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Douglas
Last Updated: 06 Jul 2026
As the Atlantic part of its name suggests, Virgin’s network is heavily US and Caribbean-based, so it was hit particularly hard by the extended time that the US kept itself closed to UK visitors. Its return to form is a good sign for travel and welcome news for those with points to cash in on Virgin rewards flights.
In March, Virgin flights to Seattle and Washington DC returned. Both now depart five times a week from Heathrow. The Seattle service is on a 787-9, which features Virgin’s popular onboard bar.
The airline also upped its frequencies to New York, San Francisco and Atlanta.
From this month, Virgin is increasing its services to Los Angeles from twice to three times daily. More frequent Virgin flights to the US theme park capital Orlando will meanwhile operate from Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Belfast.
Virgin claims its expanded service to Los Angeles and Orlando means it now offers more flights to these destinations than any other UK airline.
From May 25, there will be an entirely new service, to Austin, Texas, which Virgin will run four times a week from Heathrow. It is the airline’s first new US route since 2015 and a mark of confidence that travel demand is finally returning.
As we’ve reported before, Virgin’s plans for a return to Gatwick have been up in the air. The airline consolidated its operations from Heathrow during the pandemic but recently confirmed it would not be heading back to Sussex.
Virgin’s newest route is to the capital of Texas. Those who associate the state with cowboys and oil barons might be surprised to learn that Austin has much more of a hipster vibe. Besides a celebrated music scene, it is known for its street art, craft breweries, trendy coffee shops and food trucks.
In the self-styled Live Music Capital of the World, you’ll have numerous opportunities to catch performances, from country and western (Willie Nelson is a local legend) to blues to rock and pop. Sixth Street is the centre of the city’s nightlife. More street art, plus vintage shopping, can be found in SoCo - the area around South Congress Avenue.
The Texas Capitol government building is open for free visits, while other heritage attractions include the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and Lyndon B Johnson presidential library.
The surrounding Texas hill country, bisected by the Colorado River, offers hiking, mountain biking, camping, riding and rafting opportunities. You can even stay a couple of days at a ‘dude’ ranch to try out some cowboy moves.
In the city itself, hike and bike trails loop around the urban waterways and you can rent stand up paddle boards or kayaks. You can even soak in natural springs in Zilker Park. Daily, between March and November, there’s another natural phenomenon to experience - thousands of bats emerging at dusk from their roost under a bridge at Lady Bird Lake.
This central part of Texas has mild winters and very hot summers. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable times to visit Austin and are when you’ll be able to catch the glut of music festivals, including the world-famous South by Southwest (also known as SXSW) in March.
The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club loyalty scheme was recently brought into the wider Virgin Red loyalty programme. This works across multiple Virgin brands so you may now, for instance, earn Virgin Points from your gym membership or mobile usage that can be put towards Virgin flights.
You can also collect Virgin rewards by shopping online with a host of brand partners including Apple, ASOS, Argos, eBay and John Lewis.
Due to fuel price hikes affecting deliveries, the cost of everyone’s weekly shop is increasing. It’s good to know then, if you shop at Tesco, your grocery spends could at least be earning you a Virgin flight.
If you have a Tesco Clubcard you can convert those loyalty points so that you earn 2.5 Virgin Points for each £1 you spend. With petrol prices so steep you’ll also be racking up even more of those Virgin rewards when you buy fuel at Tesco.
Our home gas and electricity bills have seen a particularly massive hike this year, but you can earn points towards your next Virgin flight if Octopus Energy is your supplier.
Better still, Virgin reward flights now help advance your club tier status, which, in the long run, could help you earn generous perks like coveted lounge access.
