Weekend Edition / Dear Ohad...
Josh wants to take his wife and three kids to London for Spring Break. With Chase’s 40% Virgin bonus, transferring 125K points instead of spending 350K-800K in the portal can save him thousands. If he finds five saver seats, that’s a 6–9% return... real yield, not status.
Josh from Austin here! My wife and I want to take the kids (11 / 9 / 6) to London for Spring Break (March 2026).
We’d be happy with economy, but would take premium economy if it’s practical. I’ve got Chase Ultimate Rewards from Ink Preferred / Sapphire.
Just got word that chase is running a 40% transfer bonus to Virgin right now. Do I transfer and chase awards, or just book through the Chase travel portal and be done?
Thanks!
--Josh @ Austin, Texas
Dear Josh,
This is the kind of question that separates “points enthusiasts” from “return optimizers.”
With a 40% transfer bonus to Virgin, the math tilts hard in favor of transferring - but only if you can find five award seats on the same flight.
Let’s unpack it cleanly 👇🏻
The Setup
You’ve got two ways to spend Chase points:
- Through the portal, where each point is worth 1.25¢-1.5¢ toward cash airfare.
- Via transfer, where you move points to Virgin and book awards (1 Chase point = 1.4 Virgin points with the current bonus).
The difference is yield. Portal redemptions are predictable but expensive in points. Transfers can be wildly more efficient if you catch saver-level seats.
Current Saver Pricing (Virgin Atlantic)
From the U.S. to London, Virgin’s saver-level roundtrips usually price around:
- Economy: 22,500-25,000 Virgin points per person.
- Premium Economy: 32,500-37,500 Virgin points per person.
Taxes and fees: typically $150-$250 per person, depending on routing.
The Math: Family of Five
Let’s break it down both ways.
If You Transfer to Virgin (with 40% bonus)
Since 1 Chase = 1.4 Virgin, divide Virgin prices by 1.4 to see your real cost in Chase points:
| Cabin | Virgin pts RT (per person) | Virgin pts (family of 5) | Chase pts needed (÷1.4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 22,500–25,000 | 112,500–125,000 | 80,000–89,000 UR |
| Premium | 32,500–37,500 | 162,500–187,500 | 116,000–134,000 UR |
Add ~$1,000 in total taxes/fees for the family.
If You Book Through the Chase Portal
For a typical March Spring Break itinerary:
- Economy tickets are around $1,000 roundtrip each.
- Premium Economy usually runs $2,400 roundtrip.
So:
| Cabin | Cash Total | UR at 1.25¢ | UR at 1.5¢ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | $5,000 | 400,000 UR | 333,000 UR |
| Premium | $12,000 | 960,000 UR | 800,000 UR |
The contrast is enormous. With the 40% bonus, transferring saves you roughly 250K-800K points, depending on cabin and pricing. That’s not preference - that’s arithmetic.
The Real Constraint: Award Availability
The only thing that can kill the transfer play is availability - specifically, five saver seats on the same flight. Virgin typically releases 2-4 seats at the lowest level, especially in Premium. You might find all five in economy if you’re flexible on dates or routes.
If you can’t find five on one flight, you can mix strategies:
- Book 3-4 tickets via Virgin (the ones you can confirm).
- Book the remaining 1-2 through the Chase portal on the same flight.
That hybrid approach preserves the bulk of your savings while ensuring the whole family travels together.
Execution Plan
- Search award space on Virgin Atlantic’s site for your Spring Break week, Austin → London (roundtrip, 5 travelers).
- If you find 5 economy or premium saver seats, note the exact point price per person.
- Transfer only the amount you need from Chase to Virgin (transfers are one-way).
- Book immediately - availability can vanish mid-transfer.
- Pay the taxes and fees with your Sapphire to keep trip protection.
If you can’t find all five seats, lock in the ones you can and portal-book the rest.
ROI Snapshot
| Strategy | UR Spent | Approx. Cash Equivalent | ROI vs Portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer – Economy | ~85K | $5,000 trip value | ≈ 6¢ per point |
| Transfer – Premium | ~125K | $12,000 trip value | ≈ 9.5¢ per point |
| Portal – Economy | ~350K | $5,000 trip value | 1.25–1.5¢ baseline |
| Portal – Premium | ~880K | $12,000 trip value | 1.25–1.5¢ baseline |
So if the saver space exists, your Chase points are worth 4-8x more through Virgin than through the portal.
Bottom Line
With a 40% transfer bonus in play, this isn’t a subtle math problem.
If you can find five saver seats → transfer immediately and book.
If not → blend awards and portal bookings to balance savings and certainty.
But don’t wait. Transfer promos like this usually last only a couple of weeks, and once they’re gone, that same trip could cost you triple the points.
Book smart, move fast, and enjoy your London Spring Break - preferably in the wide seats.
-- Ohad
