You have to cast your mind back to 1999 to recall that Singapore Airlines once owned 49% of Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic, a stake that cost it GBP600 million, S$1.6 billion in those days, giving the British airline a highly profitable partner at a time Virgin was up against strong competition on its transatlantic network.

The partnership even predated SIA’s induction to the Star Alliance in 2000, but unlike that longstanding pact the relationship with Virgin Atlantic was set to sour in the meantime, and that’s finally come to what many would argue is a long overdue full divorce, from April this year.

SIA x Virgin Atlantic partnership terminates from April

From 24th April 2025, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic will terminate their frequent flyer programme partnership in what the British carrier calls “a mutual agreement”.

This will result in the following key changes for members:

See the FAQs documents regarding these changes from both airlines below:

• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer FAQs on termination
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club FAQs on termination

An unsurprising end to a long partnership

While the partnership between Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is a longstanding one, the writing has been on the wall over its demise in recent years.

In 2012, SIA sold its stake in Virgin Atlantic to Delta Air Lines for GBP224 million, around S$439 million, less than a third of the Singapore carrier’s initial investment.

Since then Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic have remained partners, but it’s safe to say there wasn’t much love left in the relationship, with neither carrier offering much (if any) award space to one another’s members being the main drawback most of our readers will recognise.

Since July 2016, Virgin Atlantic began restricting KrisFlyer Elite miles earning to non-transatlantic flights on the airline, cutting off most of its network from SIA status building opportunities.

Presumably it was just getting too easy for US- and UK-based KrisFlyer members to clock Elite Silver and Elite Gold status on Virgin’s regular transatlantic services to and from London, and now that SIA wasn’t even getting 49% of the revenue for these tickets, that probably vexed a little.

Back in April 2023, KrisFlyer removed the option for its members to earn Elite miles completely when flying on Virgin Atlantic flights, and in late August that year Virgin removed access to its flagship Clubhouse at London Heathrow Airport, prior to flying on Virgin Atlantic flights.

Instead, the poorer Club Aspire lounge is currently offered to these passengers.

These changes came about after Virgin joined the SkyTeam alliance, following its link with Delta a year earlier.

However, KrisFlyer miles earning on Virgin Atlantic flights has continued to be offered, and vice-versa, while Virgin Atlantic has also been offering Tier Points (its own equivalent of Elite miles) when flying on paid Singapore Airlines fares, though that too will now end from 24th April 2025.

Lounge access

KrisFlyer Elite Gold and PPS Club members will continue to benefit from Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse access before departing on a Virgin Atlantic flight in any cabin class, from Boston, New York JFK, Washington, San Francisco and Johannesburg, but only until 23rd April 2025.

From 24th April 2025 onwards, KrisFlyer has confirmed that there will be no benefits for its members when travelling on Virgin Atlantic flights, and therefore this includes lounge access eligibility before travel on those services.

“Benefits for PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite Gold members when travelling on Virgin Atlantic flights will not be available after 23 April 2025.”

Singapore Airlines

We have updated our comprehensive reviews of both KrisFlyer Elite Gold and PPS Club earning and benefits to reflect this changing lounge access policy for Virgin Atlantic, which you can read in the dedicated articles linked below.

Solitaire PPS Club members and those departing in First Class from New York JFK on Singapore Airlines flights can continue to access to the Virgin Clubhouse at the airport, as part of a separate agreement the airline has with that lounge, which thankfully does not appear to be changing.

In 2012, Delta bought Singapore Airlines’ 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic for more than S$1 billion less than SIA originally paid for it 13 years earlier, and it’s fair to say that the relationship between Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic has been pretty tenuous ever since.

Virgin Atlantic offers nearly no award space whatsoever to KrisFlyer members, and in the other direction Singapore Airlines offers only a smattering of Economy Class space to Virgin Flying Club members, with some regional Business Class seats in the mix.

It’s little surprise that the partnership is now coming to an end, with reciprocal miles earning and lounge access benefits ending from 24th April 2025, while Virgin Flying club members will also lose status credits when travelling on paid SIA fares.

(Cover Photo: Virgin Atlantic)

Hat-tip to Head for Points