Compare the Features and Benefits of Aer Lingus Visa Signature Credit Card and
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card

This card often has a very generous signup bonus and Chase’s Aer Lingus credit card earns 3x Avios on British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL, and Aer Lingus as well as 2x Avios on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel.

Avios can be shared between any Avios program, which also includes Qatar Airways (home of the QSuite) and you can redeem British Airways Avios for award tickets on oneworld airlines like American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and more.

While with the British Airways version of Avios, we tend to talk about short haul flights on oneworld carriers like American Airlines as the best value, the Aer Lingus version of Avios has a different sweet spot:

When flying off-peak, you can fly from the East Coast of the US (think cities like NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Toronto, Minneapolis and Chicago) to/from Ireland on Aer Lingus metal for just 13,000 Avios in Economy or 50,000 Avios in Business Class.

You’ll pay 16,500 instead of 13,000 Avios for an economy ticket from elsewhere in the United States and 62,500 for Business Class.

The other main benefit of this card is the Companion Ticket, which requires spend of $30,000 or more in a calendar year on your Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card to activate.

You’ll receive an economy companion ticket good for 12 months on Aer Lingus operated flights, based on flight availability. While it’s not as good a deal as if there was no spend requirement to earn (obviously!) at least no taxes or fees are added to the companion ticket.

The Companion Ticket is issued as a voucher that can be used for an economy companion ticket in conjunction with a paid economy flight.

Still, if your goal is geared more towards more earning points, the Chase Sapphire Reserve also earns 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card points on these airlines and on all airlines, hotels, cruises and other travel and can even be transferred to Avios if you’d like – not to mention a range of other travel partners, like World of Hyatt which offers fantastic value.

Note: Per Chase’s 5/24 Rule, you will only be approved for a Chase card like the British Airways Visa card if you have applied for fewer than 5 personal credit cards within the last 24 months from any issuer. (Business cards do not count against the total, except for Capital One Spark Cash Select and Spark Miles plus Discover, but are subject to the policy).

If you’re a business owner with a Marriott Bonvoy member account, there’s only one Marriott credit card that can deliver all the benefits you’re looking for. For Marriott perks galore, the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card is a stellar option. Better yet, its annual fee that pays itself for many small business owners who can take full advantage of the benefits offered by the card – especially that annual free night.

Let’s talk about how cardholders can earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points with the card. You’ll earn 6x points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, and fortunately, there are more than 8,500 (and growing!) properties worldwide. The Bonvoy Business is one of our favorite business credit cards for small business owners that lean into Marriott for hotel stays.

You’ll also earn 4x bonus points per dollar of eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping, and 2x points on all non-bonus purchases. To tie it all together, there are no caps to the number of points you can earn from the card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are still incredibly versatile, as no other hotel chain can boast the sheer number of properties that participate in this loyalty program. Besides redeeming your Marriott Bonvoy points at hotels, you also have the flexibility to transfer them to participating airline loyalty programs and directly for eligible airfare and car rentals through Marriott’s unique Air+Car Transfer program.

Even if you decide to pay for your stay on your own accord, this business credit card unlocks a 7% room discount at participating properties. This can amount to significant savings depending on how often you’re staying at Marriott hotels.

What really makes this Marriott credit card stand out from the rest is the free nights you can earn with the card (though certain hotels have resort fees). With your card membership, you’ll pay the annual fee on every account anniversary, and in the following month you’ll receive a Marriott free night award. This has a redemption value of 35,000 points, or roughly $210 in value at hotels participating in this loyalty program. Plus, you can add on up to 15,000 of your own points if you’d like to use the certificate at a hotel costing between 25,000 and 50,000 points for the night.

You’ll get the chance to earn an additional free night award if you’re a high-roller and can meet the $60,000+ spend threshold per calendar year, and this is certainly doable for businesses with many expenses.

On site at Marriott hotels and resorts, you’ll be rewarded even further with automatic Gold elite status. You’ll earn 25% more Marriott points as a Gold member (on top of the card’s 6X earning rate!), as well as access to 2 p.m. late checkout (based on availability) and room upgrades. Finally, you’ll get premium room internet access, making sure you stay connected no matter where you’re traveling.

In sum, this long-list of perks makes it one of our favorite hotel business credit cards, as earning Marriott Bonvoy points can be easier than ever from your routine business expenses.

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Eligibility Rules

Note: There are some confusing eligibility rules around this card. If you have the Bonvoy American Express card, Ritz Carlton Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card, or the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you are free to apply for this card.

If you have a Chase Marriott Boundless, Chase Bonvoy Bold, or Chase Bonvoy Bountiful, you will only be  eligible to apply for this card if it’s been more than 24 months since you received the bonus on that card.

Rates and Fees for the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card