Chase Ultimate Rewards cardholders have a fresh opportunity to squeeze more value out of their points, with a new 40 percent transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club running until February 28, 2026. For travellers planning transatlantic getaways, premium cabin redemptions or strategic partner bookings, this limited-time uplift can turn a good redemption into a standout deal. Here is how the promotion works, why it matters, and how to decide whether transferring now is the right move for your travel plans.
How the 40 Percent Chase to Virgin Atlantic Bonus Works
Chase has switched on a targeted transfer promotion that boosts the value of Ultimate Rewards points when moved to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Eligible cardholders who link their Virgin Atlantic account within the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal can move points in fixed increments, with Virgin applying a 40 percent bonus on top of the standard transfer ratio through February 28, 2026. That means every 1,000 Chase points converted yields 1,400 Virgin points for as long as the offer is active.
The mechanics are straightforward. Once logged into the Ultimate Rewards site, cardholders select Virgin Atlantic Flying Club under the airline transfer partners menu, enter their Flying Club membership details, and choose how many points to transfer. The transfer itself typically processes almost instantly, though official terms allow for a short processing window before the points appear in the Flying Club balance. Once they are there, the Virgin points are ready to redeem for flights on Virgin Atlantic and its partners.
It is important to underscore that transfers from Chase to Virgin Atlantic are permanent. The boost from the 40 percent bonus can be compelling, but once the points leave Ultimate Rewards, they lose the flexibility of being redirected to other partners such as Air France-KLM, Air Canada or hotel programs. That makes it especially important to have at least a tentative redemption plan before locking in the transfer.
Why This Promotion Is a Standout Opportunity
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has long enjoyed a reputation among points enthusiasts for outsized value on specific routes and partners, particularly in premium cabins. A 40 percent transfer bonus on top of those already strong sweet spots pushes some redemptions into rare-value territory, especially at a moment when many programs are edging toward more dynamic and often higher award pricing. For transatlantic routes to London and beyond, Flying Club can often beat competing mileage programs on the total number of points required.
This bonus also comes against a backdrop of increasingly frequent but smaller bank transfer bonuses. Recent Chase offers to Virgin Atlantic have more commonly hovered around 25 to 30 percent, with 40 percent reserved for shorter windows or special campaigns. The current promotion, running all the way until February 28, 2026, gives travellers extra time to plan rather than forcing a rushed decision inside a brief flash sale.
Another factor in the offer’s appeal is the breadth of Virgin Atlantic’s partner network. Flying Club points can be used not only on Virgin Atlantic’s own routes, but also on airlines such as Delta Air Lines, Air France, KLM and All Nippon Airways, among others. For many travellers in the United States, that means being able to access domestic and regional flights on Delta as well as long-haul itineraries via Europe or Asia, all while paying with boosted Virgin points generated from Chase.
Top-Value Uses of Virgin Points With the 40 Percent Bonus
The real power of this promotion appears when you apply the boosted transfer rate to some of Flying Club’s better-known sweet spots. Consider standard off-peak economy redemptions between the United States and London, which can price out comparatively low in Virgin points compared with competitors. With the 40 percent bonus, the number of Chase points needed to reach those thresholds drops significantly, effectively discounting your ticket in terms of points expenditure, even after accounting for taxes and carrier surcharges.
Premium cabin travellers stand to gain even more. Virgin Atlantic’s own Upper Class awards on select routes, as well as partner redemptions like business-class flights on All Nippon Airways between North America and Japan or Delta-operated transatlantic flights, often represent some of the best cents-per-point value in the loyalty landscape. By stacking a 40 percent transfer bonus on top of a strategically chosen premium redemption, travellers can reach aspirational cabins for a fraction of the points that would be required through some rival programs.
Partner redemptions via Flying Club also allow U.S.-based travellers to sidestep higher award prices on domestic carriers in certain cases. Delta-operated flights booked with Virgin points can sometimes price lower than the same flights booked with Delta’s own SkyMiles, particularly on routes that have seen steep dynamic pricing increases. With Chase points converting at an effective 1 to 1.4 ratio during this promotion, the math becomes even more favourable for Flying Club bookings on Delta metal.
How to Decide Whether You Should Transfer Your Chase Points
Despite the attractive 40 percent uplift, transferring Ultimate Rewards to Virgin Atlantic is not automatically the right move for every traveller. The first question to ask is whether you have a realistic use case for Virgin points within the next year or two. Points retained with Chase remain highly flexible. Once moved into Flying Club, they are locked in to Virgin and its partners. If your travel plans are vague, or you prefer other programs such as Air Canada Aeroplan, World of Hyatt or United, preserving that flexibility could outweigh the short-term advantage of the bonus.
Next, consider award availability. Generous theoretical redemption rates are only helpful if you can find seats to book. Before initiating any transfer, it is prudent to search Virgin Atlantic’s site or the relevant partner award engine for your target routes and dates, ideally verifying availability in the cabin you want. Since transfers cannot be reversed, you do not want to find yourself holding a large balance of Flying Club points without a clear path to using them at good value.
