A reader emailed me last week asking whether Chase transfer bonuses to Virgin Atlantic ever come around. Well, the answer just landed in my inbox - and the timing couldn't be better for anyone sitting on a pile of Ultimate Rewards points with a transatlantic trip on the horizon.

There's a lot to get through today - a genuinely useful Chase bonus, a brand-new Hawaii hotel bookable right now, and Frontier quietly picking up routes that Spirit left behind. Let's get into it.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points can be used to book flights on which major US airline's routes?

The answer is waiting for you near the bottom of today's newsletter - keep scrolling. 👇

Chase quietly launched a 30% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club yesterday, and it runs through July 14, 2026. That means every 10,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points you transfer lands as 13,000 Virgin Points in your Flying Club account.

Here's why this matters more than a typical bonus announcement: Virgin Atlantic points are genuinely one of the most flexible currencies for booking premium cabin flights. You can use them on Delta for US domestic and transatlantic routes, on Virgin Atlantic's own metal between the US and the UK, and on partners like ANA and Air France - often at pricing that leaves other programs in the dust.

The sweet spot most people overlook? Using Virgin Points on Delta flights. A Delta One business class seat between the US and Europe can price out at under 50,000 Virgin Points one-way on some routes - and with a 30% bonus padding your balance, the math gets meaningfully better.

If you're planning a transatlantic trip later this year or want to stockpile points before the window closes, transferring now locks in that bonus. Use our Virgin Atlantic Points Calculator to see exactly what your balance is worth before you pull the trigger.

Hilton loyalists have a new destination to circle on the map. Hale Hokuala Kauai, a Curio Collection by Hilton property, is now accepting reservations for stays beginning October 1, 2026 - and it will be the first Curio Collection property in the entire state of Hawaii. Curio Collection, for those newer to Hilton's brand family, sits in the upscale independent lifestyle tier, meaning you earn and redeem Hilton Honors points just like any other Hilton property.

The name Hale Hokuala translates to "house of stars," and the property sits on Kauai - Hawaii's so-called Garden Island, known for its dramatic cliffs and lush valleys. Kauai has historically been underserved by the major hotel loyalty programs, so this is a genuinely useful addition for anyone trying to do Hawaii on points.

Award nights should be bookable now that reservations are live, though availability on premium dates like Thanksgiving and Christmas week will move fast. If a Kauai trip is on your radar for late 2026, it's worth searching now before the best dates disappear. The Award Travel Finder tracks Hilton award availability and can alert you when space opens up at new properties like this one.

Frontier Airlines announced yesterday it's returning to Oakland International Airport for the first time in three years, picking up two western US routes that Spirit Airlines used to operate before its collapse. The carrier is stepping into a gap that ultra-low-cost travellers have felt since Spirit went under - and Oakland specifically was one of the Bay Area's last budget-friendly departure options.

The loyalty-program angle here is modest but worth noting: Frontier's FRONTIER Miles program has been quietly building, and these new routes expand the network you can earn on. If you live in the East Bay or are connecting through Oakland, cheap positioning flights to the West suddenly exist again.

On budget-carrier routes like these, cash fares are usually low enough that paying cash beats burning points. If you want to keep tabs on the best cash fares on the West Coast and beyond, Friday Flight Deals rounds up the top cheap fares every week - worth bookmarking if Frontier's Oakland prices catch your eye.

The American Express Green Card is sitting at a 40,000 Membership Rewards welcome offer right now. That's not the flashiest number you'll see on an Amex card - and honestly, the offer isn't the reason to get it. The Green Card earns 3x Membership Rewards on travel, transit, and dining, which covers an enormous slice of everyday spending, all for a $150 annual fee.

Where it fits is in the gap between the no-annual-fee Blue Cash Everyday and the $250 Gold Card. If you're already maxing out the Gold's dining and grocery credits and want a second card to cover travel and transit earn, the Green fills that role without much overlap. The 40K welcome offer is worth around $700-$800 in travel redemptions depending on how you transfer - not groundbreaking, but not nothing either.

Amex Membership Rewards transfer to over 20 airline and hotel partners. If you're not sure how to value your points stack, the Amex Points Calculator gives you a fast sense of what 40,000 MR points could realistically get you.

Quick tool update worth flagging: FlightQueue just expanded its live wait time predictions to 90+ airports, including European and international airports like Stansted, Milan, Malta, and Leeds. The system now pulls in real queue observations from those airports and self-corrects against measured wait times - so you're not looking at static profiles that haven't been updated since 2023.

They've also improved how the forecasts display. The 12-hour security forecast now uses your airport's real hourly history with actual clock-time labels, the headline number now shows an expected range alongside it, and confidence levels are shown in plain language - High, Medium, or Low - instead of letter grades. If you're flying out of any European airport this summer, it's worth checking flightqueue.com before you head to the terminal.

The answer is Delta Air Lines. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points can be used to book seats on Delta flights - both domestic US routes and transatlantic routes. This is one of the most valuable uses of Virgin Points, particularly for Delta One business class, where the partner pricing is often significantly lower than booking directly through SkyMiles. With Chase's 30% transfer bonus running through July 14, this partnership is worth paying attention to right now.

Have you ever used Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points to book Delta flights - or are you more of a direct SkyMiles person? Hit reply and let me know your experience. I read every response and genuinely curious which camp most of you fall into.

That's it for today. The Chase to Virgin Atlantic bonus is the one to act on before July 14 - especially if you've been building up Ultimate Rewards for a big transatlantic redemption. The Kauai Hilton is a genuinely exciting addition to the points map, and I'll be watching how award availability holds up as the October opening gets closer.

- Jack

These are the top credit card welcome bonuses we're tracking. Offers change frequently - see all cards.

1. The Platinum Card: 175,000 points after spending $12,000 in 6 months ($8.95/yr)

2. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in y... ($5.5/yr)

3. Chase Sapphire Reserve: 150,000 points after spending $6,000 in 3 months ($7.95/yr)

If you're planning a redemption, check these out first. Data from Award Travel Finder:

Hotels:

• The St. Regis Aspen Resort - Aspen, CO, US | 2.9cpp value | 114,000 pts/night

• JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa - Kr | 1.7cpp value | 53,000 pts/night

• Waldorf Astoria Park City - Park City, UT, US | 255.7cpp value | 110,000 pts/night

• Conrad Bora Bora Nui - Bora Bora, PF | 1.6cpp value | 120,000 pts/night

• Holiday Inn Resort Grand Cayman - Grand Cayman, KY | 2.9cpp value | 25,000 pts/night

Browse every award deal we track at AwardTravelFinder.com →

Friday Flight Deals finds the best flight deals when paying cash beats using points.

Browse all deals at FridayFlightDeals.com →