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I’ll kick this post off by acknowledging the fact that nobody knows if/when borders will reopen for travel and when it will feel safe/advisable/enjoyable to be in a crowd as large as one would find at an Olympic Event, but this seemed well worth reporting for those with a large stash of Virgin Atlantic miles thanks to cancelled plans this year. Thritfty Traveler Premium reported this morning that Delta has incredible business class availability on routes to Tokyo in 2021, including during the scheduled Olympic Games. I’m seeing 4 seats easily bookable on many days via Virgin Atlantic for 60K miles per passenger.
Excellent availability, even for four to eight passengers
Here is a look at Minneapolis to Tokyo for four passengers from July into August 2021 (the Olympics are scheduled from July 23-August 8, 2020).
Nobody knows for sure what equipment will serve any route next year or what frequencies will look like, but I flew that route in Delta One Suites last year and it was excellent.
Minneapolis is not the only route available; you may also find availability out of Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, and more. And it’s not just that time — there is good availability across many dates in 2021.
Keep in mind that taxes on the way back are a bit more at about $51 per passenger.
While this isn’t as good of a deal as ANA First Class (which is also 120K round trip via Virgin Atlantic if departing from the East Coast or 110K round trip from the west coast), the availability is much easier to come by right now. Furthermore, you can easily find space for four, six, or even eight passengers on many flights. Getting eight award seats in international business class on a single flight is generally next to impossible, so this could be a good option if you’ve got a lot of Virgin Atlantic miles and a big family.
Personally, I wouldn’t transfer points speculatively to Virgin Atlantic to book this. Furthermore, while I had originally hoped to go to then 2020 Olympics, I’m not sure I’ll be ready for a sporting event for quite some time. However, I know that others will feel differently and this could therefore make for a great opportunity.
See our guide to booking Delta flights with Virgin Atlantic miles for more detail about how to book.
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FYI – 2nd year needs update: “Here is a look at Minneapolis to Tokyo for four passengers from July into August 2021 (the Olympics are scheduled from July 23-August 8, 2020).”
ANA is cheaper.
Shame no one can book this and reasonably expect being able to actually fly