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1,000 Jumeirah One points (or 500 Emirates miles) for updating your profile
If you have a Jumeirah One membership account, you can earn 1,000 bonus points for under one minute. Just log into your account and you’ll see the following banner:
Follow through to see the offer details. Basically Jumeirah One added a new Interests section to the profile page, and you just need to tick a few boxes to complete the task. You have until December 31 to do it, and 1,000 bonus points will be deposited into your account within two weeks.
I have never stayed at a Jumeirah hotel and doubt I ever will. 1,000 points is not enough for you to redeem a free night, however, you can:
- Use the Pay with Points feature to part-pay your bill, possibly including restaurant bills even when not staying with them. 1,000 points is worth £15 / 67 AED
- Transfer the points into 500 Emirates Skywards miles
(H.T. headforpoints)
Good offer: Virgin Atlantic selling points at 89p
Virgin Atlantic is selling their points at a historically low price, which may be worth visiting. You need to be a Silver or Gold member to get the best deal though.
Until November 18, you get a staggered bonus when purchasing Virgin points:
- 5,000 – 24,000 points: 15% / 20% bonus
- 25,000 – 69,000 points: 20% / 30% bonus
- 70,000 – 119,000 points: 40% / 50% bonus
- 120,000 points or more: 60% / 70% bonus
The second number is for Silver and Gold members, whereas the first is for everyone else. They’ve also increased the cap, so you can buy up to 200K points every year.
Virgin charges a flat £15 rate for every 1,000 points, and there’s a £15 handling fee per transaction. On the very top end you’ll be paying £3,015 for 340K points, which amounts to 0.887 per point.
Barring the occasional Miles Booster promotions (which isn’t on this time), this is the cheapest you can get for Virgin point. If you earn in a non-Sterling currency, for example USD, the deal is even more attractive given the recent GBP slump.
Virgin Atlantic is set to join Skyteam in the upcoming months so their point will potentially be worth more. However I wouldn’t take a punt right now, and will only purchase any points if I know where to spend them.
How to redeem Etihad Guest miles on Air Serbia
Etihad doesn’t belong to any airline alliance, however they’ve got quite a few airline partners and some of the partner redemptions are great in value. I accrued some Etihad miles when flying with Philippine Airlines a few years back, and I’ve always wanted to visit Belgrade, so why not book an award ticket on Air Serbia?
Although I managed it in the end, the process was far from pain-free and there’s very little up-to-date information on the Internet, so I’ll try to give some detailed tips today. First of all, although you are using Etihad Guest miles, you don’t talk to Etihad at all for the booking – the whole process involves Air Serbia only!
[Pricing]
You can find all information on Air Serbia’s website here. As you can see, you could redeem Etihad Guest miles on:
- Award ticket
- Cabin upgrade
- Air Serbia Premium Lounge access
- Additional luggage allowance
Booking an award ticket in business class is the best option. A one-way ticket between London and Belgrade costs 10410 miles in Economy and 14834 in Business, whereas cash prices are usually £150+ and £300+ respectively!
Air Serbia flies to many other major European cities such as Berlin, Paris, Rome, Madrid and Stockholm. Their only long-haul destination at the moment is New York, which costs 44970 / 64082 miles.
Obviously you still need to pay taxes and charges. For London – Belgrade in business class it’s €94.64 (!!), and for Belgrade – London it’s only €22.59.
[Transferring Miles]
Even if you don’t have any Etihad Guest miles, it’s very easy to acquire some. They are a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, so you can transfer your MR points to Etihad Guest miles at the ratio of 1:1.
Although Amex’s website quotes a 48-hour lead time, the transfer is actually instant, which is very useful.
[Ticket Rules]
As explained in their conditions:
- You must book at least 24 hours in advance
- You can change for a €25 fee
- You can cancel for a full refund, less 10% of the Etihad Guest miles
I booked my London – Belgrade trip in business class, and it’s in the I fare bucket. I’m not sure how many award tickets Air Serbia releases per flight, but it seems to be on the generous side.
For my Belgrade – London flight the business cabin had already sold out when I called to redeem, but they somehow still managed to fit me in. A couple of days later they told me it was a mistake and downgraded me to economy instead, alas…
Economy award ticket is booked into the N bucket, which comes with a free 23kg checked bag. You can pay for seat selection and other services, for example:
- Seat selection: RSD 902 – 1578
- Seat selection + priority boarding: RSD 1167
- Sear selection + fast track: RSD 1173
- Premium lounge + fast track: RSD 2322
I paid for seat selection + fast track (€9.99), which lets me select any seat including front / exit row, so apparently a good deal. I can access the premium lounge with my Priority Pass already.
