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Most Aspirational Miles Award Ever – Necker Island

Drew MacomberbyDrew Macomber
March 25, 2015
37

I’m browsing through the redemption section of Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Blue Miles, because they have quite a few unique hotel redemption options. As you may know, Virgin is run by Richard Branson, who famously lives on an island (off the British Virgin Islands) called Necker Island.

Apparently after buying the island the government told him that he had to be a BVI citizen or own a hotel to own the island. So he dropped a few million and opened a hotel with only 10 rooms.

The island has become a playground for the ultrarich and celebrities. Private island, private chef (and staff of 100?), includes watersports, two infinity pools, etc… All this for a mere $30,000 for a week (for two people).

Imagine my surprise when I saw that you can spend miles to book Necker Island on Flying Club’s website.

Price? This is going to sound absurd, but let me explain that it is doable.

1,200,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Miles for a 7 night stay for 2 people including all meals and drinks (alcoholic drinks included).

I’m going to talk about earning for a minute but make sure you read the details on booking if you’re serious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_apLLpsimvk

 

Earning

A lot of miles, I know. But the good news is that they are relatively easy to come by, being a BOA card.

This link give 75,000 miles after spend requirements and what not. The spend is $12,000 in 6 months, and the card earns 1.5 miles per dollar. Plus you can get 15k on your anniversary date.

Plus, these cards are handed out like candy. So if you’re moving through these cards quickly and getting the 93k for spend and then ditching it for a new one, you would need 13 of these cards.

Note that the $95 annual fee is not waived for the first year, so you’re buying the 1.2-million points for $1,235. I guess that’s $177 a day on Necker island.

I’d pay that much to hang with Richard Branson. 😀

However, I’m not sure they’ll allow you to split payments so you can pay with two different mileage accounts. That’s certainly not a normal thing, but this is a bit unusual and I wouldn’t count on it. But it’s a lot easier if Carrie and I both got these cards, that’s 6/7 each.

 

Transfers

But Virgin Atlantic is also a transfer partner of Amex MR, Chase UR, SPG points, and now Citi TY points. If you have a card to earn points on, you can transfer to Virgin.

The Chase Ink Plus earns 5x at Office Supplies (FM has a guide to Staples gift cards). And Amex Everyday earns 3x at Supermarkets (not a good option, but an option). (Plus, see FM’s list of resources that may include info on liquidating gift cards). Although, it would probably take a good less-public strategy to do this at large scale and to do it cheaply, it is possible.

At 3x though, that’s a lot of work, and a lot of money if you’re relying on gift cards.

 

What’s included in Necker Island?

Everything.

Look at the water sports list: windsurfing, kite-surfing, water-skiing, sailing, snorkelling and even SCUBA diving plus much more.

Scuba? Water skiing? What the heck?

Now the IC Koh Samui let me take the little catamaran out after I told them I knew how to sail (meaning I watched a tutorial on youtube (turns out you don’t learn enough that way)), but never have I had this stuff included.

Dining

As I said earlier, all meals and all drinks are included. This is not your normal all-inclusive food, but one with Branson’s handpicked chef. Drinks included as well.

But this seems to be over the top too. One of the restaurants is a floating sushi option. The chefs float on Kayaks down the beach pool to give you the sushi options. How absurd… absurdly amazing.

Transfer to the island

This is a private island, but luckily they include roundtrip transfer from “Virgin Gorda or Beef Island airports”.

 

Booking Details

It appears that you can only really make reservations for these rooms on select dates which seem to be from August to October.

Right now here are the dates listed for 2015:

  • 8 Aug 2015 for 7 nights
  • 5 Sep 2015 for 7 nights
  • 12 Sep 2015 for 7 nights
  • 19 Sep 2015 for 7 nights
  • 26 Sep 2015 for 7 nights
  • 17 Oct 2015 for 7 nights
  • 24 Oct 2015 for 7 nights

Bookings are strictly on these days and for 7 nights for two people. Children are an extra $4,165 per child (leave em at home!).

To book you just call up Flying Club.

How many agents do you think have taken that call before? My guess is none.

