For 120,000 Virgin Points plus ~$400 in taxes, you can fly round-trip ANA First Class between the US and Tokyo — a seat that sells for roughly $20,000 return. That's about 16¢ per point, roughly 12× their baseline value. This is the single most famous sweet spot in the hobby, and here's exactly how to book it.
Updated: July 2026. Award pricing changes — verify the current cost before you book.
The math
| Cash price of the seat | ~$20,000 (round-trip First, US–Tokyo) |
| Points used | 120,000 Virgin Points (round-trip — Virgin prices ANA First round-trip only) |
| Taxes & fees paid | ~$400 |
| Cents per point | (20,000 − 400) ÷ 120,000 × 100 = 16.3¢ |
| On-paper value of 120k Virgin | ~$1,620 (at our 1.35¢ baseline) |
| Value unlocked | ~12× the baseline |
At 16¢ a point, this is arguably the highest-value premium-cabin award available to a US points collector. The same 120,000 Virgin Points cashed out would be worth a few hundred dollars; pointed at this itinerary, they become a five-figure First Class experience. See how we value every currency for where that 1.35¢ baseline comes from and why this redemption blows past it.
Note: Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has repriced its ANA award chart in the past. 120,000 round-trip is the historical sweet-spot number — always verify the live price before you transfer.
How to earn the points
Virgin Points are one of the easiest premium currencies to build because all four major banks transfer to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club 1:1 — you're never locked into a single card:
- Amex Membership Rewards → Virgin Atlantic (1:1, effectively instant)
- Chase Ultimate Rewards → Virgin Atlantic (1:1, instant)
- Citi ThankYou → Virgin Atlantic (1:1, usually instant)
- Capital One miles → Virgin Atlantic (1:1, fast)
A realistic path to 120,000 Virgin Points:
- Because 120k is a larger target, most people combine one welcome bonus plus everyday spend, or stack two transferable-points cards — e.g. the Amex Gold, Chase Sapphire Preferred, or Capital One Venture Rewards.
- Meet the minimum spend on things you'd buy anyway, then let the points sit in the bank program.
- Transfer to Virgin only after you've located two confirmed seats (see below) — never speculatively. Points are easy to move in and hard to move back out.
How to find this award space
This is where the sweet spot lives or dies. ANA releases very little First Class award space, and Virgin's rules add friction — but the space is findable:
- Virgin prices ANA First round-trip only. You cannot book a one-way. Plan a return itinerary from the start.
- Spot the space on a Star Alliance display first. ANA First award seats show up on partner tools — an award-search service like seats.aero, or a Star Alliance program's calendar — before you commit any points. Confirm the exact dates there.
- Then book through Virgin. Some routes are bookable on the Virgin website; others still require a phone call to Flying Club. Have your dates and flight numbers ready.
- Search one seat at a time. ANA frequently opens just one First seat per flight. Two people traveling together is the hard part — set alerts and be ready to grab seats the moment a second opens.
- Two release windows. ANA tends to load long-haul First space around ~355 days out and again within the last ~2 weeks before departure. Off-season midweek dates are easiest.
What the ANA First suite is like
The factual product (documented, not embellished): ANA's flagship first class is "The Suite," found on its refurbished 777-300ERs — a fully enclosed 1-2-1 suite with a sliding door, one of the largest personal monitors in the sky (a 4K screen around 43 inches), a personal closet, and wireless charging. Older 777s fly "The First Suite," also a 1-2-1 enclosed product. Dining leans into ANA's "The Connoisseurs" program — a multi-course Japanese kaiseki option alongside an international menu, plus an extensive sake and Champagne list. First passengers get custom loungewear and an amenity kit, and in Tokyo you're routed through the ANA Suite Lounge at Haneda or Narita.
Is it worth it?
At ~16¢ per point, this is about as good as premium-cabin value gets: ANA's enclosed First suite is a genuine bucket-list product, and 120,000 points for a round-trip that sells for five figures is a redemption you'll almost never beat. What makes it strong is the multiple — those same points cashed out are worth a few hundred dollars, so pointing them at this seat is roughly a 12× leap.
The honest counterpoint: finding two First seats on the same flight is genuinely hard — ANA often releases just one, so couples should expect a long hunt with alerts. Virgin's round-trip requirement locks your dates, and Virgin has moved this chart before, so the price you see today may not hold next year. You'd also almost certainly never pay $20,000 cash for this seat — which is exactly why the points version is the whole point. If you can only find one seat, it's still an incredible solo redemption; for two, patience and alerts are the game.
Search & verify prices
Award pricing and space change constantly — check live before you transfer:
- Book & search award space: Virgin Atlantic — books ANA First (round-trip only); some dates require a phone call to Flying Club to ticket.
- Find award space fast: seats.aero · point.me · ExpertFlyer
- Compare cash prices & date grids: Google Flights · ITA Matrix
These open external airline/tool sites; confirm the live price and space before moving any points.
FAQ
Do I need an ANA or Virgin credit card? No. Virgin Points come from Amex, Chase, Citi, or Capital One transferable points — see How to earn the points above.
Why book ANA First through Virgin instead of ANA's own miles? Virgin's price for ANA First is dramatically lower than most partners charge, which is the entire sweet spot. If you'd rather fly ANA business on ANA's own program, see the ANA business round-trip guide.
Is 120,000 points always the price? No. It's the historical round-trip sweet-spot figure — Virgin has repriced ANA awards before, so verify the live cost before transferring.
What's the catch with taxes? ANA-imposed surcharges routed through Virgin are moderate (~$400 round-trip here) — far less than the fuel surcharges some European carriers add.
What if I can only find one First seat? Book the one you can confirm; ANA sometimes releases a second seat closer to departure. Set a seats.aero alert so you're notified the moment it opens.
Related: How much are your points worth? · ANA business round-trip · Singapore Suites · Cathay First Class · Amex Gold
