Virgin Atlantic Upgrade Guide

If you’re tired of cramped economy seating, you can take your travel experience to new heights with a Virgin Atlantic upgrade. In this blog post, we’ll explore the various upgrade options available on Virgin Atlantic and how they can transform your journey. From extra legroom and priority boarding to gourmet dining, access to exclusive lounges, and more baggage allowance, there are plenty of reasons why upgrading may be worth every penny. 

Key Highlights to Upgrade Virgin Atlantic Seat

The section below lists the key highlights of Virgin Atlantic upgrades. Whether it’s enjoying the luxury of Upper Class or experiencing the comfort of Premium Economy, upgrading your seat can make a world of difference in your travel experience. The points below will make the upgrade process simpler and easier for you by taking all the guesswork out. 

• You can upgrade Virgin Atlantic seat in 3 ways:
  • Bid for an upgrade
  • Upgrade with miles/points
  • Pay for an upgrade 
• The cheapest fares (Economy Light and Holiday fares, V, N, and O) cannot be upgraded. However, higher class (more expensive) Economy Classic and Economy Delight fares with the following codes can be upgraded: Y, B, R, L, U, M, E, Q, and X.
• If you have multiple passengers in your flight booking, all passengers must upgrade.
• The upgrade fee is on a per-passenger and per-sector basis and includes all taxes, fees, and charges. However, if the taxes and fees of the upgraded class are higher, you will need to pay them at the time of upgrading (even if you’re upgrading with your Flying Club points).
• The fare rules of the original ticket will apply for flight cancellations, refunds, and flight changes. However:
  • Flying Club members are entitled to miles and tier points of the upgraded ticket and not the original ticket.
  • Once upgraded, the baggage allowance of the upgraded ticket will apply (at check-in).
• Upgrades are non-transferable and cannot be encashed or credited. 

Upgrades are confirmed by email and can take up to 48 hours.

Virgin Atlantic Bid for Upgrade

Virgin Atlantic bid for upgrade program allows you to bid for an upgrade to the next higher class of service. This means you could move from Economy to Premium, or from Premium to Upper Class. You must book your ticket directly with Upgrade Virgin Atlantic, and if your trip is eligible, you’ll receive an invite by email to bid for an upgrade. The time limit to submit a bid is up to 2 days prior to the scheduled departure date. 

Virgin Atlantic’s upgrades are subject to seat availability. If you could not bid for an upgrade, it may still be worth checking online via My Booking, or asking the staff at the airport for upgrade availability.

How Virgin Atlantic Upgrade Auction Works?

1. Enter your booking details on the Bid for an upgrade page (see above).

(Or find your booking via My booking on the homepage)

2. Click on the Bid for an upgrade button. 
3. Make your bid by indicating how much you’re willing to pay. You can place your bid up to 2 days prior to your flight’s scheduled departure date.
4. Your bid will be assessed between 7 – 2 days ahead of your flight’s scheduled departure date. 
5. If your booking has multiple passengers, you must bid for all passengers. The bid amount must be per passenger, meaning that if your booking has 3 passengers and you want to bid £120 for an upgrade, you’ll have to bid £360.
6. If your bid is successful:
   • You’ll receive an email informing you that your bid was successful 
   • Your card will be charged for the bid amount
7. If your bid is unsuccessful, simply do nothing. Your card won’t be charged and you can travel on your original ticket.

You can change or cancel your bid up to 2 days prior to your flight’s scheduled date of departure. However, if your bid has already been accepted, you won’t be allowed to cancel it.

