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The Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card offers a strong bonus and decent earning potential on Aer Lingus, Iberia and British Airways flights. It does, however, fall a bit short in terms of airline-specific perks. Loyal Avios members can benefit from the card, but most casual travelers will be better off with a card that earns a transferable currency. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐

*Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

The Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card is best suited for travelers who frequently fly back and forth between the U.S. and Europe.

The card only charges a $95 annual fee, and you get a couple of solid airline perks. However, the earning structure isn’t anything to write home about.

What sets this card apart is the ability to earn a good stash of Avios with the welcome bonus. We’ll dive into the details about the bonus and how you can earn it below, but that remains one of the biggest selling points for the card overall.

The recommended credit score for this card is at least 670 or higher.

Let’s examine the card details to see if it’s a good fit for you.

The Aer Lingus Visa is currently offering 85,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Those 85,000 Avios are worth $1,190, according to TPG’s September 2024 valuations.

This bonus is the biggest selling point of the card overall. Since you can use Avios across Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Qatar Airways interchangeably, earning a bonus in Avios offers a little more flexibility in earning and burning rewards compared to other airline loyalty programs.

Remember that since this is a Chase card, it does adhere to the Chase 5/24 rule. If you’ve opened five or more accounts across issuers in the past 24 months, you’re almost certain to be denied for this card.

As expected for a mid-tier cobranded airline card, the Aer Lingus Visa offers minimal perks. With it, you’ll get:

• Economy Companion Ticket: Get an Economy Companion Ticket every calendar year that you spend at least $30,000 on your card. This allows you to add a companion to a paid economy flight at no additional cost to you, so long as you book by emailing Aer Lingus directly.
• Priority boarding: Primary cardholders and authorized users are eligible for priority boarding on any Aer Lingus flight to or from the U.S.
• No foreign transaction fees: You won’t be charged additional fees when using your card abroad.
• Visa Signature benefits: As a Visa Signature card, you’ll get additional benefits like baggage protection, purchase protection, rental car insurance and access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection.

While these perks are fine, we’re disappointed not to see an inflight discount or additional free checked bags. When comparing the Aer Lingus Visa to the British Airways Visa Signature® Card, the card really falls short in terms of benefits.

One of the greatest perks of the British Airways Visa card is the ability to save 10% off British Airways flights and the Travel Together Ticket perk. This companion pass is earned after spending at least $30,000 in a calendar year and you can add a companion to your Avios booking without any additional points, up to first class, or use on yourself to reduce the cost of a redemption by 50%.

Related: Credit cards that can get you free checked bags

With the Aer Lingus Visa, you’ll earn:

• 3 Avios per dollar spent on purchases with Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Level
• 2 Avios per dollar spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel
• 1 Avios per dollar spent on all other purchases

For flights, that’s not a bad return for a cobranded airline card. However, you’ll get a better return on spending if you use a premium travel card like The Platinum Card® from American Express or Chase Sapphire Reserve® instead.

The Avios you earn with the Aer Lingus Visa are a valuable travel currency that you can redeem for Aer Lingus or partner flights or transfer to other Avios-earning airlines to redeem there.

But for those looking to capitalize on the Aer Lingus route network, there are some strategic reasons for booking on Aer Lingus. One of the competitive advantages is that it charges lower taxes and fees — which can save you hundreds of dollars on award flights.

Additionally, Aer Lingus has a solid North American route network and allows U.S. travelers flying out of Dublin or Shannon to clear U.S. immigration in Ireland rather than waiting until they land in the U.S.

Whether you’re booking Avios award flights on Aer Lingus, British Airways or another partner airline, Avios gives you a lot of redemption options, including Aer Lingus A321 business class from Dublin Airport (DUB) to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) for just 50,000 Avios and $152 in taxes during the off-peak season.

Related: How to book Aer Lingus award tickets with Avios

You can freely transfer Avios across Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Qatar Airways. And since the latter four are part of the Oneworld alliance, that opens up many doors for redemption options across airlines, including flying Qatar Airways‘ famed Qsuite.

You could also take a page from TPG senior writer Ben Smithson‘s book. He regularly uses Avios to book one-way, short-haul flights from London to Europe for just 4,750 British Airways Avios each way, plus a reasonable $22 in fees, taxes and surcharges.

• If you prefer a more flexible currency and are under the 5/24 rule: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a solid card option that earns Ultimate Rewards points, which you can transfer to Aer Lingus or any of its other hotel and airline partners. With it, you’ll earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining, 2 points per dollar spent on travel and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. For more information, read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
• If you prefer a flexible currency and are over the 5/24 rule: The American Express® Gold Card earns Membership Rewards points. With it, you’ll receive 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants (up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly from the airline or amextravel.com, 2 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked through amextravel.com and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else. For more information, read our full review of the Amex Gold.
• If you prefer another Avios-earning airline: The Iberia Visa Signature® Card is an airline card that earns Avios. It earns 3 points per dollar spent on Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Level. This card has useful benefits such as 10% discount when you book flights through a special link and a $1,000 discount voucher each year after you spend $30,000. For more information, read our full review of the Iberia Visa.

For additional options, check out our best airline cards.

Related: Everything to know about Chase transfer partners

If you want to earn Avios, the Aer Lingus Visa may be worth adding to your wallet. With a low annual fee, valuable welcome bonus and minimal benefits like priority boarding and the ability to earn a companion ticket, this card is decent for Aer Lingus fans. Still, you may be better off applying for the British Airways Visa in order to save 10% on British Airways flights and earn a much more useful companion certificate.

Related: The best Avios-earning credit cards: Which is the one for you?

If Aer Lingus is the primary airline you fly between the U.S. and Europe, taking advantage of this offer and the card’s benefits makes sense. However, if this isn’t your primary airline, you’ll want to choose a different option to earn Avios.

Apply here: Aer Lingus Visa

Related: The best ways to use Avios