Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy: Deal or Robbed on Taxes?
Our 2027 London Booking Breakdown
We’re planning a London trip for June–July 2027, and since we’ll already be on the East Coast visiting family in Halifax, I started checking flights out of New York. We had a great experience flying Virgin Atlantic Upper Class earlier this year, so this time we wanted to try Premium Economy — but only if the numbers made sense.
And that’s where things got interesting.
Outbound: New York (JFK) → London (LHR)
For the outbound flight, Virgin Atlantic priced Premium Economy at:
- 16,500 points + $298 per person
- 33,000 points + $595 total for two
For a direct transatlantic flight in Premium Economy, that’s a pretty low points requirement.
The cash price for the same seat? $902 per person.
So right away, the points redemption looked solid — but the taxes were already noticeable.
Return: London (LHR) → New York (JFK)
The return flight is where the tax conversation really starts.
Premium Economy priced at:
- 16,500 points + £587 (~$795 USD) per person
- 33,000 points + £1,174 (~$1,315 USD) total for two
Cash price for the same flight? £1,557 (~$2,111 USD).
Economy on that same route was 12,000 points + $342, so Premium Economy was only a small bump in points… but a big bump in taxes.
The Real Debate: Taxes vs. Points
Here’s the unavoidable truth about flying out of London:
- Taxes into London: ~ $300
- Taxes out of London: ~ $800
- Round‑trip taxes: ~ $1,100, no matter what cabin you choose
Even economy on Air France wasn’t much cheaper — around $252 + $700 with a stopover.
So the question becomes: Do you want to pay more points and less taxes, or fewer points and more taxes?
There’s no right answer — it’s personal preference.
Cash Fares for the Same Dates
Google Flights showed:
- $962 round‑trip economy
- $390 one‑way to London
- $572 one‑way back to NYC
So yes, cash fares were decent. But here’s how I evaluate redemptions — and it’s not CPP.
My Philosophy: Would I Actually Pay This?
I don’t chase CPP. I don’t chase “best value charts.” I ask one question:
Would I actually pay this in real life?
For me:
- I would never pay $3,000 round‑trip for Premium Economy.
- I wouldn’t pay $1,000 round‑trip for economy either.
- But I would pay around $1,000 per person for a direct Premium Economy flight on Virgin Atlantic.
And that’s basically what this redemption gave us — just split between points and taxes.
Low points. High taxes. A product we actually value.
So… Is This a Good Deal?
That’s the debate.
Some people get to Tokyo for 60K points and $5 in taxes — and that’s incredible. But for this trip, with these dates, and this cabin, I think we found a pretty good balance.
What do you think?
- Is Premium Economy worth it at these numbers?
- What’s your personal threshold for taxes when redeeming flights?
- Would you pay more points to reduce taxes, or keep points low and accept the fees?
