Booking Delta award flights through a partner like Virgin Atlantic can be a smart way to save points, especially when the Atlanta-based airline is charging sky-high rates to its own SkyMiles members. But when you do, you might not get exactly what’s advertised…
No matter the route, Virgin Atlantic promises a free checked bag on each and every Delta award ticket booked through its Flying Club program. The reality? Delta charges a minimum of $35 for checked bags on domestic routes, as well as flights to and from Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean … even when Virgin says otherwise.
Take a look at this short flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Chicago-O'Hare (ORD), for example. With Virgin Atlantic, you can book this award for just 7,500 points and $5.60 in taxes and fees. That's less than half of what Delta is charging if you used SkyMiles instead – making it a bargain in comparison.
What's more, you'll see Virgin clearly spells out that you get both one piece of hand baggage (a carry-on) and one checked bag with this award ticket.
However, if you use Delta's Baggage Calculator, you'll see that without Delta Medallion status or a SkyMiles credit card, there's instead a $35 fee for your first checked bag and an additional $45 if you're planning to check a second piece of luggage.
So, while you might think you're scoring both a better deal and getting a free checked bag by booking with Virgin, it could be a rude awakening when you go to check in for your flight. And this isn't just hypothetical, either: It's happening to traveler's in practice when they show up at the airport.
While it might be easy to chalk this up as simple miscommunication between Delta and Virgin about what's included with these Main Cabin award tickets, that's unlikely to be the case. This is most certainly a Virgin IT issue, where the airline is displaying its own baggage policies … even for partner awards.
Why do I think that? Because you won't find the same issue with other Delta partners like Air France/KLM Flying Blue.
Using that same flight from Minneapolis to Chicago as an example, you can see that Flying Blue correctly notes that checked baggage is not included on this Delta award. This particular award is slightly cheaper through Flying Blue, but with Virgin advertising free checked baggage, some unsuspecting award travelers may be tempted to book with Flying Club instead.
But it's not just domestic routes where you'll find this false advertising – it applies to Delta's shortest international routes to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, too. Take this flight from New York City (JFK) to Aruba (AUA), for example. Virgin Atlantic shows that both hand baggage and one checked bag are included for free.
But look at that same award through Flying Blue, and you'll see that it does not include a checked bag for free.
Once again, you can use Delta's Baggage Calculator to confirm that checked bags on this route start at $35 and go up from there.
Virgin incorrectly listing that checked bags are included on a flight like this is especially troubling because it's a popular vacation destination, and many travelers are likely to need checked luggage for a typical weeklong stay.
How to Get Free Checked Bags
Even though Virgin falsely advertises free checked bags on these Delta flights, there is still a way to get them for free.
If you've got Delta Medallion status or a SkyMiles credit card (except for the no-annual-fee Delta SkyMiles® Blue Card) in your wallet, you'll get a free checked bag on each and every Delta-operated flight you take. What's more, you'll get free bags for up to eight other passengers booked on the same reservation.
Check out our complete guide to Delta baggage fees … and how to avoid them!
But if you're booking an award ticket through Virgin Atlantic, this benefit won't apply automatically. Since your Virgin Flying Club number will initially be associated with the reservation, you'll need to update it to your SkyMiles number after booking.
You can do this by taking the confirmation number that Virgin provides and adding it to “My Trips” in your Delta account. Start by logging in, and then click on “My Trips” up at the top. Here you'll see all of the upcoming Delta flights associated with your SkyMiles number, but you can also select “Find My Trip” and enter a new confirmation number – this is what you're looking for.
Next, you'll plug in that confirmation number from your Virgin booking, along with your first and last name.
Once the trip is added to your Delta SkyMiles account, you can click on “Passenger Information” to remove your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club number and put your Delta SkyMiles number in instead.
This will ensure that when you check in, you'll receive all the benefits available to you as a SkyMiles cardholder or elite status member, like free checked bags, priority boarding, and potentially even a minuscule shot at an upgrade.
Bottom Line
Booking Delta award flights with Virgin Atlantic points can yield big savings, but Virgin often incorrectly advertises that these award tickets come with a free checked bag. In reality, Delta still charges at least $35 for checked luggage on domestic, Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean routes booked through Virgin.
Travelers with Medallion status or a Delta SkyMiles credit card can still secure a free checked bag, but they'll have to add their SkyMiles number after booking.