[Contacting Air Serbia]
Once you are ready and have sufficient Etihad Guest miles, you can find your local contact number and call them. All calls are handled by the call centre in Serbia, and they operate long hours. I used the UK number 020 37 695 856.
All the representatives I talked with (and believe me there are many…) are very familiar with the award ticket booking process. Here is what it usually looks like:
- Provide your name, contact information, flight details and Etihad Guest membership number
- Air Serbia has a dedicated back office that checks availability and your Etihad Guest account information
- You’ll be asked to call back in a few hours or the next day
- If everything’s good, they’ll take your credit card details and issue the ticket
So it takes two phone calls and potentially a day to redeem an award ticket, which isn’t the simplest, but not too bad either. I had a nightmare when booking my first ticket though, as my Etihad Guest account turned out to be locked for some reason so I had to sort it out first; then Air Serbia’s back office was unavailable so I had to wait a few more days. But in general, their call centre staff know what they are doing and are very helpful.
I hope you find this article useful!
Book Virgin Chauffeur service for 17,500 points
Like many other airlines that wanted to impress their premium passengers onboard and off the plane, Virgin Atlantic used to offer free chauffeur service to Upper Class customers. The service has died down over the years though, and they no longer offer it in-house, but have partnered with a third-party provider and it is not to free to anyone anymore.
However, it is still possible to book the chauffeur service with Virgin points. It has a very limited audience though: only Upper Class reward tickets (booking class G) are eligible, although upgrade from paid Premium tickets are booked in the same class so I believe they qualify too.
You can read about the benefit here.
- It’s available at UK and US airports
- You pay 17,500 points per way
- It covers a 75-mile radius from the airport
- In the US it’s possible to pay $3.5 per mile if your travel distance exceeds 75 miles
I live near Heathrow, so Uber or Bolt costs me only £30 therefore the benefit doesn’t really apply. However, if you live further away it might start to make sense.
As you can see, the 75-mile radius covers almost the entire Southeast, as well as many other counties around London (I never realised England was so small).
If you already have a Virgin ticket, you could make a dummy chauffeur booking online to see what kind of car and service to expect. If I remember correctly their partner is Tristar, which was acquired by Addison Lee in 2020.
17,500 points isn’t cheap, but if you travel from far and especially with many bags, it may be a great redemption choice.
2,000 bonus Marriott points for linking your Emirates account
In 2020 Marriott offered 1,500 points to some members to sign up to its partnership program with Emirates. According to a thread on Flyertalk the offer is coming back.
@flyme2 received an email from Marriott:
Earn 2,000 bonus points1 with Your World Rewards™. Simply join by 31 July and complete a stay by 31 August to earn your exclusive bonus. Plus, you’ll earn twice on stays and flights with this exclusive partnership from Marriott Bonvoy® and Emirates Skywards®.
Bonus is slightly higher, however this time you must complete a stay to earn it.
You World Rewards allows elite members from Marriott and Emirates to receive reciprocal benefits when travelling. Marriott elites are entitled to priority check-in and priority boarding when flying Emirates, and also earn Marriott points for the flight ticket.
Note that you must have received an invitation by email to participate. Otherwise I suggest you not link the account until you receive an invitation or travel with Emirates.
My review of Virgin Atlantic 787-9 Upper Class
We wrote about Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Wing and Clubhouse at Heathrow, and let’s take a look at their Upper Class in-flight experience today. It’s been three years since I was last onboard a wide-body aircraft.
For boarding there are two priority lanes: one for Upper Class passengers only, and the other for Premium, Economy Delight plus elite members of Virgin Atlantic, Delta and Flying Blue. I’m one of the first to board so can’t verify, but the second priority lane probably has loads of people.
The first thing that comes to your sight is their bar, which is a major feature for Upper Class passengers when they fancy a chat and some drinks.
It’s obviously not Emirates First Class though, and evolves into a totally different design on the A350 aircraft.
The 787 aircraft has herringbone configuration in Upper Class with three seats per row.
The seats are stacked very tightly though, so there isn’t as much space for each seat as you may expect.
The main storage space is behind the seat. There are charging ports behind the IFE and remote control.
One major defect is the lack of view. Even if you are sat at a window seat, the window is actually behind you blocked by the back of your seat.
