Europe’s low-fare carrier Virgin Express has laid out its plans for a new frequent flyer program, the aptly titled “Flight Club.” Though the program has not been formally launched, general terms and conditions are now available on the carrier’s Web site.
In essence, Flight Club awards members with one free flight after 15 one-way flights, making them the easiest free flights to attain in any program.
The program is exclusively Web-based, driving booking traffic through the airline’s site to reduce costs.
Membership is available to individual over the age of 18; companies or groups are not eligible. As usual, accounts and bonus points are not transferable.
To join, log on to the Web site and enter personal information on an enrollment form.
Members earn five points for every flight booked online. When the member’s account reaches 75 points, a Flight Bonus is issued, entitling that member to a free flight within the next 12 months.
Flight Bonuses are not transferable. However, Flight Club is unique in that so long as thee member makes the booking and payment, he or she claims the points, no matter who actually takes the flight.
Award travel can be booked (using up one Flight Bonus per one-way flight) through the program’s members-only Flight Club bookings site. A limited number of seats are pre-selected by the airline for Flight Club award travel on each flight. Members are also required to pay airport charges and taxes using a credit card when booking their “free” flight.
As soon as a member gains enough Bonus Points for a free flight, they are sent an e-mail containing information about booking a free flight. To do so, the member simply visits the Flight Bonus bookings engine on the airline’s site, and checks which flights are available. The value of their Flight Bonus is then transferred from points into its Euro equivalent (i.e. the value of the seat being booked), and the booking is made.