Travel enough and you start to notice the difference between thehavesand the穷人. That is, those travelers whohaveelite status (and the perks that come along with it) and those that don’t. If you’re in the latter part of that乘客资料, you might be asking yourself questions like: What are the perks of signing up for a frequent flyer program? How can I receive complimentary upgrades? Is there a secret password foraccessing an airline’s lounge? Is it really worth it to pursue the top-tier status?

With these questions in mind, our team set out to better understand not only what it means to have elite status with an international airline, but what we could be missing having say, Gold status versus Platinum. In this multi-part series, we answer these questions—and more—about international carriers’ loyalty programs.

维珍大西洋

How to earn miles with Virgin Atlantic

Travelers part of Virgin Atlantic’s frequent flyer program are known as Flying Club members. As a member of this loyalty program, you earn miles based on the number of miles you fly, your choice of cabin, ticket type and your Flying Club membership tier. With Virgin Atlantic, you can also earn miles when you shop, dine, rent a car, stay in a hotel, and more. There are赚取里程的多种方式在空中和地上。飞行俱乐部米iles expire after 36 months of account inactivity, so be sure to earn or redeem miles on Virgin or a partner at least once every 36 months.

飞行俱乐部米iles can be used foraward travelandother redemptions. For example, you can fly round-trip in economy from JFK to LHR for just 20,000 miles; from MIA to LHR for 25,000; and from SFO to LHR for 30,000 miles. Want to make the most of your miles? Use thisreward guideto help you plan a getaway within your mileage budget.

如何与维珍大西洋实现精英身份

维珍大西洋飞行俱乐部米embers achieve status when they accrue a certain number of points. There are three levels of elite status: Red, or basic membership; Silver, which requires accruing 400 points; or Gold, requiring 1,000 tier points.

Here’s what it takes to achieve each elite status tier:

Tier	Red	Silver	Gold
Tier points	N/A。	400	1,000
Economy flights required	N/A。	4 Economy Delight round-trip flights	10 Economy Delight round-trip flights
OR, Premium flights required	N/A。	2 flexible Premium round-trip flights	5个灵活的高级往返航班
OR, Upper Class flights required	N/A。	1个灵活的上层往返航班	2 round-trip and a one-way in Upper Class

Elite status with Virgin Atlantic is earned on a rolling year basis. When youachieve Silver or Gold status, your elite benefits begin the day after the date you achieve status and continue for the remainder of that month plus an additional 12 months—a timeframe known as the Upgraded Fixed Membership Period.

To maintain elite status, Flying Club members must earn the minimum number of tier points for that tier within 12 months. If you don’t earn enough tier points to retain your Silver or Gold membership, you’ll automatically revert back to a Silver member from Gold and a Red member from Silver.

Here for the benefits

You’ve flown the miles, now it’s time to cash in on the perks. Each tier yields its own benefits—and perks like earning more miles from your flights and lounge access depend on your Flying Club tier. Here’s a sampling of the perks you’re eligible for at each tier:

Red Tier

• Earn miles on every flight
• Access to reward flights
• Access to Miles Plus Money redemption program

Silver Tier

• 每次航班赚取英里 + 30％的奖金英里
• Access to reward flights
• Access to Miles Plus Money redemption program
• Free seat selection ahead of your flight in Economy Light
• Premium check-in while flying in any cabin

Gold Tier

• 每次航班赚取里程 + 60％的奖金英里
• Access to reward flights
• Access to Miles Plus Money redemption program
• Free seat selection ahead of your flight in Economy Light for you and your party
• 免费出口行座位在经济经典中
• Upper Class check-in while flying in any cabin
• 进入伦敦希思罗的复兴休息室
• Additional carry-on and checked baggage allowance
• Exclusive Clubhouse passes for you and a guest
• One complimentary Clubhouse spa treatment

For a full list of benefits and their terms, head to the飞行俱乐部米embership page.

合作伙伴航空公司

维珍大西洋飞行俱乐部米embers can earn and redeem miles on 11 partner airlines worldwide.

合作伙伴航空公司include:

Delta	维尔京澳大利亚
Air France	South African Airways
KLM	ANA
SAS	中国空气
Singapore Airlines	夏威夷航空公司
Air New Zealand

Hubs and lounges

Virgin Atlantic目前为33个国际目的地提供服务，主要来自英国的三个枢纽：伦敦希思罗（LHR）,London Gatwick (LGW), and Manchester (MAN).

想要使您的休息室访问使用？上阶级的乘客和飞行俱乐部金牌成员可以参观维珍大西洋Clubhousesin the following airports:

• 伦敦希思罗（LHR）
• London Gatwick (LGW)
• New York-JFK
• Newark (EWR)
• San Francisco (SFO)
• 波士顿洛根（BOS）
• Los Angeles (LAX)
• 华盛顿特区（IAD）
• Johannesburg (JNB)

Upper Class passengers and Flying Club Gold members can also access20多个合作伙伴休息室around the world.

Pro tip:Use the TripIt app’sinteractive airport mapsto locate lounges in the airport(s) you’re traveling through. You’ll have everything you need to navigate your way with estimated walk times and step-by-step directions.

准备加入了吗？您可以注册飞行俱乐部会员资格这里. Flying domestically? We’ve also created loyalty program guides forDelta,Alaska,JetBlue,Southwest,United, andAmerican.