Bidding Upgrade Terms and Conditions 

When bidding for upgrades on Virgin Atlantic, the following terms and conditions will apply:

• You can only bid for an upgrade if you have a valid and confirmed ticket directly issued by Virgin Atlantic for a Virgin Atlantic-operated flight. 
• You can only bid for the next higher cabin online through Virgin’s Your Bid auction services up to 48 hours (2 days) prior to the scheduled departure date of the flight. You can access Your Bid through the My booking link on the airline’s website or through the link appearing in a service email sent by the airline. 
• If your booking includes multiple passengers, your bid must be for all the passengers on your booking. The bid amount must be per passenger. If your booking has 5 passengers and you want to bid £100 for the upgrade, your bid amount should be £500. 
• The Your Bid auction service is available only on the routes, destinations, and dates chosen by Virgin Atlantic as displayed on the Your Bid page.
• If you’re travelling on a multi-segment trip and want to upgrade for the full trip, you must bid for each segment. 
• Bids are assessed 7 – 2 days ahead of flight departure. If your bid is accepted, you will be informed 7 – 2 days prior to flight departure. 
• When making a bid offer, you will need to enter your debit/credit card details. If the bid is accepted, your card will be charged not later than 2 days prior to your flight’s scheduled departure. If for some reason the payment is not accepted, your upgrade bid will be rejected and allotted to the bidder in line. If your bid is not successful, you’ll be informed by email not later than 2 days prior to your flight’s departure time.
• You’re allowed to cancel or modify your bid any time up to 2 days prior to the date of departure.
• If when upgrading to a higher class (such as from Economy to Upper Class) the fees, taxes, and surcharges are higher than what you paid, you will have to pay the difference in addition to the bid amount. 
• If your bid is successful, the bid amount cannot be refunded (other than taxes) even if you’ve purchased a refundable fare. Moreover, upgrades cannot be transferred to a different flight or passenger. 
• If Virgin Atlantic cancels or changes your flight following which it re-books you on a substitute flight, it will try to accommodate you in the upgraded service class. However, if no seat in the upgraded cabin is available, you will be entitled to a complete refund of the amount you paid for the upgrade. If you don’t want to travel, you will be refunded fully for the price of your ticket plus the upgrade price. 
• If your bid for an Upper Class seat is successful, you can use a third-party lounge or Clubhouse for the upgraded sector, subject to the availability of space. 
• If your bid is successful, your baggage allowance will be per the upgraded cabin’s baggage allowance (only for the upgraded sector). If you have a connecting flight before or after the upgraded sector, you will be charged for it. 
• You cannot bid for an upgrade for tickets not issued by Virgin Atlantic or flights operated by another airline.

The points you earn (Tier and Virgin Points) will accrue to the travel class originally purchased by you instead of the upgraded class.

Virgin Atlantic Upgrade with Miles/Points

Upgrading with miles/points is a great way to enhance your travel experience with Virgin Atlantic. To begin the upgrade process, you must ensure that you have enough points in your frequent flyer account. Once you have accumulated the required number of points, you can visit the Virgin Atlantic website or contact the airline’s customer service team to inquire about available upgrade options. 

The airline typically offers upgrades from Economy to Premium Economy or Upper Class, or from Premium Economy to Upper Class. It’s important to note that upgrade availability may vary depending on the flight and time of booking. When making your request, be sure to provide your flight details and preferred upgrade class. If any seats are available, you can use your points/miles to secure an upgrade and enjoy a more comfortable and enjoyable journey with Virgin Atlantic.

How to check reward seat availability. To check how many reward seats are available in the month when you want to travel, visit Reward Seat Checker page. 

How to book a new flight. You can now book a new direct flight (and return trip) with Virgin Atlantic (or Delta Air Lines) from the United Kingdom. If seats are available on your route, search for your desired flight by selecting the Book my reward flight option. You will be taken to the booking screen. 

How to upgrade an existing flight booking. After you’ve checked for seat availability, you will need to contact Virgin Atlantic: 

• Through chat. Sign in to My Booking and click on the chat icon appearing at the bottom of the screen, or
• Click on Manage my booking > I want to upgrade, or
• Call Virgin Atlantic

How many points will I need to upgrade? 

The number of points required to upgrade on Virgin Atlantic will depend on several factors, such as your route, travel class, seat availability, and season (standard or peak). Upgrading to a higher cabin class will require more points than upgrading to a lower class. The exact number of points needed for an upgrade is presented in the tables below. 

