Key facts
For those that fly Aer Lingus exclusively, this card may be interesting for the companion ticket earned after $30,000 in calendar year spend or the Priority Boarding perk when flying between the US and Ireland.
However, even if embedded in the Avios ecosystem, if you aren’t flying Aer Lingus much, the British Airways Visa Signature® card is probably a better bet, especially with it giving you 10% off all BA flights on top of a way to spend your way to a companion fare (Travel Together Ticket) which is even more flexible than the Aer Lingus card version.
Even better may be the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card or Chase Ink® Business Preferred cards, both of which earn 3X on all travel and can be transferred to Avios – or more than a dozen other transfer partners like World of Hyatt.
Annual Fee:
$95Min. Credit Score for Approval:
670-739 * GoodOngoing APR:
21.49%-28.49% VariableBalance transfer fees
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.Foreign Transaction Fee:
0%This card also often has a large sign up bonus.
Reward multipliers
- Earn 3x Avios per dollar spent on British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL, and Aer Lingus flights.
- Earn 2x Avios per dollar spent on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel.
- Earn 1X per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Earns bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Key features
Unique Card Benefits
Priority Boarding on Aer Lingus Flights Between the US and Ireland
You’ll be eligible for Priority Boarding (as will any authorized users) on Aer Lingus flights departing from and returning to the US from Ireland, subject to availability.
Commercial Companion Ticket Available
When you make purchases of $30,000 or more in a calendar year on your Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card, you’ll receive an economy companion ticket good for 12 months. Subject to Aer Lingus flight availability. No taxes or fees are added to the companion ticket. The Companion Ticket will be issued as a voucher that can be used by a Cardmember for an economy companion ticket in conjunction with a paid economy flight.
DoorDash
Get one-year of complimentary DoorDash DashPass if you activate by 12/31/24. This gives you $0 delivery fees on most orders over $12.
Spend Instantly
You’ll be able to immediately add this card to a digital wallet and begin spending once approved
Trip Protections
This card does not come with any trip delay or cancelation insurance but it does have a few trip protections when you pay for your trip with this card.
Baggage Delay Insurance
When your baggage is delayed by 6 hours or more, this reimburses you for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing.
Limit of up to $100 a day for a maximum of 3 days.
Lost Luggage Insurance
With lost luggage reimbursement, you’re covered for up to $3,000 per passenger if you or an immediate family member check or carry on luggage that is damaged or lost by the airline.
Purchase Protection
If your new purchase is damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase, you are covered up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. Used products are not covered.
Extended Warranty
This benefit extends a U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
You’ll never pay a foreign transaction fee when you use your Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Credit Card when you are traveling abroad (or simply paying for a good or service in a foreign currency).
No Fees for Authorized Users
Add someone to your account as an authorized user with no additional fees.
Free Access to Credit Score
With Chase’s complimentary Credit Journey.
Earn more rewards by combining credit cards
Pros & cons
- Priority Boarding on flights between the US and Ireland
- Earn a Companion Ticket when you spend $30,000 on the card in a calendar year
- Earn 3x Avios on British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL, and Aer Lingus flights
- No included benefits for trip delays or cancellations
- It may be better to earn a transferable bank point than Avios, especially since most transfer to Avios
- Limited bonus categories; then 1X Avios on other purchases
Our review
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).
Frequently asked questions
Does the Aer Lingus Visa card have an annual fee?
Yes, the Aer Lingus credit card has a $95 annual fee.
Does the Aer Lingus Visa card get you into airport lounges?
No, there is no lounge access included with this card.
Is it hard to get the Aer Lingus Visa Signature card?
Not too hard. You’ll want a good credit score of about a 670-700 or higher FICO to qualify.
Is it worth getting the Aer Lingus Visa Signature card?
That depends! It’s a pretty niche card, specifically geared towards frequent transatlantic Aer Lingus flyers. Most others would be better served by a credit card that earns transferable points.
How do I earn points with the Aer Lingus Visa card?
You’ll earn 3x Avios on British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL, and Aer Lingus flights and 2x Avios on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel. It earns 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
Is there a better credit card than the Aer Lingus credit card?
That depends on what features and benefits you want in a credit card. We tend to prefer credit cards with transferable points to ones that earn points or miles tied to one airline.
Does the Aer Lingus Visa Signature card charge foreign transaction fees?
There are no foreign transaction fees when you travel abroad.
Does the Aer Lingus Signature card have car rental coverage?
Car rental CDW coverage is not a listed benefit of the card.
Does the Aer Lingus Visa Signature card come with any Elite Status?
You won’t earn status in the AerClub with this card.
Does the Aer Lingus Visa offer extended warranty?
Yes, it extends a U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less.
Does the Aer Lingus Visa offer purchase protection?
Yes, if your new purchase is damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase, you are covered up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. Used products are not covered.
Does the Aer Lingus Visa offer trip protections?
Partially. It offers only Baggage Delay Insurance and Lost Luggage Insurance. It does not have any trip delay or cancelation benefits.
What credit score do I need to get the Aer Lingus Visa?
About a 670-700 FICO or better.
Are there any 0% APR offers for purchases or balance transfers on the Aer Lingus Visa card?
Not at this time.
What can I do with the points earned for spending on the Aer Lingus Visa?
You can spend them through AerClub for award flights within the oneworld airline alliance, including Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Qatar, Finnair, American Airlines, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and many more. You can also transfer them to other airlines that use Avios as their award currency, including British Airways, Iberia, and Qatar Airways. These are NOT transferable points, however, like Chase Ultimate Rewards points, for example.
Does the Aer Lingus Visa card have Cell Phone Protection?
No, this card does not offer cell phone insurance.