 

Conclusion

This is not your normal resort. This is a “billionaire’s paradise” as the BBC put it. This is one with a zipline down to “turtle beach” and bathtubs inside and outside. It’s absurd.

To be honest, this is epic enough that I got pretty excited about it and went a while telling myself I would do it one day. But it’s just not in my budget to blow the points on one week. But whoever does this first… they have to bring me, since I told you about it.

Related Posts

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Best Use of Virgin Atlantic Miles [by Partner]

June 18, 2019

Comments 37

  1. Jigar says:
    6 years ago

    I am seriously thinking about this! Sorry, I’m taking my wife though…

    Reply
    • Drew Macomber says:
      6 years ago

      Maybe I can pay the kid fee. :-p
      Kidding. I hope someone goes.

  2. JP says:
    6 years ago

    One possible issue with the method that you described. If a couple were to each apply for the BOA, they would earn points in their own accounts. Does Virgin allow pooling of accounts? Or do they allow 2 people ponying up 600K of miles?

    Reply
    • Drew Macomber says:
      6 years ago

      You’re right. You can not pool accounts. The only way I found was to be a Gold member of Virgin and you can pool in accounts from kids under 17. I don’t see a way of working that really.
      You’re only hope is if they would do a split payment. Kroger does it. :-p

  3. LarryInNYC says:
    6 years ago

    Not completely insane when you figure that some people must be spending 500,000 miles/points on a trip for two to the Maldives. This is 2.5x that amount of points but in some ways is a much better deal (for example, all food and beverages are included), it’s closer (if you’re starting in the US), and it’s even more exclusive.

    Reply
    • Drew Macomber says:
      6 years ago

      Exactly. Or consider that the SPG premium awards are already like 170k points per night. Similar but better.

  4. Charlie says:
    6 years ago

    I literally just wrote about this a couple of weeks ago when I was browsing through their redemption chart as well! Certainly aspirational! I just wish you could use miles collected through these means for the Galactic as well. 🙂

    Reply
    • Drew Macomber says:
      6 years ago

      Wow, just clicked through to yours, and we even chose similar titles – which means it must objectively be THE most aspirational award ever.
      Actually you can – http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/us/en/flying-club/flying-club-partners/virgin-group/virgin-galactic.html
      2,000,000 but it says only miles earned from Virgin Atlantic flights. Heck o a lot of mileage runs.

    • Charlie says:
      6 years ago

      Sorry, that was what I meant – that we cannot use miles from credit cards for the Galactic flight. Otherwise… 🙂

    • Drew Macomber says:
      6 years ago

      It really would be a heck of deal given that it’s $200k in cash. That’s a 6.6x mark up in cash and like a 66% increase in points.

    • Kenny says:
      6 years ago

      I read it on Charlie’s blog first, so I don’t have to take you. This is totally and easily doable for anyone with a business who can put everything on AMEX/Chase/Citi cards, and AMEX even has xfer bonuses occasionally! 888,889 AMEX points if you can get a 35% bonus like the recent one…

  5. Brad says:
    6 years ago

    Using 2,000,000 Flying Club miles to go into space on Virgin Galactic seems pretty aspirational, since it would otherwise cost $250,000. The problem is only miles earned on actual Virgin Atlantic flights can be redeemed for it, and even if you have the miles you still have to be selected in a prize drawing to get it. At least if you don’t get selected you don’t lose any miles. Of course, first Virgin Galactic actually has to start taking paying passengers to space.

    Reply
    • Drew Macomber says:
      6 years ago

      I didn’t the part about the drawing!
      Right, that’s true. Idk why he’s selling flights on something that doesn’t exist. Good way to raise money?

  6. Kris says:
    6 years ago

    Oh my god! That’s my ultimate goal for the next ten years until I find my significant other.

    Reply
    • Drew Macomber says:
      6 years ago

      Just take me! 😀

  7. Frequent Miler says:
    6 years ago

    I’m seriously considering doing this. We should find ten people crazy enough to do this and organize the most exclusive DO ever.

    Reply
    • Charlie says:
      6 years ago

      You don’t think spouses might have an issue with that – sharing us with other crazies? 🙂

    • ABC says:
      6 years ago

      It will be during the hurricane season. Perfect!

