The Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card provides an opportunity to earn valuable Avios rewards that you can transfer between multiple airline programs. The card offers solid value for transatlantic travelers through priority boarding and a companion ticket benefit, but other cards provide better rewards for daily spending.
This credit card review will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let’s dive right in.
Welcome Bonus of Aer Lingus Visa
The Aer Lingus Visa currently offers the following welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months.
The most attractive feature of this card is the bonus, particularly because Avios can be used interchangeably across Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Iberia. This flexibility in earning and redeeming rewards sets Avios apart from other airline loyalty programs, making the bonus even more valuable.
Chase maintains strict eligibility requirements for this bonus. You won’t qualify if you currently have this card or if you’ve received a welcome bonus on it within the past 24 months. However, having other Chase Avios cards like the British Airways or Iberia Visa cards won’t impact your eligibility for this bonus.
While other credit cards may restrict welcome bonuses based on your card history across multiple issuers, the Aer Lingus card only considers your history with this specific product. This makes it an excellent option if you’ve previously earned bonuses on other Avios-earning cards.
Chase’s 5/24 rule does apply to this card application, so you’ll need to consider your recent credit card application history before applying. You’ll want to check how many new credit cards you’ve opened across all banks in the past 24 months.
Earning Avios with Aer Lingus Visa
The Aer Lingus Visa earns:
When it comes to earning rewards on flights, the return offered by this is pretty good. However, if you want to maximize your rewards on travel spending, you might be better off using a premium travel credit card instead, such as American Express Platinum Card® or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
These cards typically offer higher earning rates and more flexible redemption options compared to cobranded airline cards.
Annual Fee of Aer Lingus Visa
The Aer Lingus Visa charges a $95 annual fee that is not waived for the first year. The card’s main benefits that help offset the fee include priority boarding on Aer Lingus flights and the ability to earn an economy companion ticket after spending $30,000 in a calendar year.
There is no additional fee to add authorized users to the card, and authorized users also receive the priority boarding benefit on Aer Lingus flights when showing their card at the gate.
Aer Lingus Card Benefits
The Aer Lingus Card offers several benefits that cardholders will find very valuable: Priority Boarding: You and your authorized users can skip the regular boarding queue on Aer Lingus flights between the US and Ireland. Just show your card at the gate to enjoy this time-saving perk that makes your journey more comfortable. Companion Ticket: Receive an economy companion ticket when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year. This valuable benefit lets you bring someone along on your Aer Lingus economy flight without paying for their ticket – even the taxes and fees are covered. No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose. Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card. Baggage Delay Insurance: Missing luggage doesn’t have to derail your trip – this coverage steps in to reimburse you for essential purchases when your checked bags are delayed by airlines, trains, or other carriers. You can grab the necessities you need, from a fresh outfit to personal care items, while waiting for your bags to arrive. Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Your checked luggage gets extra protection against loss, theft, or damage beyond the basic compensation offered by carriers when you pay for travel with this card. 120-Day Purchase Protection: Get 120 days of protection against damage, theft, and even loss of your purchases – one of the longest windows available. This premium coverage automatically applies when you pay with your card. Extended Warranty Protection: Your purchases gain an extra year of warranty protection when bought with this card, extending manufacturer warranties of three years or less without the inflated prices of store warranty plans.
Redeeming Aer Lingus Miles
Aer Lingus AerClub Avios offers excellent value for transatlantic flights, particularly from the East Coast of North America to Ireland. One of the best redemptions is off-peak economy flights from cities like Boston, New York, or Toronto to Dublin for just 13,000 Avios one-way with minimal fees. Even flights from the West Coast require only 16,250 Avios off-peak. Business class redemptions are also competitive, starting at 50,000 Avios from the East Coast. AerClub uses a distance-based award chart with peak and off-peak pricing. Most of the year is considered off-peak, except for summer months and some holiday periods. This creates opportunities for great deals during shoulder seasons. Beyond just flying to Ireland, you can add connections to other European destinations for minimal additional Avios. Short-haul flights within Europe start at just 4,000 Avios one-way. While AerClub has limited partner airlines for redemptions, you can easily transfer Avios between British Airways Executive Club and Iberia Plus to access more options. Always compare pricing across the Avios programs, as AerClub sometimes offers the best rates on Aer Lingus flights. To maximize value, focus on off-peak dates, take advantage of the generous distance bands, and look for opportunities to add connections in Europe for minimal extra cost. With some flexibility, AerClub Avios can provide exceptional value for transatlantic travel.
