The ANA sweet spot: business and first class to Japan with Virgin Points

Of all the ways to spend Virgin Points, one stands above the rest. Virgin's partnership with ANA, Japan's five-star carrier, lets you book some of the best business and first-class cabins in the sky for a fraction of what other programmes charge. It's widely considered one of the finest sweet spots in the entire points world, and it's the reason a lot of people collect Virgin Points at all.

What makes it special

ANA's business class, "The Room", and its first class, "The Suite", are consistently rated among the best premium cabins flying. Virgin prices them extraordinarily well:

• Business class between the US mainland (or Europe) and Japan for roughly 52,500 to 60,000 points one-way.
• First class for roughly 55,000 to 85,000 points one-way depending on origin, for a product that can cost well over $10,000 in cash.

For comparison, other programmes routinely charge 110,000 miles or more one-way for the same ANA business seat. Booking it through Virgin can cost less than half. Run the{' '} value-per-point sum on a first-class seat worth five figures in cash and the number lands in territory that makes Virgin Points genuinely special.

The catches, up front

This value is real, but it comes with conditions you need to plan around:

• Award space is scarce. ANA releases limited premium-cabin award space, and it books fast. This is the binding constraint, not price.
• You must book by phone. ANA awards through Virgin can't be booked online. You call Virgin to ticket them.
• Pricing is often round-trip based. You can fly one-way for half, but the chart is structured around return travel.
• All pricing is to and from Japan. Onward connections beyond Japan must be booked as separate awards.

None of these is a dealbreaker. They just mean the booking is a sequence, not a click.

The workflow that actually works

The order of operations matters, because the biggest mistake here is transferring points before you've confirmed a seat exists.

1. Find ANA saver space first. Use ANA's own website, or an award-search tool such as Seats.aero or AwardLocker, to confirm the exact flights and dates with premium award availability.
2. Confirm before you commit. Do not transfer any points into Virgin until you've verified the seat is there. Transfers are irreversible, and ANA space can vanish.
3. Transfer, ideally during a bonus. Once the seat is confirmed, move your points across, timing it to an Amex transfer bonus if one is running.
4. Call Virgin to book. Ticket the award over the phone. Have your flight details ready so the agent can find exactly what you saw.

That sequence, space first, transfer second, call third, is the whole game. Reverse it and you risk stranding points against a seat that no longer exists.

Add a companion or upgrade voucher

If you hold a Virgin Reward Voucher from a UK MBNA card or Gold status, an ANA premium redemption is exactly where it earns its keep. Stacking a voucher on an already-excellent{' '} partner award is close to the ceiling of what Virgin Points can do. It's worth timing your booking around having the voucher available.

Is it worth collecting points specifically for this?

For many people, yes. If a business or first-class trip to Japan is on your list, the ANA sweet spot is one of the few redemptions where points genuinely outperform cash by a wide margin, on a product you'd struggle to justify paying for outright. Build a flexible bank balance through{' '} everyday spend, keep it liquid, watch for award space, and pounce when a seat and a transfer bonus line up. A tracker that keeps your various point balances and pending transfers in one view, like the Travel Smarter dashboard, makes it easier to know you've got enough in the right place the moment space appears.

See how Travel Smarter tracks every Virgin Points and Tier Points balance in a single view →

FAQ

How many Virgin Points for ANA business class to Japan?

Roughly 52,500 to 60,000 points one-way between the US mainland or Europe and Japan. First class runs roughly 55,000 to 85,000 points one-way depending on origin. Verify live pricing, as figures move.

Can I book ANA awards through Virgin online?

No. ANA awards through Virgin Atlantic must be booked by phone. Find the space first using ANA's site or a tool like Seats.aero, then call Virgin to ticket it.

Should I transfer points before finding ANA space?

Never. Confirm the exact seat exists first, because transfers to Virgin are irreversible and ANA premium award space is scarce and books fast. Transfer only once you've verified availability.

Why is ANA through Virgin such good value?

Virgin prices ANA business and first far below other programmes, often less than half the miles other airlines charge, for cabins rated among the best in the world. On a first-class seat worth over $10,000 in cash, the value per point is exceptional.

Can I use a companion or upgrade voucher on ANA?

Yes, and it's one of the best places to use one. Stacking a Virgin Reward Voucher on an ANA premium redemption pushes the value near the ceiling of what Virgin Points can achieve.