It is also worth thinking about how much of your Chase balance to allocate. For some travellers, a partial transfer to secure a specific trip, while keeping a portion of points back for other partners or future promotions, will strike the right balance. For others with a fixed big-ticket redemption in mind, such as a family trip in premium cabins, this could be the moment to move a substantial chunk of their Ultimate Rewards balance to lock in flights at an effectively discounted rate.
Key Terms, Deadlines and Practical Fine Print
The headline end date for this promotion is February 28, 2026, which gives cardholders two full weeks from launch to make decisions. Transfers need to be initiated by the end of that date according to Eastern Time in order to qualify for the bonus. As with past campaigns, the minimum transfer size is typically 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points, often in 1,000-point increments, with no explicit cap on how many points can be moved other than the limits in an individual account.
Chase describes transfers as generally immediate, but both the bank and Virgin Atlantic advise that they may take up to several days to post. In practice, recent data points suggest that Virgin points often appear within minutes. Nevertheless, travellers seeking to book tight award space should be aware of the small risk that availability might disappear between initiating the transfer and having the points in their Flying Club account. Where possible, it is wise to identify multiple flight options or date combinations before committing points.
Finally, it is wise to remember that Virgin Atlantic levies carrier surcharges on many long-haul awards, especially in premium cabins departing from or connecting through the United Kingdom. While the 40 percent transfer bonus reduces the number of Chase points needed, the cash component of award tickets can still be significant. Comparing total out-of-pocket costs, including taxes and fees, against a cash fare or another program’s award rate can help you decide if a given redemption truly represents good value.
Strategic Booking Tips to Maximise the Bonus
To fully capitalise on this transfer promotion, approach it with a plan rather than a speculative transfer. Start by mapping out your anticipated travel for the coming year, focusing on routes where Virgin Atlantic or its partners operate convenient services. Long-haul routes between major U.S. gateways and London, onward connections into Europe with Air France and KLM, and select Asian itineraries via Tokyo or other hubs are particularly promising targets.
Once you have a shortlist of candidate trips, search for award space across several dates. Midweek departures and shoulder-season travel windows often yield better availability and lower mileage requirements than peak holiday periods. If you find the seats you need, calculate the effective cost in Chase points by dividing the Virgin points price by 1.4, then compare that to alternative programs you can access from Ultimate Rewards. In many cases, particularly for premium cabins, Flying Club with the 40 percent bonus will come out ahead.
Another tactic is to combine this promotion with other Virgin Atlantic or partner initiatives, such as the High Five loyalty reward that grants extra Virgin points after flying in five distinct years, or household accounts that allow families to pool points. By layering these elements on top of a boosted transfer, some households can assemble enough points for multiple long-haul redemptions more quickly than expected. However, the foundational rule remains that you should only move Chase points once you are confident you can deploy them at or above your target valuation.
Who Will Benefit Most From This Transfer Window
This 40 percent transfer bonus will be most compelling for travellers in a few specific situations. Frequent transatlantic flyers who value Virgin Atlantic’s service, lounges and partnership network are clear beneficiaries, especially those who habitually redeem for Upper Class or Premium cabins. For these customers, the ability to turn Chase points into Virgin points at a 1 to 1.4 rate is akin to a temporary sale on their preferred currency, reducing the long-term cost of repeat trips.
Points collectors based in U.S. cities with strong Delta and Virgin Atlantic presence also stand to gain. Those living near hubs such as New York, Boston, Atlanta, Los Angeles or Seattle may find that Flying Club redemptions on Delta metal, sometimes pricing lower than equivalent SkyMiles bookings, provide an efficient way to stretch their Ultimate Rewards balances. With the bonus in place, the same pool of Chase points can cover more domestic and regional flights than before.
On the other hand, travellers who rarely fly Virgin or its partners, or who derive most of their value from hotel transfers or non-airline redemptions, may find better opportunities elsewhere. For them, holding Ultimate Rewards points back for flexible use, or waiting for targeted bonuses to other partners, could be the wiser course. In loyalty programs, context is everything, and the best promotion on paper is not always the best promotion for an individual traveller’s circumstances.
Making the Most of Chase Ultimate Rewards in 2026
This Virgin Atlantic transfer bonus arrives at a time when the broader points and miles ecosystem is in flux. Airlines and hotels are increasingly experimenting with dynamic pricing, and transfer bonuses have become an important tool that banks use to energise their ecosystems. For consumers, that brings both opportunity and complexity. A promotion like this one can be a powerful lever to unlock outsized trips, but only if it is used thoughtfully.
For Chase cardholders, the underlying principles of smart rewards strategy still apply. Prioritise clear travel goals, verify award availability, calculate value in both points and cash terms, and avoid moving points into a single program without a realistic plan to spend them. Viewed through that lens, the 40 percent bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club through February 28, 2026 looks less like a limited-time curiosity and more like a tool that savvy travellers can deploy to bring bucket-list itineraries within reach.
As the deadline approaches, those with trips on the horizon should review their balances, run the numbers and, if the value checks out, consider locking in transfers while the offer stands. Used well, this promotion can turn the everyday spending that fuels Ultimate Rewards balances into upgraded cabins, long-haul adventures and a more comfortable year of travel.