London to New York in business class on points for twoAvios, Virgin Points or partners?

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What we'd do first: don't move points yet. Open Virgin's reward seat checker and BA's Reward Flight Finder in two tabs, search the same week for two passengers in business, and note what each shows: points or Avios, cash, flight times, and the date and time you checked.

Option 1: Virgin Atlantic Upper Class with Virgin Points

Virgin's Saver reward seats are "our lowest points option". Its published example for London to New York Upper Class is "From 29,000 points plus £720.49 in taxes, fees and charges one-way", with "Prices correct as of 15th October 2026" (Virgin Atlantic: Saver reward seats, checked 13 Nov 2026). Virgin adds that "The number of flights with Saver reward seats at these price points will vary by route and cabin", and that charges "will vary depending on cabin, departure airport, destination and travel date".

When Virgin launched Saver pricing, it published maximum Saver prices, one way, for "USA – Northeast": 47,500 points in Upper Class in standard season and 57,500 in peak season (Virgin Atlantic press release, 30 Oct 2024). Those are 2024 figures; check them on the current site. Once Saver seats are gone, Virgin says "you can still book other reward seats using more points": every seat is bookable with points, "in line with demand".

Getting the points: Amex UK transfers Membership Rewards to Virgin 1:1, instantly (see where Amex Membership Rewards points transfer in the UK). The same Virgin press release says the joint-venture partners, including Delta, offer "the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers", so partner flights may also be bookable with Virgin Points; check prices and charges on virginatlantic.com. Our Virgin Points Upper Class guide goes further.

Option 2: British Airways Club World with Avios

BA doesn't publish a New York Club World price on the public pages we checked on 13 November 2026, and we couldn't get a quote for two passengers on a specific Heathrow–JFK itinerary, because BA's prices only appear in its logged-in booking engine. BA's Reward Flights page does give a generic business example (Club World "from 154,000 Avios + £350 return", "correct as of May 2026", route not named) (BA Reward Flights, checked 13 Nov 2026). It's dated and not New York-specific, so we don't use it in the comparison below. Peak dates cost more Avios than off-peak (see Avios pricing explained).

How to read BA's two-seat total yourself:

1. Log in to ba.com with your British Airways Club account.
2. Choose Book with Avios (if you hold a Premium Plus Companion Voucher, select it at the top of the search).
3. Enter London to New York, 2 adults, cabin Club World (business).
4. Use flexible dates or the calendar view, so you can see which days have reward seats for both of you.
5. Pick outbound and return flights that show availability for two.
6. On the price summary, read the total Avios for both seats and the total taxes, fees and carrier charges for both seats. Write them down with the flight numbers, dates, and the date and time you checked.
7. Compare that total with Virgin's two-seat total for the same dates, using the one-number test below.

What helps two people on BA:

• Fixed charges on BA-operated flights (Reward Flight Saver).
• Minimum business reward seats: BA says its Heathrow and Gatwick flights carry at least four business reward seats. That's a floor, not a promise that two are free on your date.
• A Premium Plus Companion Voucher: two seats for one Avios price, with charges for both, and "enhanced access" to Club World reward seats. See how the BA Companion Voucher really works, and if you don't hold one, whether BA Amex Premium Plus is worth it.

Amex UK transfers to BA are 1:1 and instant.

Option 3: Aer Lingus via Dublin

Aer Lingus publishes a zone chart for AerClub reward flights, one way (Aer Lingus route chart, PDF, downloaded 13 Nov 2026; undated). Dublin to New York and Newark are in Zone 5: business 50,000 Avios off-peak / 60,000 peak. Dublin–London is Zone 1: 4,000 off-peak / 4,500 peak, economy only on the chart. Taxes and charges are extra and not on the chart.

Avios move from BA to AerClub once the accounts are linked; avios.com says accounts must be at least 30 days old (avios.com: Transfer Avios, checked 13 Nov 2026). Amex UK doesn't transfer to Aer Lingus directly, so go via BA. Our guide to lower fees on Avios redemptions through Iberia, Qatar or Aer Lingus covers the linking rules.

What two seats cost: worked examples

Two people, return, business. These are published figures, not quotes for your dates, and availability isn't guaranteed. Each row says where its figure comes from. BA isn't in the table because it doesn't publish a New York price; use the steps above to add your own BA row.

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Putting a single number on it. At an assumed 1p per point or Avios (a Credit Club working figure, not an airline value):

• Virgin's published minimum: £2,881.96 + (116,000 × 1p = £1,160) = £4,041.96 for two. That's the best case, when Saver seats are on sale at the lowest price on both flights.
• Aer Lingus via Dublin, off-peak: 216,000 × 1p = £2,160, plus the charges aerlingus.com shows for both of you.
• BA: your total cash for both seats + (your total Avios × 1p).

Hypothetical BA illustration (invented numbers, not a BA price): if ba.com showed 340,000 Avios + £1,000 for two, the one-number total would be £1,000 + £3,400 = £4,400, more than Virgin's best case. With a Premium Plus voucher the same booking would be 170,000 Avios + £1,000 = £2,700, less than Virgin's. Your own ba.com figures decide it. Our guide to when cash beats Avios shows how to compare with the cash fare.

How to search, in order

1. Virgin reward seat checker. Upper Class, two passengers, flexible dates. Look for the red Saver label on both directions.
2. ba.com, Book with Avios. Club World, 2 adults, flexible dates. If you hold a Premium Plus voucher, select it before searching. Read the two-seat totals (steps above).
3. aerlingus.com via Dublin. Business Dublin–New York, plus a London–Dublin flight; check the Avios against the chart.
4. Compare as one number (cash + points × your value).
5. Transfer, then book straight away. Amex says transfers to BA and Virgin are instant, but Amex's FAQ also says to "allow up to 14 days for us to verify your account", and points can only go "into an account in your name". Set up and test the link before you need it.

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If the first search fails

• Switch programme. No Virgin Saver seats? Try BA, then Aer Lingus.
• Switch airport. Aer Lingus's chart covers Dublin to New York and Newark, and Shannon to New York.
• Switch dates. Off-peak on BA and Aer Lingus, standard season on Virgin; a day either side can change the price.
• Split the trip. All three publish one-way prices, so outbound on one programme and return on another is possible.
• Split the cabin. Business one way, premium economy the other, if two business seats won't show together.
• Pay more points. Virgin sells other seats for more points once Saver seats are gone; on BA, check the Avios & Money options at checkout.

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If BA shows the seats but won't book them, see what to do when a BA reward seat won't book. If your Amex points haven't arrived, see Amex UK points transfer delayed. For the bigger choice between the two currencies, see Avios vs Virgin Points.

London–New York on points: FAQs