I’m unpleasantly surprised when seeing their new amenity kit…
I get that they are trying to be environmentally responsible, but I like to collect airline amenity bags, and personally I don’t like them cutting cost in premium cabins whatever the claimed cause is.
The IFE has a small screen and looks quite old:
Some of the latest releases include Dune, Eternals and Unchartered.
Another sign of cost-cutting: for a flight duration of 9 hours, only one meal is served.
You can pre-order between 72 hours and 24 hours before the departure, which I didn’t do. But the online menu had more content than onboard, so it might be a wise thing to do.
I ordered Asparagus for a starter (it turns out no quail eggs are available):
Thai curry prawns as main course:
And the chocolate dome for dessert:
There are Extra Bites to order too whenever you feel peckish. I ended up having both the pull pork burger and crab cake, which are actually tastier than the prawns. My suspicion is that the Extra Bites replaces a second meal so they don’t have to offer starter or dessert.
One notorious design of their Upper Class seat: when turning into a bed it doesn’t naturally slide down like every other airline’s business class seat, but leans forward and then slides back instead. It’s slightly inconvenient as you can’t stay in the seat while the conversion happens.
The bed is long enough but the foot rest is a bit confined. The A350 Upper Class has a more conventional design, but from what I’ve heard the head space is smaller.
I’ve flown the 787 Upper Class a couple of times previously so nothings feels really refreshing of this flight. A friend of mine also did his A350 recently and I’ll see if I can get a report from him.
My review of Virgin Atlantic Upper Wing & Clubhouse at London Heathrow T3
I have been to most of the lounges at Heathrow. Amongst the remaining ones (that are still open) Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouse definitely tops my list. I didn’t fly with them that much, and never from Heathrow with a qualifying ticket so had no chance of trying the Clubhouse out.
This June I bought a ticket in Premium to the States, and used my credit card voucher to upgrade to Upper Class. In fact I status matched to Virgin Gold last December so should gain access to the lounge anyway.
In short, the following passengers can access the LHR T3 Clubhouse:
- Virgin Atlantic Upper Class / Delta One passengers
- Virgin Atlantic Gold / Virgin Australia Gold or above, when flying with Virgin Atlantic
- Delta Platinum and Diamond / Flying Blue Platinum, when flying with Virgin Atlantic or Delta
What I find really confusing is, Delta and Flying Blue elite members can use the lounge when flying with Delta, but Virgin Atlantic Gold members can’t. It must be a mix-up?
The entry rules were once very generous to VS Gold, as they could use the Clubhouse no matter which airline they were flying with (even BA). Sadly due to the overcrowding issue introduced by Delta passengers, it’s no longer the case.
Similar to BA’s First Wing at T5, Virgin Atlantic has an Upper Wing at T3 as well. If I interpret it correctly, only Upper Class and Delta One passengers are welcomed here so elite members aren’t allowed. It even has a dedicated driveway, and they verify your name at the entrance.
Don’t quote me on this, but I think it’s outside the Heathrow £5 drop-off charge zone.
The inside is much smaller than First Wing though, with only a couple of desks.
Thanks to its exclusiveness the check-in is really fast. When ready you can proceed to the security checkpoint.
Unfortunately Upper Wing doesn’t have its own security check facility, and it’s simply a reserved corner of the T3 screening facilities. After it’s done, you’ll merge with the general public and find your way to the Clubhouse.
The experience is a bit underwhelmed and not comparable to BA’s First Wing, as the latter has their own security checkpoint and you arrive into Galleries First within seconds. If you are travelling peak times (for example half-term) it might save you significant time, but otherwise I’m not sure if it’s necessary.
The Clubhouse is nicknamed Lounge H. When you enter the area of airline lounges, Qantas and Cathay Pacific are on the left, whereas BA, AA and the Clubhouse are on your right.
It’s above American’s Admirals Club.
Today happens to be the Platinum Jubilee and they’ve added some special celebratory decorations.
I was a bit shocked by how busy the lounge is…
You should notice the very long bar right away, which is deemed as the best at Heathrow.
There are many different kinds of seats in the lounge.
Going past the dining area (I forgot to take photos there) and you’ll reach the quieter business zone.
You can watch TV here.
Behind the bar there are some window seats shielded by a glass wall. They are probably the best spot in this lounge for good privacy and runway view.
The lounge is very purple-y, just like Virgin’s planes. There is also a mini-gym with three Peloton bikes, although I don’t think it’s a good idea to exhaust yourself before boarding a flight.
