Save 20% on Virgin East Coast and Virgin West Coast train tickets
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The Virgin Group has launched a new iOS app, Virgin Red. You can download it for free from the App Store. It is NOT available Android phones at the moment and no launch is expected until the end of the year.
If you want to read more about it first, there is also a dedicated website.
Virgin Red is basically a promotional vehicle for the various Virgin Group companies, albeit that Virgin Atlantic seems to be excluded.
To encourage you to visit and interact with it, you earn points for visiting certain pages and completing certain tasks. These can be redeemed for various gifts, starting with a free Caffe Nero coffee.
The reason I mention Virgin Red here is that, hidden away, is a 20% discount offer for Virgin East Coast and Virgin West Coast.
The easiest way to find this deal is to click the ‘funnel’ icon in the top right hand corner and select Offer, Travel, Virgin Trains.
The terms of the discount are:
Valid only on ‘Advance’ tickets
Must be booked at least 7 days before travel
Deal ends on 16th August although that is the last day to book, not travel
If you are a regular user of Virgin Trains, it is worth downloading the app and generating a discount code.
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How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (April 2025)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Virgin Points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.
You can choose from two official Virgin Atlantic credit cards (apply here, the Reward+ card has a bonus of 18,000 Virgin Points and the free card has a bonus of 3,000 Virgin Points):
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard
18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review
Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard
3,000 bonus points, no fee and 1 point for every £1 you spend Read our full review
You can also earn Virgin Points from various American Express cards – and these have sign-up bonuses too.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for a year and comes with 20,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 20,000 Virgin Points.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express comes with 50,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 50,000 Virgin Points.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
The Platinum Card from American Express
80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
Small business owners should consider the two American Express Business cards. Points convert at 1:1 into Virgin Points.
American Express Business Platinum
50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Virgin Points.
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