(TAN): Virgin Atlantic has extended its measures to protect Flying Club members who have been impacted by the global travel restrictions caused by Covid-19, whilst introducing improvements to make Flying Club even more rewarding for users.
Having become the first UK airline to automatically extend loyalty status in March 2020, with all Flying Club Gold and Silver members given an extra six months’ tier status, and all voucher validity extended, the airline is now further extending validity by an additional six months. It means all members will have an extra year in total to maintain tier status and redeem a host of benefits. The automatic extension gives members more time to use their valuable miles, achieve tier points or use rewards such as Companion, Upgrade or Clubhouse vouchers.
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Furthermore, in a first for any UK airline loyalty programme, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members will now also be able to earn tier points on Virgin Atlantic redemption flights using miles – providing greater opportunities for customers to progress or maintain their tier status, every time they fly with Virgin Atlantic.
Oli Byers, SVP, data and customer loyalty at Virgin Atlantic, said: “This additional six-month extension — making an extra year in total — gives our members peace of mind that they have even more time to enjoy and renew their hard-earned tier status or redeem their vouchers. Following our return to the skies last month, we’re committed to supporting our customers and welcoming them back on board when the time is right for them.”
“We’re also making bold changes to deliver a programme which puts the needs of our members first. The introduction of tier points for redemption flights is an industry-leading move that will help customers progress to Silver or Gold membership more quickly and, in turn, enjoy even more rewards with their membership. We also know our customers love the vouchers we offer, so we’ve improved these to make the conditions simpler and more generous so they are even easier for customers to use,” he said.
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Any member that books from September 1 2020 with miles, or flies on a service which was purchased using miles, will receive the same tier points as if they were booking with money. It means more opportunities to reach the 400 tier points required to progress from Red to Silver status, or the 1,000 tier points needed to become a Gold member and unlock a host of incredible benefits.
Gold & Silver tier extension
Gold and Silver members need to earn 1000 tier points and 400 tier points, respectively, to maintain their status for another year. Following the latest extension, these members will have an extra year in total added to their membership, providing them with extra time to reach their goal.
A new membership card will not be sent but a digital membership card can be viewed online and downloaded via the Virgin Atlantic app. Flying Club accounts will be updated soon so that members can login online and see how many tier points they have and the new end date of their membership year.
