Planning to explore Africa using your Virgin Points? Kenya Airways, a SkyTeam alliance member alongside Virgin Atlantic, offers an excellent opportunity to discover diverse African destinations. Here’s your comprehensive guide to redemption rates and destinations.
Partnership Overview
As SkyTeam alliance partners, Virgin Atlantic and Kenya Airways allow reciprocal miles redemption. You can use your Virgin Points to book Kenya Airways flights, accessing numerous African destinations through their Nairobi hub.
Where do Kenya Airways fly in India
Currently, Kenya Airways operates exclusively to Mumbai (BOM) in India, with daily flights connecting to their Nairobi hub. The airline has chosen Mumbai as their strategic Indian gateway due to:
- Strong business ties between India and East Africa
- Large Indian diaspora in African countries
- Growing tourism demand between the regions
- Established trade routes and commercial connections
While there have been discussions about expanding to other Indian cities, Mumbai remains their sole Indian destination for now, serving as the primary connection point for travellers between India and Africa.
Routes & Destinations by Miles Required
Let’s look at some destinations you can fly with Kenya Airways using Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points.
🇰🇪 Nairobi (NBO)
East Africa’s tech hub, famous for its national park and vibrant culture
- Economy: 15,500 miles + INR 9,622
- Business: 40,000 miles + INR 11,610
🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam (DAR)
Tanzania’s largest city with beautiful beaches and historic Stone Town
- Economy: 21,000 miles + INR 13,618
- Business: 54,500 miles + INR 18,316
🇸🇿 Seychelles (SEZ)
Paradise archipelago known for pristine beaches and unique wildlife
- Economy: 25,500 miles + INR 15,832
- Business: 61,500 miles + INR 19,623
🇿🇦 Johannesburg (JNB)
South Africa’s economic powerhouse with rich history and culture
- Economy: 27,000 miles + INR 14,526
- Business: 75,000 miles + INR 18,316
🇿🇦 Cape Town (CPT)
Stunning coastal city beneath Table Mountain with world-class wineries
- Economy: 31,000 miles + INR 14,526
- Business: 80,000 miles + INR 18,316
Miles Assist
If you’re finding it tricky to get the seats you want, our Miles Assist service can help! We’ll handle the availability search for you for a small fee. Just drop us a message, and we’ll take care of the hard work.
Use Flying Club for other SkyTeam Partners
As Virgin Atlantic is a SkyTeam alliance, you can use your Flying Club points for other alliance members as well. Here is where you can fly more.
How to Earn Flying Club Points
Earning Flying Club is easier than you though even though there are no co-branded credit cards in India.
- Transfer Points from Credit Cards:
Credit cards of American Express let you transfer your reward points to Flying Club. My favourite is Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card - Buying Points
If you’re short on points for your next award ticket, you can also buy Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points directly. This option allows you to top up your account quickly. We suggest you to buy points only when you have specific travel plan in mind. They run promotions frequently on buying points like this one. You can view all the current buying opportunities here across frequent flyer program & stay updated. - Stay Updated with the Magnify App:
Not sure where to start or how to optimize? The Magnify app lists all the transfer partners and keeps you updated on the latest bonus offers, making it easier for you to plan and earn Flying Club.
Bottomline
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Points can be very useful for flying to various African destinations from India. Indigo & Air India both have flights from Mumbai, Delhi to Nairobi but if you intend to travel deeper into the African countries, Kenya Airways can be your good bet. Flying them with points can be extremely beneficial specially if you can transfer easy to earn Amex points.