How do I transfer American Express points to Virgin Atlantic?

American Express Membership Rewards points transfer to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at 1:1. Transfers usually start from 1,000 points, in increments of 500, and often complete near-instantly (occasionally up to 48 hours). Transfers are irreversible, so only move points once you have found the reward seat you want.

Can I transfer Avios to Virgin Points?

No. Avios and Virgin Points are separate currencies with no direct conversion between them. The flexible bridge is American Express Membership Rewards, which can transfer to either British Airways (as Avios) or Virgin Atlantic (as Virgin Points) — but you must decide which way to send them.

Should I transfer Virgin Points to hotels?

Usually not. You can move Virgin Points out to Hilton Honors and IHG One Rewards, but the effective value is typically poor compared with using the points for flights. Transferring hotel points into Virgin for a flight redemption tends to make far more sense than the other direction.

Are there transfer bonuses to Virgin Atlantic?

From time to time American Express runs UK transfer bonuses to Virgin Atlantic (for example 15% to 30% extra). These come and go, so it can pay to wait for one before moving a large balance — provided you already know the reward seat you want is available.

How long do transfers take?

Amex Membership Rewards transfers are often near-instant but can take up to 48 hours. Hotel-to-Virgin and Virgin-to-hotel transfers can take much longer — from a few days to several weeks — and some, such as Virgin to Hilton, may need to be arranged by phone. Always allow time and never transfer speculatively. This is general information, not financial advice.

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Transfer Guide

Virgin Points Transfer Partners

Every way to move Virgin Points in and out in 2026 — the exact ratios, minimums and timings for American Express, Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and IHG, and which routes are actually worth using.

Last updated: September 2026 7 min read

Most UK collectors top up Virgin Points from American Express, but several hotel programmes connect too. Below are the routes into and out of Flying Club, the exact ratios, and an honest view of which are worth your points.

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Moving points in Moving points out Best routes Things to watch

Moving points in

The fastest way to build a Virgin Points balance in the UK is American Express Membership Rewards, which transfers at 1:1. Several hotel programmes also feed Virgin, though at less generous ratios.

From	Ratio	Minimum	Typical time
Amex Membership RewardsThe main UK route. Watch for occasional transfer bonuses.	1 : 1	1,000 (then +500)	Often instant, up to 48h
Marriott BonvoyBonus of 5,000 Virgin Points for every 60,000 Marriott transferred.	3 : 1	—	A few days
Hilton Honors10,000 Hilton points convert to roughly 1,500 Virgin Points — poor value.	10 : 1.5	—	A few days
World of Hyatt5,000 Hyatt points convert to about 3,000 Virgin Points.	5 : 3	—	A few days

Transfers are irreversible. Only move points once you have confirmed the exact reward seat you want is available — never transfer speculatively.

Moving points out

You can also send Virgin Points to two hotel programmes. Be warned: the value is usually well below what the same points would fetch as a flight, so these routes are a last resort.

To	Ratio	Minimum	Typical time
Hilton HonorsPhone only. Generally weak value versus flights.	2 : 3	10,000 (then +10,000)	30 days – 6 weeks
IHG One RewardsBetter ratio than Hilton, but still usually beaten by flight redemptions.	1 : 1	10,000 (then +5,000)	A few days

As a rule, transfer hotel points into Virgin for a flight, not the other way. Virgin Points are almost always most valuable spent on reward flights.

Best routes to use

Amex Membership Rewards → Virgin (1:1). The default for topping up for a specific reward flight, especially during a transfer bonus.
Marriott Bonvoy → Virgin (3:1 + bonus). If you have a large Bonvoy balance, the 5,000-point bonus per 60,000 transferred softens the ratio.

Things to watch

US-only cards do not count here. Some transfer programmes you may read about (such as Chase or Capital One) are US-only and not available to UK cardholders. In the UK, American Express Membership Rewards is the main transfer partner into Virgin.

Ratios and bonuses change. Programmes adjust transfer ratios, minimums and bonuses regularly. Always confirm the current terms on the relevant programme’s site before moving points.

Once your points are in, see how to find reward seats and check the value with our points value calculator. This is general information, not financial advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

The AviosArcana Editorial Team

We decode UK air-miles programmes in plain English, cross-checking every figure against the programmes’ published terms. We are independent and this is general information, not financial advice.

Where to go next

Virgin Flying Club ExplainedThe full guide to the programme.What Are Virgin Points Worth?Value any redemption before you transfer.Finding Reward SeatsWhere to spend the points you transfer.Amex to Avios TransfersThe same Amex hub, sending points to Avios.

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