Pros and Cons
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of this card:
Pros:
Strong Welcome Bonus: The card routinely offers substantial welcome bonuses worth enough Avios for business class flights to Europe, making it an attractive option for initial value.
Priority Boarding: You’ll get priority boarding on all Aer Lingus flights between the U.S. and Ireland just by showing your card, letting you get settled earlier and secure overhead bin space without needing elite status.
Companion Certificate Opportunity: Spend $30,000 in a calendar year and receive a companion ticket valid for a free economy seat when purchasing a paid economy ticket, which can provide good value on expensive transatlantic routes.
Flexible Points Currency: Your Avios can be freely transferred between Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, and Qatar Airways programs, giving you access to multiple award charts and sweet spots.
Cons:
Limited Airline Benefits: Unlike many airline cards, this one doesn’t offer free checked bags or meaningful discounts on Aer Lingus purchases, reducing its ongoing value for frequent flyers.
Weak Earning Structure: The card only earns 3x on Aer Lingus and partner airlines, with mediocre earn rates on other categories. Many transferable points cards offer better everyday earning potential.
Restrictive Companion Ticket: The companion ticket benefit requires high spending and can only be used on economy tickets, making it less valuable than competitor cards’ companion passes.
Limited Route Network: Aer Lingus has a relatively small route network focused mainly on Ireland, which limits the card’s usefulness for travelers who don’t frequently fly these routes.
Card Alternatives to the Chase Aer Lingus Card
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the most popular travel rewards cards because it offers nice welcome bonus and extra points on travel and dining, which can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel℠. The Sapphire Preferred also offers great travel and purchase protections for a card with a $95 annual fee. Welcome Bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Earning Rewards: 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2x points on all other travel purchases, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Card Benefits: Ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners, 25% bonus when redeeming points through Chase Travel, $50 annual hotel stay credit via Chase Travel, 10% anniversary points bonus, no foreign transaction fees, primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty. Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Emirates, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Hyatt, IHG, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Singapore KrisFlyer, Southwest, United, and Virgin Atlantic.
American Express® Gold Card
The American Express® Gold Card (review) is a great card for earning points at restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and flights booked directly with airlines. Cardholders can also enjoy up to $424 in annual credits and nice travel and purchase protections. Earning Points: 4x points at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1x points); 4x points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1x points); 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com; 2x points on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com; 1x points on all other eligible purchases. Benefits: Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, AeroMexico, Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Choice Privileges, Delta, Emirates, Etihad, Air France – KLM Flying Blue, Hawaiian Airlines, Hilton, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore KrisFlyer, and Virgin Atlantic.
Iberia Visa Signature® Card
The Iberia Visa Signature® Card (review) offers solid rewards for Iberia, British Airways, and Aer Lingus flights, plus the ability to earn a $1,000 flight discount voucher after significant spending. While the card lacks premium travel benefits, it’s an excellent choice for frequent Iberia flyers who want to earn Avios points that can be used across the Oneworld alliance. Welcome Bonus: Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months. Earning Avios: 3x Avios on Iberia, British Airways, and Aer Lingus flight purchases; 2x Avios on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel; 1x Avios on all other purchases. Card Benefits: 10% discount on airfare, $1,000 to use toward two tickets on the same flight for each year you make purchases of $30,000 on your card, no foreign transaction fees, baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, lost luggage reimbursement, extended warranty. 
Is the Chase Aer Lingus Card Worth It?
The Aer Lingus Visa is a decent option if you frequently fly between the US and Europe on Aer Lingus, offering priority boarding and the potential to earn a companion ticket through spending.
While the card comes with a reasonable annual fee, you’ll get the most value from its welcome bonus, which could potentially cover a roundtrip transatlantic business class ticket when maximized correctly.
The card’s earning structure is relatively basic, with bonus points on Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Iberia flights, but you’ll likely get better returns using a premium travel card for your everyday spending such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
One of the card’s strongest features is the flexibility of its Avios rewards, which you can freely transfer between Aer Lingus, British Airways, and other IAG airlines, giving you multiple redemption options.
However, unless you’re specifically loyal to Aer Lingus, you might be better served by a card that earns transferable points or the British Airways Visa card, which offers more valuable perks like flight discounts and a more flexible companion ticket benefit.
Learn How to Apply: Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please click here. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