Remember, if your flight is operated by another airline, you cannot use your points to upgrade, even if your flight starts with VS.

Upgrade Table—Standard Season 

Upgrade Table—Standard Season (Round Trip)

Travel Dates—Peak Season

Peak Season Upgrade Table

Virgin Atlantic Paid Upgrade

Virgin Atlantic Paid Upgrade program allows you to upgrade your seat to a higher class for an additional fee. You can check if there are any available upgrades by accessing your booking from the Virgin Atlantic website or contacting the airline’s customer service. If any upgrades are available, you can choose to purchase the upgrade using cash, miles, or a combination of both. Once the upgrade is confirmed, you will receive all the benefits and amenities associated with their upgraded class, such as access to premium lounges, enhanced dining options, increased baggage allowance, etc.

How to check for available upgrades?

You can check the available upgrades online through My Booking by browsing the seat map. To view the upgrade price, tap on or hover over the desired seat and follow the prompts to pay for the upgrade online. 

If you’re unable to view the upgrade option, call customer service for assistance. Alternatively, click on Contact us, select Manage my booking and click on the I want to upgrade link.

You can make a paid upgrade:

• From Economy (Classic/Classic Flex) to:
  • Economy Delight
  • Premium
  • Upper Class
• From Economy (Delight/Delight Flex) to:
  • Premium
  • Upper Class
• From Premium/Premium Flex to Upper Class

Paid Upgrade Applicability 

• On eligible flights, promotional fares are limited and issued on a first-come basis. 
• Eligible flights refer to one-way flights operated by Virgin. Flights on other airlines and codeshare flights are not included.
• If your booking includes multiple passengers, all passengers must upgrade.
• If seats are available, you can upgrade on both individual and multi-sectors.

Paid Upgrade Fees

The fee for paid upgrades is calculated per passenger and sector. It includes all taxes, fees, and charges. Also, the fare rules of your original ticket will continue to apply, such as flight cancellations, flight changes, refunds, etc. Upgrades are non-transferable and do not offer any recourse to credit or cash.

Paid Upgrade Refunds 

After the confirmation of a Flex Upgrade, the following conditions will apply:

• Flight cancellations and modifications will not be permitted
• No refund and/or compensation will be permitted 

Date, route, and name changes will not be permitted

Exceptions to the above

• If Virgin Atlantic cannot provide a seat in the upgraded class due to safety, security, operational, or other situations. 
• If your flight is diverted or cancelled because of irregularities in operations and you are provided an alternative flight where similar seating is not available. If seats are unavailable in the upgraded class, you will be refunded the upgrade.
• If you are denied boarding because of oversales, you can use your upgrade on the alternative flight, subject to availability. If no such seats are available, you will be issued a refund along with the taxes paid by you. 
• If you cannot sit on a specific seat due to an injury, such as a broken leg, you will be issued a complete refund along with the taxes paid by you. 
• If you’re not allowed to board your flight because you violated Virgin’s carriage conditions, the upgrade fee refund will be solely at the airline’s discretion. 

Note. If you qualify for a refund, the upgrade fees will be refunded to your original payment method. 

Baggage and Related Services for Paid Upgrades

• When you purchase an upgrade, your baggage allowance will be that of the upgraded travel class. 
• You will not be provided the chauffeur-driven car service if you pay for an upgrade to Upper Class within 24 hours of departure.
• If you’re a Flying Club member, you’ll be entitled to the miles and tier points of the Upgraded travel class.

Upgrade Confirmation 

• Upgrades will only be understood to be confirmed when you receive an e-mail (typically within 48 hours) informing you of the upgrade from Virgin Atlantic.

How much does it cost to upgrade on Virgin Atlantic?

