BofA Virgin Atlantic Credit Card [2019.9 Update: 65,000 Welcome Bonus, New Big-Spending Perk]

Bank of America Atlantic Credit Card Overview:

Highlights

• Big-Spending Perk 1: Each cardmember year after opening the account, if you spend $15,000, you can earn 7,500 bonus miles; if you spend $25,000, you can earn another 7,500, for a total of 15,000 Flying Club miles.
• [New] Big-Spending Perk 2: After spending $25,000 in a year, you can choose either an upgrade voucher or a companion ticket. It is issued 4-6 weeks after meeting the spending requirement and must be used within two years after issuance. Details are below:
  • Upgrade voucher: If you book an Economy Class award ticket, you can use the voucher to upgrade to Premium. Based on the wording, this appears to mean Premium economy, with somewhat larger seats. However, you cannot use the voucher to upgrade from Premium to a higher cabin.
  • Companion ticket: To use the companion ticket, the cardholder must redeem miles for a Virgin Atlantic-operated ticket. The eligible cabin depends on the elite status level in the cardholder’s Virgin Atlantic account. Red Tier can only use it for Economy Classic; Silver Tier can only use it for Economy Classic and Premium; Gold Tier can use it for Economy as well as business or first class. The companion only needs to pay taxes and fees, with no additional miles required.
• Elite status: You earn 1 Tier Point for every $2,500 spent (used toward Virgin Atlantic elite status). You can earn up to 2 per month.

BofA Credit Card Benefits

• Free museum admission: On the first weekend of each month, BofA cardholders get free admission to many museums nationwide. You can add authorized users for family members so they can also get in free with their own cards. For the list of participating museums by state, please click here
• BofA Deal: Offers 5%-15% cash back or fixed-dollar rebates at various merchants. Good deals that have appeared in the past include Sears 15% cash back (capped at $25), Nordstrom Rack 15% cash back (capped at $37.5), and an extra $5 bonus for using any one BofA Deal. See details here: Guide to Using BofA Deals
• Free credit score: BofA credit cards now provide a free TransUnion credit score. For more details, see: Comparison of Free Credit Scores

How to Use Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) Miles

The biggest sweet spot for VS miles is redeeming for Delta One business class between China and the U.S., such as PVG-ATL / DTW / LAX and PEK-DTW / SEA. U.S.-Japan redemptions are also good. These can be booked directly on the VS website, with no surcharges.

• [Video] How to Book Delta One Award Tickets with Virgin Atlantic (VS) Miles

One thing to note: VS cannot book connecting Delta One itineraries, so you need to position yourself separately. Afterward, you may need to call Delta to get your bags checked through.

• Virgin Atlantic Miles for Delta One Between China and the U.S.: A Practical Guide

VS is also excellent for Delta infant award tickets: one-way economy costs only 1000 miles, and business class costs just 5000 miles, which is a very good deal.

My Take:

This card is pretty solid overall, both for its signup bonus and its benefits. Virgin Atlantic is also a transfer partner of MR, UR, TYP, and Marriott, so if you ever do not have enough miles, you can simply top off your balance. For people who do not fly Virgin Atlantic itself, it can still make sense to earn the signup bonus and then cancel the card later. The miles are still useful for booking Delta One award flights back to China.

Application

• You need to enter your Virgin Atlantic membership number when applying. If you already have one, be sure to include it; otherwise a new one will be assigned automatically.

• BOA application status check link, or call: (800) 732-9194
• 2/3/4 rule: at most 2 cards approved within 2 months, 3 within 12 months, and 4 within 24 months. However, BofA’s system is not very reliable, and sometimes a card may be approved at first but later shut down.
• The welcome bonus on the same card can only be received once every 24 months, and you need to make sure the card is closed before applying again>
• You need to be a Resident to apply for a BOA credit card online: when applying for a BofA credit card online, if you select Non resident alien, you will not be able to continue and must apply by phone. However, BofA’s definition of Resident alien is different from the IRS definition of Resident alien for tax purpose. No matter what immigration status you used to enter the US, if you have lived in the US for 183 days within the past two years, then select Resident Alien. If you just arrived in the US and cannot meet this requirement, follow the prompt on the online application page and call 1.800.932.2775 to apply.
• You can call the reconsideration line (888-593-6092) to speed up credit card approval or request a review of a denied application.
• More about applying for BofA credit cards

Application Link