There’s been a running battle between Virgin America and JetBlue this year, ever since Virgin’s acquisition by Alaska was announced. I’ll assume, though, that the most recent Virgin America promotion has nothing to do with the recent JetBlue one. VX has announced its own double status points promotion, but there is  bit of a catch with it.

Virgin America Goes Double

The rules are simple. Fly up front between now and November 15 and you’ll earn double Elevate points. And it’s the good kind of double points: You get the bonus on both redeemable points and those for status. Since you normally get five points per dollar spent, you’ll be up to ten during the promo period.

Virgin America has two status levels, Silver and Gold. The former requires 20,000 status points (or 15 segments), while the latter takes 50,000 (or 30 segments). Either one of those is a pretty big nut to crack, so double points, even for a month, will help push you along. I’m not going to list every benefit that status offers, but you can check out Silver here and Gold here.

Terms And Conditions

Surprisingly light, although paying for a first class flight is an impediment for many. You do need to register, so use the link above to do so. Likewise, you need to fly on Virgin America with a VX code, so book carefully.

The Bottom Line

I always like promotions such as this one, which I call “gimmes.” It costs you nothing to sign up and the worst thing that can happen is that you never take advantage of it. If you do find yourself in Virgin America’s first class, though, you might as well pick up something extra for it. In a program where you really are what you spend, it’s nice to get a bonus.