Booking ANA First Class With Virgin Atlantic Points

On this submit I wished to take an in-depth take a look at what I contemplate to be the single best sweet spot award redemption on the earth, which entails redeeming Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership factors on All Nippon Airways (ANA).

Lets check out earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership factors, how Virgin Atlantic redemptions on ANA work, and whether or not this redemption is even helpful anymore, given ANA’s stinginess with award availability.

Methods to earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership factors

When you don’t at the moment have Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership factors, don’t fear, as there are many methods to earn them with transferrable points currencies, as all switch at a 1:1 ratio:

When you actually wish to maximize worth, we typically see switch bonuses from these applications to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, which may stretch your factors even additional. Once we do see switch bonuses, generally they’re within the vary of 25-30%.

On prime of that, the Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership program sells points directly, and there are often even bonuses.

Redeeming Virgin Atlantic factors on All Nippon Airways

Whereas Flying Membership is much from my favourite loyalty program, it has some incredible niche redemptions that you just gained’t discover via different applications, that may make accruing Flying Membership factors with a particular use in thoughts a superb thought.

My single favourite use of Flying Membership factors is redeeming on All Nippon Airways.

Virgin Atlantic redemption charges on ANA

Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership has a zone based award chart for journey on ANA, and the redemption charges are as follows (these costs are roundtrip, although you may e book one-ways for half the price of a roundtrip):

As you may see, all awards are to & from Japan, so in case you plan on connecting past Japan, you’ll have to e book your ticket as two separate awards. The excellent news is that since you may e book one-ways for half the price of a roundtrip, you may simply mix-and-match choices. For instance:

• You could possibly fly one-way in top notch and one-way in enterprise class
• You could possibly fly from the US to Japan, after which fly from Japan to Europe

I wish to particularly name out that:

• Enterprise class awards between the US mainland or Europe and Japan price 45,000-47,500 factors one-way
• Top notch awards between the US mainland or Europe and Japan price 55,000-60,000 factors one-way

Looking out ANA awards utilizing Virgin Atlantic factors

Whilst you can’t search or e book ANA awards utilizing Virgin Atlantic factors via Virgin Atlantic’s web site, this system ought to usually have entry to the identical award availability as all of ANA’s different companion airways.

So you may take your decide of which web site you wish to use to look availability. I’d advocate aircanada.com or united.com, as each present all Star Alliance award availability on-line.

Now, the most important catch with this redemption possibility is that ANA is kind of stingy with award availability. The airline typically releases just one top notch award seat per flight, and even that isn’t constant, as many flights don’t have any top notch award availability.

At this second discovering ANA top notch award house is like discovering a needle in a haystack. Previously we’ve typically seen ANA provide higher award availability, and I’m certain that can occur once more in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later.

However anticipate that you just’ll must work exhausting to search out ANA award house in top notch. On the plus facet, enterprise class award house is typically extra available.

Reserving ANA awards utilizing Virgin Atlantic factors

Whereas it’s annoying that it’s a must to name to e book these awards, the excellent news is that Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Membership brokers are essentially the most competent within the business. They’re truly superior. You may telephone up Flying Membership from the US by calling 800.365.9500.

After you’ve decided which flights can be found, name up Virgin Atlantic and provides the consultant the precise flights and sophistication of service you need. The agent will lookup the house, which can take a couple of minutes.

Usually they’ll get again to you after a couple of minutes and say that the house confirmed. Nevertheless, typically they gained’t get an instantaneous response from ANA (although the house ought to match what different companions see).

In these situations you’ll be given a affirmation quantity and will probably be informed to name again in a number of hours to see if the house confirmed. When you did your analysis accurately, you have to be good.

Then simply name again a short time later and e book.

Virgin Atlantic gas surcharges on ANA

Virgin Atlantic passes on no matter carrier imposed surcharges ANA would have on income tickets. The best strategy to look these up is thru ITA Matrix — simply lookup the itinerary there for the cabin you’re touring in, take a look at the fare breakdown, and anticipate to pay the whole lot besides the bottom fare.

In the intervening time ANA’s gas surcharges are increased than prior to now, reflecting the present state of oil costs. As oil costs lower, I’d anticipate ANA’s surcharges to lower as effectively. For a one-way ticket from Tokyo to New York in top notch, you may anticipate to pay round $400 for the time being, with $343.60 of that being gas surcharges.

Virgin Atlantic award holds on ANA

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club can hold ANA awards for as much as 48 hours. Extra precisely, they request the house, and as soon as they try this, it’s 48 hours earlier than the flights drop out of the file. So that you do have as much as 48 hours, which needs to be loads of time to switch factors.

Typically factors transfers from Amex, Capital One, Chase, and Citi, to Virgin Atlantic, are all prompt.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership award change & cancelation charges

If you wish to change or cancel an ANA award ticket booked with Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership factors there’s a $50 payment to take action, and also you’ll have to make the change a minimum of 24 hours earlier than departure.

Is that this actually that good of a deal?

Assuming you could find award availability, redeeming Virgin Atlantic factors on All Nippon Airways actually is that spectacular of a deal. With the ability to redeem simply 55,000-60,000 factors for a one-way top notch ticket between the US and Japan is phenomenal. It solely will get higher when there’s a switch bonus Amex or Citi.

As a degree of comparability, right here’s how a lot different applications cost one-way for a similar award:

• Air Canada Aeroplan: 105,000 factors
• Avianca LifeMiles: 90,000 factors
• United MileagePlus: 110,000 factors

Is ANA top notch actually that good?

All Nippon Airways has new top notch and enterprise class merchandise, that are available on select long haul routes. I reviewed each of those merchandise, and located them to be spectacular:

ANA’s new exhausting merchandise are really business main, and while you mix it with the distinctive tender product — nice service, meals, and drinks — ANA is phenomenal.

Even when you find yourself in ANA’s old first class, you’ll nonetheless have an ideal expertise. Whereas the exhausting product isn’t fairly pretty much as good, you’ll get the identical nice meals, drinks, and repair.

When will Japan’s borders reopen?

The one greatest factor standing in the best way of making the most of this redemption alternative is that Japan’s borders proceed to be closed to a overwhelming majority of holiday makers. Whilst the remainder of the world has largely reopened, there’s no indication that Japan’s borders will reopen on a widespread foundation with out quarantine. This coverage has confirmed fashionable with residents of Japan, which could clarify why Japan is in no rush to open.

So right here we’ve the world’s greatest award redemption alternative, however there are restricted alternatives to really use it proper now.

Backside line

Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership has some unbelievable area of interest redemptions, and unarguably the only greatest worth is redeeming these factors for journey in ANA top notch. Whereas the award redemption charges are extremely low, the catch is that award availability can be powerful to come back by, so it takes some effort to search out availability.

Flying Membership is switch companions with all main transferable factors currencies, so in case you’re planning a visit to Japan sooner or later, it is a redemption possibility that’s price preserving in thoughts. ANA’s first and enterprise class merchandise are glorious, which is the icing on the cake.

Is anybody wanting ahead to redeeming Virgin Atlantic factors for journey on ANA?