The cost to upgrade on Virgin Atlantic will depend on the specific flight, route, and class of service. Generally, the upgrade cost will depend on factors such as availability, demand, the fare class of the original ticket, and which class you’re upgrading to. Upgrades can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, so check with Virgin Atlantic directly or visit the website and check the upgrade cost through My Booking by browsing the seat map (hover or tap on your preferred seat to view the upgrade price).

Keep in mind that upgrades are subject to availability and certain restrictions may apply. Whether you’re looking for a more comfortable seat or access to premium amenities, upgrading on Virgin Atlantic can enhance your travel experience and make your journey even more enjoyable.

How to Upgrade on Virgin Atlantic?

Virgin Atlantic upgrades can be made in any of the following ways:

1. Online through My Booking with cash or points
2. By calling customer service or your travel agent 
3. By participating in the bidding process

At the airportcheck-in counter/gate

Virgin Atlantic Last-Minute Upgrade

Virgin Atlantic Last-Minute Upgrade is a great option for passengers who want to enjoy a more luxurious experience on their flight. The process is simple and convenient. You can request an upgrade at the check-in counter or gate, subject to availability. If any seats are available in a higher cabin class, you have the opportunity to upgrade your ticket at the prevailing rate. This allows you to enjoy all the additional benefits that come with the upgraded cabin, such as more legroom, enhanced meal options, access to exclusive lounges, additional baggage allowance (if any), and more. If you’re looking for a little extra luxury on your next Virgin Atlantic flight, don’t hesitate to inquire about the airline’s last-minute upgrade option.

Virgin Atlantic First Class Upgrade

If you’re looking to upgrade to First Class on Virgin Atlantic, it’s important to become a member of Virgin Atlantic’s loyalty program, Flying Club. The more you fly with Virgin Atlantic and their partner airlines, the higher your status will be in the program, increasing your chances of being upgraded. Another option is to bid for an upgrade using Virgin Atlantic Upgrade Auctions. This allows you to place a bid for an upgrade using either cash or Flying Club miles. Lastly, keep an eye out for any special promotions or offers from Virgin Atlantic that may allow you to purchase an upgrade at a discounted price. While there’s no guarantee of getting upgraded to First Class, these strategies can increase your chances of enjoying the luxurious experience that Virgin Atlantic’s First Class has to offer.

Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy Upgrade

If you’re looking to upgrade to Premium Economy on Virgin Atlantic, consider joining Virgin Atlantic’s loyalty program, Flying Club. As a member, you’ll have access to exclusive offers and promotions that may include upgrades. Another option is to check for available upgrades when booking your flight. Sometimes, airlines offer discounted upgrade options during the booking process. Additionally, it never hurts to ask at the check-in counter if any upgrades are available. In some cases, if Premium Economy is not fully booked, the airline may offer last-minute upgrades at a reduced rate. 

Lastly, consider using your frequent flyer miles to upgrade your seat. This can be a great way to enjoy the perks of Premium Economy without paying extra out of pocket. Remember, availability for upgrades can vary depending on factors such as flight occupancy and airline policies, so it’s always worth exploring different options to secure that coveted upgrade on your next Virgin Atlantic flight.

Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy upgrade cost

The cost of upgrading to Premium Economy on Virgin Atlantic will depend on your route, travel dates, and seat availability. The price difference between Economy and Premium Economy can range from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars. The prices can fluctuate, so it’s always best to check with Virgin Atlantic directly or use their online booking system for the most accurate and up-to-date pricing information. 

While the cost of upgrading may be higher than flying in Economy, many passengers find the added comfort and amenities of Premium Economy well worth the investment. With larger seats, extra legroom, enhanced dining options, and priority boarding, upgrading to Premium Economy can provide a more enjoyable and relaxing travel experience.

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Frequently Asked Questions on Virgin Atlantic Upgrade

Upgrading to a higher class can be a tempting option for many travelers. But before you take the plunge, it’s natural to have some questions. In this section, we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Virgin Atlantic upgrades. From what upgrades are available to how much they cost and how to go about requesting an upgrade, we’ve got you covered.