This is the other side of the lounge, with a couple of hanging pods.
A very Instagram-able spot:
This is the very quiet relaxation area.
On the first floor there’s a small entertainment room with a pool table.
Further up there’s a nice terrace if you want to enjoy the sun.
Bathroom:
Dining is mainly table service. You can either order from the waiter or scan the QR code.
I had a big breakfast here.
There’s also a deli counter where you can grab some stuff yourself.
What do I think? Well, don’t get me wrong – Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouse at Heathrow T3 is still a pretty decent lounge, but it’s not at the same level as it was years ago. Before its partnership with Delta and Flying Blue the Clubhouse was a quiet paradise reserved for its own passengers and members only, and now it simply doesn’t feel exclusive at all anymore. In fact I find it even busier than BA’s Galleries First Lounge.
Virgin’s cost cutting measures in the past years are also to blame. The Clubhouse used to offer a hot tub, free haircut and massage services, yet now there’s nothing left besides food. Unfortunately it can no longer differentiate itself from the other lounges at Heathrow. In fact I probably prefer the Amex Centurion Lounge or Cathay Pacific Business Lounge unless I really crave an a-la-carte menu.
How to redeem your Virgin Atlantic Credit Card Upgrade voucher
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card is probably the best non-Amex traveller card in the UK, and the Tier Reward after hitting £10,000 annual spend is quite attractive. One of the rewards to choose from is an upgrade voucher, and I’ll talk about how to use it today.
[Receiving the Voucher]
First of all, you should receive the voucher within 30 days of spending the qualifying amount. You won’t receive an email or see it in your Virgin Atlantic account, but you’ll see the following row in the activity statement:
You don’t need to specifically choose from the three Tier Rewards, instead whenever you are ready you can just redeem straightaway.
[Facts]
The voucher can be used on both revenue and reward tickets. This is a big advantage over the BA upgrade voucher issued by Barclaycard.
Only Virgin Atlantic operated flights are upgradable. Economy Light tickets are non-upgradable.
The voucher can be used to upgrade a return flight or two one-way flights. You can use half of the voucher on a one-way flight and save the other half for the future.
You can upgrade one-cabin, i.e. Economy to Premium or Premium to Upper Class.
Reward availability is required in the upgraded cabin.
You need to pay the difference in taxes and charges.
The voucher cannot be redeemed online. You must call the contact centre to redeem it.
It can be applied on tickets issued by travel agencies too – you don’t have to book directly from Virgin Atlantic, which is good as they don’t have best rate guarantee.
You can redeem the voucher for someone else – you don’t have to travel.
[Calculating the charges]
To know how much you need to pay for the upgrade is easy. Say that you want to upgrade a one-way flight from London to Miami, then just search any date for that route on Virgin’s website. Select a flight and cabin then you’ll see ticket price on the next page:
See Taxes, fees and charges? It’s not the whole picture though, you must click the link to view the actual breakdown, which will show you the carrier-imposed surcharge too:
The two numbers combined are payable charges for a reward ticket. And in this case:
- Economy: £120 + £169 = £289
- Premium: £120 + £270 = £390
- Upper Class: £350 + 270 = £620
Which means you must pay £101 for upgrading from Economy to Premium, or £230 from Premium to Upper Class.
[Using the Voucher]
The first thing you need to ensure is reward availability in the cabin you want to upgrade to. Since Virgin Atlantic doesn’t guarantee reward seats on any flight, you may need to search their website often or subscribe to one of the alerting services.
Once you find it:
- For reward ticket, you don’t need an existing booking, simply call in to make the booking with points and voucher
- For revenue ticket, you don’t need any Virgin points, just call in to upgrade with the voucher
Since fuel surcharges are sky high at the moment, upgrading a revenue ticket usually turns out a much better deal.
Virgin Atlantic actually has a Gold service line which isn’t publicised on their website. However if you are a Gold member you should be able to find the 0800 number in any newsletter they sent you. I wasn’t aware and just called the regular number at 7pm on Wednesday. It took 25 minutes to get through, which wasn’t too bad.
The agent could see reward availability and my upgrade voucher no problem. She asked for my credit card details to pay the £230 charge, which is identical to my calculations above.
It’d be nice to be able to redeem the voucher online, but overall the contact centre experience was smooth and positive, and I think paying £230 for an upgrade to Upper Class, plus finally finding a use for that voucher feels really good!