Can I use Avios on Aer Lingus?

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Can you spend your Avios points on flights on Aer Lingus?

In this article I want to look at how you can use your Avios to fly with partner airlines like Aer Lingus.

The good news is that you are not restricted to spending Avios points on British Airways. BA is part of a global airline alliance called oneworld, and this allows you to redeem Avios for flights with all of the member airlines.

This means that you can book Avios flights on:

American Airlines
Cathay Pacific
Finnair
Iberia
Japan Airlines
LATAM (Latin America)
Malaysia Airlines
Qantas
Qatar Airways
Royal Jordanian
S7 Airlines (Russia)
SriLankan Airlines

British Airways also has additional partnerships with Aer Lingus and Alaska Airlines. Fiji Airways and Royal Air Maroc will be added during 2019/20.

How do you book Aer Lingus flights with Avios?

It used to be the case that Aer Lingus seats could only be booked with Avios via a telephone call to British Airways Executive Club, with no way of checking availability online.

This changed in December 2016 when Aer Lingus reward availability was loaded into avios.com.

There are now TWO ways of booking a redemption on Aer Lingus:

Option 1 is to use avios.com. You can book online and you get the widest choice of dates. You will pay around £200 in taxes and charges for a long-haul business class flight from Dublin to North America.

Option 2 is to use ba.com. You cannot book online, only by telephone. Anecdotally, there is less availability than you see via avios.com, and you cannot check availability online before you ring. However, you will only pay around £75 in taxes and charges for a long-haul flight from Dublin to North America.

You can still access avios.com if your Avios Travel Rewards Programme account has been closed by opening an Aer Lingus AerClub account here.

For clarity …. if you book UK – Dublin – North America on the same ticket then you will also need to pay long-haul premium cabin UK Air Passenger Duty. Booking two separate tickets dramatically reduces the taxes although you must build in enough flexibility to ensure you don’t miss your connection.

What are the cancellation rules on Aer Lingus flights booked with Avios?

The cancellation and change fee rules are the same as if you had booked a BA flight. You can cancel your flight up to 24 hours before departure, either online or by calling BA.

100% of your Avios will be refunded.

Your taxes and charges payment will also be refunded, less a £35 cancellation fee per person. If the taxes and charges were less than £35 per person, you do not need to pay any extra.

How many Avios will I need to book on Aer Lingus?

It is the same chart that is used for booking Avios flights on BA. Here is the table:

The zones relate to the distance flown:

Zone 1: 1 – 650 miles
Zone 2: 651 – 1,150 miles
Zone 3: 1,151 – 2,000 miles
Zone 4: 2,001 – 3,000 miles
Zone 5: 3,001 – 4,000 miles
Zone 6: 4,001 – 5,500 miles
Zone 7: 5,501 – 6,500 miles
Zone 8: 6,501 – 7,000 miles
Zone 9: 7,000+ miles

You can find the 2019 calendar of peak and off-peak dates for Aer Lingus in this Head for Points article.

As you can see, it is very easy to book Aer Lingus flights with Avios points and it opens up a large number of new travel destinations for you.

(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.