Compare the Features and Benefits of Aer Lingus Visa Signature Credit Card and
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit 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).

The Southwest Premier credit card is Southwest’s mid-tier personal card. It balances offering some perks while still charging less than a $150 annual fee.

Cardholders get access to group 5 priority boarding and access to select both Standard and Preferred seats for themselves and up to 8 travel companions on the same reservation 48 hours before the flight, when available.

Points earned count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass. Plus, primary cardholders earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List Preferred Status for every $5,000 spent on the card each year.

The Southwest Premier Card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. Add in the higher earning rate on Southwest purchases, higher anniversary bonus, and ability to earn Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List Preferred Status (which the Plus doesn’t offer), and the Premier Card easily justifies its slightly higher annual fee, although, in our opinion, the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card has the best value of the three cards.

Lastly, this card is great for getting a good piece of the way to a Southwest Companion Pass with the bonus offer, since the signup bonus points count. Read our guide on earning a Southwest Companion Pass for up to two years via new account bonuses.