ANA First & Business Class with Virgin Points
This is the single best sweet spot in the entire Flying Club programme. ANA’s “The Suite” First Class and “The Room” Business Class are among the best premium cabins in the world — and Virgin Points price them at a fraction of what other programmes charge.
A one-way First Class flight from London to Tokyo costs 85,000 Virgin Points plus roughly £200–£325 in taxes. The same ticket can cost £8,000–£12,000+ in cash. At those numbers, each Virgin Point delivers 10–14p of value — ten times the programme’s average.
The catch: availability is limited, the booking process requires a phone call, and you cannot search ANA flights on Virgin’s website. But with the right tools and patience, this redemption is achievable.
ANA First Class via Virgin Points is not just a good deal by Flying Club standards. It is one of the best airline redemptions available anywhere in the world, across any programme. If you hold transferable points from Amex, Chase, or Capital One, this is one of the strongest reasons to send them to Virgin.
The Award Chart
Virgin Atlantic uses a zone-based chart for ANA flights. Prices are per direction (one-way). Round-trips cost exactly double.
| Route | Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|
| London – Tokyo | 30,000 | 60,000 | 85,000 |
| US East Coast – Tokyo | 25,000 | 47,500 | 85,000 |
| US West Coast – Tokyo | 20,000 | 37,500 | 72,500 |
| Hawaii – Tokyo | 15,000 | 37,500 | 57,500 |
One-way pricing in Virgin Points. Taxes and carrier surcharges are additional — typically £200–£325 from London, ~$300 from the US. These are fixed-chart prices, not dynamic.
For context: ANA Mileage Club charges 165,000 miles for the same London–Tokyo First Class round-trip. United charges 110,000+ miles one-way. Virgin’s 85,000 points one-way is dramatically cheaper — and the points are far easier to earn via UK credit cards and Amex transfers.
The Product
First Class — “The Suite”
8 suites in 1-2-1 configuration on the 777-300ER. Sliding doors, lie-flat bed, 43-inch 4K screen. Multi-course Japanese and Western dining. Widely considered one of the world’s best First Class products.
Business Class — “The Room”
All-aisle-access in 1-2-1 configuration. Lie-flat seats with closing doors on newer aircraft. Strong food and service. Excellent value at 47,500–60,000 VP one-way.
How to Find Availability
This is the hardest part. ANA releases very limited partner award inventory — typically 1–2 seats per flight in First, sometimes none. You cannot search ANA flights on Virgin’s website. You need third-party tools.
Step 1: Search for seats
seats.aero ANA First Class Finder — the best dedicated tool. Shows dates with First Class availability across all ANA routes. Note: free users can only see flights departing within 60 days.
United.com — search as a Star Alliance award. If United shows ANA First or Business availability, Virgin should be able to book it (with some exceptions).
Air Canada Aeroplan — another Star Alliance search option. Cross-reference with United for confirmation.
Step 2: Call Virgin Atlantic
Once you find availability, call Flying Club:
UK: 0344 412 2414 | US: 800-862-8621
Give the agent the flight number, date, and cabin class. They will check whether Virgin can access the seat. If available, they can hold it for up to 48 hours while you transfer points.
Step 3: Transfer points
Do NOT transfer points before confirming availability. Transfers from Amex MR are typically instant. Once points are in your Flying Club account, call back to ticket.
Virgin Atlantic cannot book ANA Business Class within 14 days of departure. First Class is unaffected by this restriction. ANA availability seen on United or Aeroplan does not guarantee Virgin can access it — ANA sometimes blocks partner bookings on specific flights. Always confirm with the Flying Club agent before transferring points.
Availability Patterns
ANA is notoriously tight with partner award space. But patterns exist:
Schedule opening (~330 days out): Small amounts of First and Business can appear when new schedules load. Best chance for planned travel.
Last-minute releases (1–14 days out): ANA periodically dumps unsold premium seats into partner buckets close to departure. This is how many successful bookings happen — but it requires flexibility and fast action.
Quarterly drops: ANA sometimes releases larger batches of availability for an entire quarter. Watch seats.aero and travel forums for alerts.
Shoulder seasons: January–March and September–November tend to show more availability than peak summer or cherry blossom season.
Amex, Chase, Citi, and Capital One regularly run 20–40% transfer bonuses to Virgin Atlantic. A 30% bonus reduces a 85,000-point First Class ticket to just 66,000 transferable points. A 40% bonus drops it to 61,000. Wait for a bonus, then transfer only when you have confirmed availability. This combination — transfer bonus + ANA First — is arguably the single highest-value play in UK points collecting.
Worked Example: London–Tokyo First Class
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | London Heathrow → Tokyo (Haneda or Narita) |
| Cabin | First Class — “The Suite” (777-300ER) |
| Points (one-way) | 85,000 VP |
| Points (return) | 170,000 VP |
| Taxes and fees | ~£200–£325 one-way |
| Cash fare comparison | £8,000–£12,000+ one-way |
| PPP (one-way) | ~9–14p per point |
| With 30% Amex bonus | 66,000 Amex MR → 85,000 VP |
| With 40% Amex bonus | 61,000 Amex MR → 85,000 VP |
Business Class: The More Realistic Option
ANA Business Class (“The Room”) is excellent and availability is slightly more generous than First. At 47,500–60,000 VP one-way, it is also far more attainable for most collectors.
The 14-day booking restriction on Business Class is the main limitation — you cannot book close to departure. Plan further ahead for Business than First.
For UK travellers, the London–Tokyo route at 60,000 VP one-way in Business is outstanding. Cash fares for the same cabin typically exceed £3,000 one-way, delivering 4–5p per point.
The Step-by-Step Process
1. Search seats.aero, United.com, or Aeroplan for ANA First or Business availability on your target dates.
2. Call Virgin Atlantic Flying Club with the flight number and date. Confirm the seat is bookable through Virgin.
3. Ask for a 48-hour hold. Do NOT transfer points yet.
4. Transfer points from Amex, Chase, or another partner. Amex is typically instant. Check for active transfer bonuses before transferring.
5. Call back to ticket. Pay taxes and fees.
6. Use the ANA record locator to select seats and meal preferences on ANA’s Manage Reservation page.
ANA via Virgin Points is the programme’s crown jewel. First Class at 85,000 points delivers 10–14p per point — nothing else in Flying Club comes close. Business at 47,500–60,000 is nearly as strong. The process requires patience and a phone call, but the value is extraordinary. If you hold Amex MR and a transfer bonus is running, this is the single best reason to send those points to Virgin.
