European Flights for Less! Try This Virgin Atlantic Redemption Sweet Spot

Hello, Adventurous Travellers, and Happy Thursday!

In this week's newsletter, I have a fantastic tip for getting value out of your Virgin Atlantic miles. I'll also take you through flying with British Airways, Qatar Airways, and Emirates to Asia, teaching you how to use the Smart Redemptions extension to maximise your miles.

Let's get started:

• 🗼 European Flights for Less! Try This Virgin Atlantic Redemption Sweet Spot: Discover how to use Virgin Atlantic miles for great deals on flights within Europe, including booking with KLM and Air France for as little as 4,000 miles.

• 🛕 Flying to Asia: British Airways vs Qatar vs Emirates: 
  Compare the value and perks of flying economy, business, and first class, and find out which offers the best redemption value and in-flight experience.

🗼 European Flights for Less! Try This Virgin Atlantic Redemption Sweet Spot

Virgin Atlantic often has some very good redemptions. Virgin Atlantic miles are more versatile than you might think. They're not just for getting to Europe but also for hopping around it affordably.

Did you know you can also use Virgin Atlantic miles to book flights with KLM and Air France? You can book a flight within Europe for as little as 4,000 miles in Economy and 8,000 miles in Business. Some of these redemptions are a far better deal than booking directly with KLM or Air France.

You can cover a considerable portion of Europe with these airlines departing from CDG in Paris or Amsterdam.

The number of miles needed is based on the distance flown. For instance, flying from Athens to Amsterdam will cost you 9,000 miles in Economy, which is already a steal compared to the 16,500 miles you'd need with KLM's program.

But if you add a connecting flight to Rome, you'd only pay 7,500 miles for the entire journey. And if you decide to skip the second leg and stay in Amsterdam, you've just saved 1,500 miles—sneaky, right?

Here is the award pricing when booking KLM or Air France with Virgin Miles:

Virgin and its partners often offer some pretty good transfer bonuses, meaning a 4,000-mile flight might cost you just 3,000. Points transfer 1:1 from most eligible programs.

🛕Flying to Kuala Lumpur with British Airways Vs Qatar Vs Emirates

It’s always good to know you’ve got the best value when redeeming your points. Some flights aren’t worth spending your points on, and you’d be better off paying in cash, whereas others offer fantastic value.

Using Smart Redemptions, we were able to compare the cash value with the points and miles required for each class available in British Airways, Qatar and Emirates.

Flights are between London Heathrow and Kuala Lumpur International Airport on 15th November 2024.

Here’s a comparison of the three airlines flying from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur on 15th November 2024 one way:

You can see that each point is worth more when you book Business or First class redemptions.

Here's a comparison of what you get for your money with British Airways, Qatar Airways, and Emirates:

💺 Flying in Economy with British Airways Vs Qatar Vs Emirates

• Qatar and Emirates have a 3-4-3 seat configuration, whereas BA has a 3-3-3.

• Seat pitches on all the airlines are 31-32 inches.

• The flight duration with British Airways is the shortest at 12 hours and 45 minutes, and it is the only direct option out of the three. Flying with Qatar takes around 16 hours, including a stopover in Doha, and flying with Emirates takes around 16 hours, including a stopover in Dubai.

• Even when flying in economy, you can use any oneworld lounges if you hold British Airways Silver or oneworld Sapphire status.

• If you have silver Skywards status with Emirates, you can use the Emirates business class lounge during your Dubai stopover.

• Take advantage of the Qatar or Emirates stopover programmes rather than opting for a layover. This makes stopping worthwhile rather than flying direct with British Airways.

🥂 Flying in Business

• Seat configurations on all three are 1-2-1.

• Emirates has the largest business-class screen (23.5 inches), followed by Qatar (21.5 inches) and BA (17 inches).

• All airlines have a fully lie-flat bed with direct aisle access.

Here are the lounges you’ll have access to when flying in business class:

🛏️ Flying in First

• Emirates has a 1-1-1 seat configuration, whereas BA and Qatar have 1-2-1.

• When flying with Qatar, you’ll get a seat with a 90-inch pitch, privacy doors and a 90-inch screen. You’ll also have access to the onboard bar. If you fly with BA, you’ll have a fully enclosed suite with a 23-inch screen and private wardrobe. Emirates provides fully enclosed suites with a 32-inch screen and access to the onboard shower spa.

Here are the lounges you’ll have access to when flying in First:

British Airways is the only airline of the three offering direct flights. Unless you find a really good redemption or want to use your Qatar/Emirates points or make the most of the stopover programmes, flying direct is always worthwhile - even if you opt to pay cash and earn tier points when the redemption values are not good.

The Smart Redemptions browser extension is available on Chrome and Firefox.

Final Words

That’s all for this week! We hope these tips help you maximise your travel rewards and have better experiences.

Safe travels, and always aim for the upgrade!

Want to continue the conversation? Come and join our free Facebook group.

Bye for now!

Final Words

That’s all for this week! We hope these tips help you maximise your travel rewards and have better experiences.

Safe travels, and always aim for the upgrade!

Want to continue the conversation? Come and join our free Facebook group.

Bye for now!