considering the low annual fee, but Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club program also makes award redemptions attainable. While the card's welcome bonus offer of 30,000 bonus Virgin Points after spending $1,000 or more on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening is one of the lowest credit card bonuses available right now, it's actually enough for at least one round-trip transatlantic flight. 

The card and its corresponding program offer several surprising benefits that you might not know about. Here's our full review of the Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard® and who it might be a good fit for. 

The Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard® is best for frequent travelers who want to supplement their rewards and accelerate their path towards elite status. The recurring benefits are also tailored towards those who fly with Virgin Atlantic, at least on occasion. 

However, you don't have to be loyal to the airline to make this card worthwhile. If you're willing to familiarize yourself with the Flying Club program and how to maximize its award chart, this card can be valuable. The welcome bonus isn't as high as some other airline credit cards, but big spenders who don't want to deal with category bonuses might benefit from the 1.5x earning rate on all purchases. 

Lastly, it's worth noting that Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club program is a transfer partner of Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards®, and Citi ThankYou. You can also transfer Capital One miles to Virgin Red, the loyalty program of Virgin brands (including Virgin Atlantic).

Those programs have credit cards that not only offer bigger welcome bonuses