Hey {{first name | reader}},

Happy Wednesday!

Today we have two things: Dan just tested American Airlines' brand-new long-haul business class, and Virgin Atlantic has launched a 70% bonus on Flying Club points purchases.

Here's what's inside today's post:

American Airlines has been flying its new business class product, and Dan just put it to the test between New York JFK and London Heathrow.

The new Boeing 787-9s are much more premium-heavy than American's older Dreamliners, with 51 business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. Every seat has direct aisle access and a privacy door. There are also special Flagship Suite Preferred seats in the first rows of each cabin, which offer additional space and storage.

I have not flown this new American seat yet, but I have flown what is probably its closest comparison: Qatar Airways business class on the Boeing 787-9. And I love that seat. It is a reverse herringbone design with a closing door, and while it does not have the privacy and space of Qsuites, I found it extremely comfortable. So I was particularly curious to see what Dan thought about American's version.

There is also an interesting twist here. American has created a sort of business plus experience with its front-row Flagship Suite Preferred seats. Dan tried both the regular seat and the Preferred version, and the extra space up front makes a real difference. It reminded me of Air France's newest business class, where the bulkhead suites offer meaningfully more space than the rows behind them.

But the seat is only part of the story.

Dan also looks at the bedding, catering, service, and lounges, and even covers how American handled a broken window shade that left his original seat completely dark for the entire flight. After some back and forth following the trip, American ultimately provided a very nice gesture.

His bigger question is probably the most interesting one: how different are American, Delta, and United in long-haul business class anymore? All three US carriers have made major improvements, and American's new product makes that comparison closer than it has been in years.

If you are considering American for a long-haul business class redemption, watch this one before booking.

Virgin Atlantic has launched a new sale on Flying Club points, and the top tier matches the best bonus we typically see from the program.

Through October 4, 2026, the bonus structure is:

The interesting part is that the price varies considerably depending on where your Flying Club account is registered.

For US accounts, buying at the maximum bonus tier works out to around $14.80 per 1,000 points. You could buy 340,000 total Virgin points for approximately $5,022.

For UK accounts, the economics are considerably better. The same 340,000 points cost around £3,015, which works out to roughly $12 per 1,000 points at current exchange rates. That is a pretty significant difference.

My take: this is a good sale, especially because Flying Club has some excellent redemptions across Virgin Atlantic and its partners.

At $12 per 1,000 points for UK accounts, I would even be comfortable buying somewhat speculatively if I knew I was likely to use the points within the next year. You do not necessarily need to have the exact redemption confirmed before buying at that price.

That said, Virgin sells points with bonuses fairly regularly. So if you do not have travel planned soon, there is no huge reason to rush. Another opportunity will likely come around. But if you have something coming up, know you can use Virgin points well, and the cash is available, this is a very good sale to take advantage of.

That's it for today. I am particularly curious what everyone thinks of American's new business class. The US airlines are becoming much more competitive on long-haul premium travel, and I am hoping to try this seat soon and compare it directly with Qatar's 787-9.

Catch you in the clouds,

Tomi from Points Master

Getting too many emails? Adjust how often you hear from us