Update 2: Monday, 02/13 is the last day to finalize bookings on Virgin Atlantic with Continental miles!
Update: You can no longer search for or book reward flights between the US and London on Virgin from Continental.com for dates after 02/13. You’ll have to call Continental to book. Other flights (like London-Hong Kong-Sydney) are still bookable online for now.
Originally posted on 01/18:
The Continental-Virgin Atlantic relationship will end on 02/13/12. All awards must be ticketed by that date.
If you want to try out Virgin Upper Class using your Continental miles now is the last chance. It costs 100,000 miles round-trip to fly in Upper Class between the US and Europe and of course you get access to Virgin’s famous clubhouse when flying in Upper Class.
Or you can fly all the way from JFK to Sydney (via London and Hong Kong) in Virgin Upper class for just 135,000 miles with a free stopover anywhere along the way if you’d like. You’ll need to call to book an award like that, but you can piece together availability by searching on Continental.com for reward travel on “nonstop flights only” for JFK-LHR, LHR-HKG, and HKG-SYD separately, bearing in mind that stopping over in a city along the way can help stitch together a valid saverpass award by waiting for an open date while you tour the stopover city.
Virgin Atlantic was a non-alliance partner with Continental.
Continental remains partners with the dozens of Star Alliance member airlines as well as the following non-alliance airlines:
-Aeromar
-Cape Air
-Copa
-EVA Air
-Hawaiian Airlines
-Island Air
@Dan: Le Meridian Shanghai and Conrad Samui booked so far and I’m hoping that the 3 new Starwoods in Bali are open by November. Have already been to the Conrad Bali, Laguna Nusa Dua and Nirwana (formerly Storwood). We have points for a Bangkok air inter-Thai flight and will add a one-way award flight from BKK to DPS (17,500 biz) for over 25,000 miles of travel (about 73 hours on the plane). With the added BKK-DPS flight, will be 137,500 miles redeemed.
@PatMike:
Well done! That’s a great value for 120K Continental miles.
Where are you going to stay in Koh Samui and Bali?
Don’t forget that Continental allows travel to Asia via the Atlantic and allows either 2 stopovers or one stopover and an open jaw. I booked a trip for 120K Continental miles (business class) as follows: SFO-LHR-PVG (all on Virgin Atlantic with a 3 hour layover in the LHR clubhouse)- stopover. PVG-BKK-USM (open jaw). DPS-BKK-NRT (11 hour layover; will leave the airport)- SFO. Going to get a one-way Asia award ticket from Thailand to Bali.
This trip gives me the opportuntity to try Upper Class and to do a round-the-world flight for 120K miles.
@chaim: howblong after you applied did they notiy u that u werent gona quailify for the bonus?
Is Virgin Atlantic economy better than the other airlines for domestic travel (like Delta or America). Need to book flight from east coast to west coast, and it’s around the same price…but I’ve never flown VA before. Thanks.
Are there valid routings for a one way TLV-NYC using Continental miles going through Asia?
@Al:
Continental.com
How do I searc Hawaiian flights with continental miles
no. I did not. is it too late to open new number
Thanks! I need to fly before those dates though.
@meir:
Airline miles can’t be transferred.
@Chana:
There are some sub-$500 tickets being discussed on DDF.
@chaim:
Did you make a new Continental mileage account before opening a new card?
I got a letter that my continental fifty thousand points r invalid because I already once had continental account. what do I do now
Upper class is not that great anymore. Their planes need a refresh.
Do you have any knowledge about whether tickets to Italy/Europe will be going down in price any time soon?
Is there a way to transfer my ba miles to continental?
Is the Kingfisher relationship gonna end when (if?) they join OneWorld?
I am trying to book a flight using Continental miles for middle of March- what would be my best option to redeem the miles?
cant seem to find availability in upper or economy from lhr-jfk any day in july is it actually searchable on continental.com