Can I earn Avios and BA tier points if I fly with Aer Lingus?

Links on Head for Points may pay us an affiliate commission. A list of partners is here.

In this article we’ll look at whether you can earn Avios and British Airways tier points by flying with Aer Lingus and whether it’s worth it compared to flying British Airways.

It is possible to earn Avios on Aer Lingus and in fact, AerClub, Aer Lingus’ frequent flyer program also uses the Avios reward currency. This means that there are two ways of earning Avios with Aer Lingus.

Option 1 for earning Avios on Aer Lingus:

When you book or manage your flights with Aer Lingus, you can add your British Airways Executive Club number. Upon completion of your flights you will automatically be credited the correct Avios.

Because British Airways and Aer Lingus both belong to the same group of companies, International Airlines Group (IAG), their earning rates are almost identical.

Here is the full chart of earning rates, sourced from the British Airways website. We are comparing the earnings when you take a flight on Aer Lingus compared to taking a flight on British Airways.

Economy lowest – 25% on both airlines

Economy flexible – 100% on both airlines

Premium Economy – Aer Lingus does not have a premium economy cabin. 100%-150% on British Airways

Business lowest – 150% both airlines

Business flexible – 250% on both airlines

First – Aer Lingus does not have first class – 250%-300% on British Airways

As you can see, all the classes have the same earning rates. However, because Aer Lingus does not fly premium economy or first class cabins, British Airways has several rates for intermediate and additional rates for these.

Despite their almost identical earning rates, Aer Lingus does not match the additional Avios tier bonus that British Airways runs for Executive Club Bronze, Silver and Gold card holders so you’ll be losing out on another 25%-100% in additional Avios, though you do get a minimum Avios award of 300 per flight.

Option 2 for earning Avios on Aer Lingus:

Aer Lingus has its own Avios-based loyalty scheme called Aer Club. Nothing stops you from opening an Aer Club account, crediting it with the Avios from your Aer Lingus flight and then using ‘Combine My Avios’ to move them to British Airways Executive Club.

Just to make life confusing, the earning model for Aer Club is totally different. It is not based on your class of travel, it is purely based on how much you spend.

The Aer Lingus website explains this is more detail. You earn 3 Avios per €1 spent. You may need to do the maths to see which of the two options here (AerClub or British Airways Executive Club) is more lucrative.

Tier points

You will NOT earn British Airways Executive Club tier points when you fly with Aer Lingus as it is not a member of the oneworld alliance.

(This article is part of our ‘BA Q&A’ series which explains how British Airways Executive Club works. You can see all of our ‘BA Q&A’ articles here. )

(Head for Points is the UK’s biggest frequent flyer website with 1.8 million monthly page views. Want to learn more about earning and spending Avios? Click here to read our latest news stories, click here to join our email list and click here to read our ‘Avios Redemption University’ series.)

How to get 20,000 Avios from Amex Gold or 30,000 Avios from Amex Platinum (December 2021 offer)

The sign-up bonus on American Express Preferred Rewards Gold converts to 20,000 Avios and the card is free for the first year. You can apply here.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

You don’t qualify for the Amex Gold bonus if you have a British Airways American Express card. You DO qualify for the bonus on The Platinum Card, which converts into 30,000 Avios. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have your own small business, the best way of earning Avios is via the Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa. It has a sign-up bonus which converts to 10,000 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

You should also look at the British Airways Accelerating Business card, because it currently has a limited time offer of 60,000 Avios when you sign up by 14th November. You can apply here.