Wells Fargo Rewards has added a seventh transfer option to its growing list of airline and hotel partners. Consumers can now transfer their reward points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club or Virgin Red in a 1:1 ratio.
There is no minimum transfer amount, so you could transfer as little as 1 Wells Fargo Rewards Point to convert to 1 Virgin point. However, transfers are not reversible, so make sure you find flight availability or have a use for the points before transferring them.
In our September 2024 issue ratingsTPG values Virgin points at 1.4 cents each and Wells Fargo Rewards points at 1.6 cents each.
Virgin’s programmes are closely linked and share a single Virgin points balance. So if you transfer your account to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club or Virgin Red, once you link your two Virgin accounts, the single Virgin points balance will show across both and you can easily redeem points through either programme (with many of the same rewards available through both).
Virgin Points can be redeemed for a wide range of rewards, including: Improvements at Virgin Atlanticflights with Virgin or its SkyTeam partners (including Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines), Virgin Atlantic Holidays (package holidays), concert tickets, food tours and duty-free products.
Related: Virgin Atlantic’s new redemption offer offers 25% off all routes – but is it worth it?
Should you transfer your Wells Fargo Rewards points to Virgin?
While redeeming points for flights operated by Virgin Atlantic carries high surcharges imposed by the airline, Flying Club uses a high season and low season award tableUnlike other airline programs, which price flights dynamically, while you may be charged upwards of $2,000 for a round-trip business class flight from the US to the UK, it’s always best to compare the cash fare to the award ticket price to see if it’s worth redeeming your points.
Further, Flying Club offers redemption discounts across the network several times a year, which can help you earn even more points.
You can also use Virgin points to book SkyTeam partner awards, such as international flights from the U.S. to Europe on Delta. Booking a one-way Main Cabin flight on Delta from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club should set you back 15,000 points plus about $200 in taxes and fees. While the unavoidable fees can be a bit steep, Delta can charge triple the amount of SkyMiles for that same flight.
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Plus, if you fly Delta from the US to other European destinations outside the UK, taxes and fees are significantly lower, although they will cost you more Virgin points.
Again, it’s always best to compare multiple programs to see which offers the best value for money. For example, if Virgin Atlantic Flying Club charges 30,000 points to fly from JFK to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) on a Delta-operated flight in Main Cabin, and Delta SkyMiles charges 110,000 miles for that same flight, that’s a better deal. Book through Flying Club rather than through SkyMiles.
We recommend that you check and find availability before transferring your points or miles.
Related: Wells Fargo Rewards Program: How to Earn, Redeem, and Transfer Points
How to earn Wells Fargo Rewards points
While Wells Fargo offers several types of credit cards, including cash back rewards cards, you can currently only earn Wells Fargo Rewards points with the following cards:
With the new transfer option, Wells Fargo Autograph and Journey cardholders can now transfer their points to the following programs at a 1:1 ratio:
Related: Why I got the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card and how I plan to use the welcome bonus
In summary
It’s great to see the Wells Fargo Rewards transfer partner list slowly but surely growing with the addition of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Virgin Red.
Hopefully, a big company like Air Canada Aeroplan or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer will be next on the transfer list. A Wells Fargo card may not have been at the top of the list to add to your wallet, but Wells Fargo Autographed Travel Card is a strong new contender in the transferable points space with a generous welcome bonus, impressive category bonuses and an ever-growing list of transfer partners.
