How to Book Kenya Airways to Africa Using Virgin Atlantic Points
Kenya Airways flies daily from Mumbai to Nairobi, and you can book it using Virgin Atlantic points. Here's the complete breakdown for reaching Africa with Amex points.
If Africa is on your travel list, Kenya Airways is probably the most direct way to get there from India. They operate daily flights from Mumbai to Nairobi, and from there you can connect to pretty much anywhere on the continent.
The interesting part is that you don't need Kenya Airways miles to book these flights. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points work because both airlines are part of the SkyTeam alliance. And since Amex India transfers to Virgin Atlantic, this opens up Africa for anyone with Membership Rewards points.
The Route
Kenya Airways flies Mumbai to Nairobi daily, and Nairobi serves as a hub for East and Southern Africa. This is the only direct connection between India and sub-Saharan Africa on a SkyTeam carrier, which makes it valuable if you're trying to use transferable points for this part of the world.
Getting Virgin Atlantic Points
The main way to earn Virgin Atlantic points in India is through Amex Membership Rewards. The transfer ratio is 2:1, meaning you need 2 Amex points for every 1 Virgin point.
Check which of your cards transfer to Virgin Atlantic on the Magnify app.
Mumbai to Nairobi
Nairobi is the gateway to East Africa. From safaris in the Maasai Mara to connecting flights across the continent, this is where your Africa trip starts.
Economy: 15,500 Virgin points + ~₹9,600 taxes
Business: 40,000 Virgin points + ~₹11,600 taxes
For business class, that's 80,000 Amex MR points transferred to Virgin Atlantic. Cash tickets usually run ₹1.5 lakh or more.
Mumbai to Dar es Salaam
Tanzania's largest city and your entry point to Zanzibar, Serengeti, and Kilimanjaro. The flight connects through Nairobi.
Economy: 21,000 Virgin points + ~₹12,000 taxes
Business: 54,500 Virgin points + ~₹15,000 taxes
Mumbai to Seychelles
If a beach holiday is more your speed, Seychelles is reachable through Nairobi as well. The connection adds points since Virgin Atlantic prices per segment, but it's still reasonable.
Economy: 25,500 Virgin points + ~₹13,000 taxes
Business: 61,500 Virgin points + ~₹16,000 taxes
Mumbai to Mauritius
Safari or beach, it's the same miles for both Johannesburg or Mauritius.
Economy: 27,000 Virgin points + ~₹14,500 taxes
Business: 75,000 Virgin points + ~₹18,300 taxes
Mumbai to Cape Town
Table Mountain, wine country, and penguins. Cape Town connects through both Nairobi and Johannesburg depending on the routing.
Economy: 31,000 Virgin points + ~₹14,500 taxes
Business: 80,000 Virgin points + ~₹18,300 taxes
The Bottom Line
This is one of those sweet spots that doesn't get talked about much. Kenya Airways isn't a glamorous carrier, but the product is decent and the routing makes sense for reaching Africa from India. If you have Amex points and want to explore this part of the world, transferring to Virgin Atlantic is the way to do it.
