Aer Lingus’ AerClub is a fairly new frequent flyer program. There are three Avios programs: Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Iberia.
Avios can be transferred between the programs and each program has advantages and disadvantages.
The best way to use Aer Lingus Avios is flights to Ireland or transferring Avios to Iberia.
Earning Aer Lingus Avios
There are many ways to earn Aer Lingus Avios. The two most popular ways are with an Avios credit card or transferring points from other points programs.
Aer Lingus Credit Cards
Aer Lingus offers two credit cards. The Chase Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card for U.S. residents and the Aer Credit Card for Irish residents.
The Chase Aer Lingus card earns 3x Avios on flights booked with Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Iberia.
The card also gets you priority boarding on flights between the U.S. and Ireland and a companion certificate if you spend $30,000 per calendar year.
You can also earn Avios that you can transfer to Aer Club with the Chase British Airways Visa and the Chase Iberia Visa.
Transfer Partners to Aer Lingus
American Express Membership Rewards– You can transfer American Express points instantly to Aer Lingus at a ratio of 1 point to 1 Avio.
Chase Ultimate Rewards– You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points instantly to Aer Lingus at a ratio of 1 point to 1 Avio.
British Airways and Iberia– Aer Lingus, Iberia, and British Airways are all owned by the International Airline Group (IAG), which allows you to transfer Avios between the programs if each of your accounts has been open for at least 90 days and have previous points activity.
Marriot Bonvoy– You can transfer Marriot Bonvoy points at a rate of 3 Marriott points to 1 Avio. Plus, if you get a bonus for transferring in increments of 60,000 Marriott points, which equals 25,000 Avios.
Heathrow Rewards– London Heathrow airport has its own rewards program called Heathrow Rewards, which is a 1 to 1 transfer partner to AerClub.
Spending Aer Lingus Avios
There are very limited uses of AerClub Avios. You can only redeem Avios on Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Iberia.
You can transfer Avios to British Airways or Iberia for many more flight options all around the world on their OneWorld partners.
Reward Flights on Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus has a distance-based award chart divided into zones based on how many miles you fly.
Here is the full award chart. Aer Lingus prices out each segment individually, which will increase the number of Avios required for connecting flights.
The same zones and distances below would apply to flights on British Airways and Iberia.
Aer Lingus also charges more Avios during the Peak Season, which is about a third of the year. Here’s the calendar for 2020. The peak dates are typically the middle of December to early January, about two weeks in April, and mid-June to early September.
For North America, the one-way Avios cost is:
Dublin to/from Boston, Chicago, Hartford, Minneapolis, Montreal, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Washington.
- Off-Peak Economy: 13,000 Avios.
- Off-Peak Business: 50,000 Avios
- Peak Economy: 20,000 Avios.
- Peak Business: 60,000 Avios.
Shannon to/from Boston and New York.
- Off-Peak Economy: 13,000 Avios.
- Off-Peak Business: 50,000 Avios
- Peak Economy: 20,000 Avios.
- Peak Business: 60,000 Avios.
Dublin to/from Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, San Francisco, and Seattle.
- Off-Peak Economy: 16,250 Avios.
- Off-Peak Business: 62,500 Avios
- Peak Economy: 25,000 Avios.
- Peak Business: 75,000 Avios.
You can book an award fairly easily on Avios.com. You can also find award space on United.com, which allows you to see availability for an entire month when you check the “non-stop” option after the award search results show.
We tested a round-trip off-peak business class flight between Hartford and Dublin and found reward flights for 100,000 Avios and $266.51 in taxes and fees.
100,000 Avios is pretty decent price to Ireland, but we cover an even cheaper way to use Avios below.
You can also upgrade from economy to business class for the following rates:
Boston, Chicago, Hartford, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, and Montreal to/from Ireland for 37,000 Avios off-peak and 44,750 Avios during peak dates.
You can also upgrade from Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, San Francisco, and Seattle to/from Ireland for 46,250 Avios off peak or 55,000 Avios during peak dates.
To upgrade you will need to email [email protected] at least 72 hours in advance for them to check availability on your dates of travel.
Transferring Avios to Iberia
You can transfer Aer Lingus Avios to Iberia Avios or British Airways Avios, if both accounts have been active for at least 90 days and have previous points activity.
There are several great sweet spots with Iberia Avios including:
- 34,000 Avios one-way in business class from Boston, Chicago, New York, or San Juan to Madrid.
- 11,000 Avios round-trip on short flights on American Airlines.
- 42,500 Avios one-way for business class from Los Angeles and several other cities to Madrid.
- 64,000 Avios round-trip for lie-flat business class between New York and Los Angeles or San Francisco.
Other Ways to Redeem Avios
You can also redeem Avios for hotels, rental cars, and experiences on Avios.com.
However, I do not recommend it because the Avios value is very low. For hotels, it is around 0.7 cents per Avio, whereas business class flights get you around 2.5 cents per Avio.
The Verdict
Aer Lingus’ AerClub is an average points program that has room for improvement. If you are trying to fly to Ireland, Aer Lingus’ Avios are likely your best bet. But if you are flying anywhere else in Europe, I recommend you transfer your Avios to Iberia.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Aer Lingus Avios expire?
Aer Lingus Avios expire after not earning or spending one Avio within 36 months.
Can you transfer British Airways Avios to Aer Lingus?
Yes. You can use the Combine My Avios tool to transfer British Airways Avios to Aer Lingus Avios if both accounts have been active for 90 days and have earned at least one Avio.
