Why to Pick Up the Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard Very Soon

Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard

I’ve written plenty about my lows and highs with the Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard since my wife and I each picked up the card soon after its release.  Things settled down for us eventually, and we’ve enjoyed our overall experience with the card.  Today, I’m sharing a few reasons to pursue this card.  I’ll start with a particularly timely angle.

The Greatness of the Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard

A Couple of Elevated Bonuses

Potential cardholders have a good type of dilemma on their hands right about now.  Individuals have two elevated welcome offers to pick from, both significantly more attractive than the 40k standard signup bonus.  Right now, a new cardholder can currently earn 60k bonus points plus a $200 statement credit after spending $4k in the first 90 days.  This offer is available via dummy booking.

But before applying for that offer, individuals may want to consider the other welcome offer available 2-3 December, Eastern Standard Time.  Individuals who apply in this 48-hour timeframe can earn 75k bonus points after spending $4k in the first 90 days.

Of course, which offer to pursue depends on your planned uses for Virgin Red points.  For what it’s worth, in our year or so holding this product, we’ve found this rewards currency to be a handy one.  I’m covering that next.

A Useful Rewards Currency

I’ll start with the flexibility of Virgin Red points.  Earned points sit in one’s Virgin Red account and can be used on Virgin Atlantic flights or Virgin Hotels stays (in addition to many other options of varying value).  I like that my points aren’t automatically unnecessarily locked into the Virgin Atlantic program – not that such a limitation would be an entirely bad thing.

That’s because we’ve found great returns redeeming Virgin Red points on flights.  We’ve noticed attractive Virgin Atlantic redemption options, from economy to Premium and Upper Class.  Of course, taxes on these flights can be considerable, but from our perspective, points rates can easily lessen the blow there.

Closer to home, Virgin Atlantic points offer us solid rates for booking domestic flights on Delta metal.  Similar to the Air France Flying Blue program, Virgin’s rates routinely outperform the Delta SkyMiles rate.  And, interestingly, valuable Virgin Atlantic rates exist for such flights while Air France options do not in certain cases.

Finally, a Virgin Red member can transfer an uncapped amount of points to another for just $15.  Indeed, my wife had a positive experience transferring her balance to my account several months ago.

A Few Big Spend Bonuses to Consider

Virgin Red Rewards cardholders can unlock two attractive big spend bonuses each cardmember year:  the first at $15k, and the second at $30k.

Members have several “Personal Perk” options to pick from, including:

• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Voucher:  A cardholder can pick a voucher for a round trip companion seat or cabin upgrade.
• Virgin Hotels One Free Night Stay
• Virgin Hotels Priority Room Upgrade
• Virgin Voyages Bar Tab Credit (Up to $300 Value)
• Virgin Voyages Blue Extras Perk Package

We’ve ultimately chosen to pick the free one-night stay for each of our Personal Perks in the future.  Even better, we have up to a three-year window to actually consume this benefit.

Finally, those interested in Virgin Atlantic status can earn 25 Tier Points for each $2.5k of spend, up to 50 Tier Points each month.  Of course, whether that’s worth doing is highly dependent on one’s individual situation and Virgin Atlantic needs.  Check out status specifics here.

Fairly Easy Approval

Synchrony issues the Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard.  In our experience, it’s been relatively easy to obtain Synchrony card approvals.  Unlike many other institutions, Synchrony doesn’t have as stringent card application rules.

Conclusion

Perhaps our own excitement got the best of us with this card.  My wife and I each acquired it with the basic 40k bonus point offer.  The good news is that Synchrony routinely has an elevated offer on this product, most often in the 60k range.  Now, that versions goosed with a $200 statement credit, or individuals can wait for the 75k offer on 2-3 December.  Those interested in more Virgin Red points can’t really go wrong with either.  Pick your favorite, apply, and do bigger things with Virgin Red!

Do you hold the Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard?  If so, what’s your favorite feature of the card and program?