    • Drew Macomber says:
      6 years ago

      Well, who knows what the availability is like. Greg you help me MS it and the four of us will go… and obviously I’m going to film every second of it.

    • Jamie says:
      6 years ago

      Sounds like a fantastic idea for a DO! My only concern is that the population of crazy in this hobby is so high that there may be quite a few more than 10 people who want to do it. 🙂

  8. Matthew says:
    6 years ago

    This has actually gone up in price recently, as it used to be 1,000,000 miles for Necker Island!

    Reply
    • Drew Macomber says:
      6 years ago

      Dangit! I missed my easy chance!

      Now I have to get an extra 2.5 cards. I wonder if anyone has done it.

  9. Maria says:
    6 years ago

    Great write up. BOA, here I come.

    Reply
    • Drew Macomber says:
      6 years ago

      Thanks. Get in good with em now. 😀

  10. DaveS says:
    6 years ago

    I imagine it’s kind of tongue in cheek. So for those miles I could spend a week hanging out on a tiny island with people I have nothing in common with. Or I could go to Tahiti, and the Maldives, and Rio, and South Africa, and a dozen or so trips to Europe, and Nepal, and…

    Reply
    • Drew Macomber says:
      6 years ago

      Well, it would also get you 1.8 million hilton points.
      But the award chart or Virgin Atlantic is so absurd that I figured I would use the points for something else anyways.

  11. Bikeguy says:
    6 years ago

    Next time we chat, remind me to tell you about my Puerto Vallarta sailing story. It involved capsizing and a rescue. My wife was in the boat too. Hopefully you learned enough in the YouTube video to avoid that. My excuse is my sail was before YouTube.

    Reply
    • Drew Macomber says:
      6 years ago

      I’ll remember. Yea, I’m lucky that didn’t happen to me.
      I decided that the islands in this picture looked close enough to sail around. http://www.fivestaralliance.com/files/fsa/nodes/2009/10136/10136_3_intercontinentalsamuibaantalingngamresort_fsa-g.jpg
      We made it out but I didn’t have the sail skills to beach on the islands that were directly upwind lol.
      It became really windy… and yea, I’m not sure I’ll do that again without a lesson.

  12. Karen says:
    6 years ago

    Those dates are during hurricane season. Can you purchase trip insurance for the points? But you would still be wise to insure if needed for evacuation.

    I’m heading to BVI in a month, it is truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve been. Laid back, not commercialized, great people.

    Reply
    • Drew Macomber says:
      6 years ago

      I’m sure they would take care of anything.
      I like the area too and the island looks beautiful for the video.

  13. Frequent Miler says:
    6 years ago

    The awards are only bookable during “Celebration Weeks”. They say “We usually hold a number of Celebration Weeks from August to October but keep an eye on this page for the latest updates as additional weeks may pop up throughout the year.”
    .
    My interpretation is: Celebration Weeks are those weeks in which we know in advance that Richard Branson won’t be here. He’s smart enough to live elsewhere during Hurricane season.

    Reply
  14. Gary Leff says:
    6 years ago

    Everything old is new again!
    http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2013/01/24/a-better-way-to-spend-a-million-starpoints/

    Reply
    • oldguy says:
      6 years ago

      Gary you have a few sentences wedged in a post focusing more on starpoints. Drew’s post is way more thorough and also focuses on a Necker Island redemption.

      I’m a big fan on both blogs, but don’t flatter yourself

  15. Nasakoto Iakata says:
    6 years ago

    My wife is a senior VP in one of RB companies and she and I have been there.
    Even though everything you say is true on your post I am not sure its worth 1MM points. I have had similar treatments at the best all inclusives in the Caribbean for much less than what you would pay Richard.
    It certainly is very posh and polished.

    Reply
  16. sujith says:
    6 years ago

    This is no way related, but can you switch a business charge card to a credit card? specifically, ink bold to UA MP bus. Thank you

    Reply
  17. Justin says:
    6 years ago

    Have been … can confirm it’s the bee’s knees.

    Reply
  18. italdesign says:
    6 years ago

    Ultra fancy all-inclusive beach resort for the rich and famous? Pass. Your Bali experience beats this any day.

    Reply

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