Offering a generous welcome bonus and straightforward rewards, the Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card could be a useful option if you fly from the U.S. to Europe fairly often. This card comes with a series of other perks, and you can use your rewards to offset the cost of flights on Aer Lingus or its partners in the Avios points program.
If you’re considering adding the to your wallet, here’s what to know about its features, perks, and drawbacks.
Annual fee: $95
Welcome offer: Earn 85,000 Avios points after spending $5,000 in the first 90 days
Rewards:
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3x Avios points on flights purchased directly with Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, and LEVEL
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2x Avios points on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel
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1x Avios points on all other purchases
Other benefits: Priority boarding on Aer Lingus flights between the U.S. and Ireland, earn a Companion Ticket each year after spending $30,000 annually
APR
The has a variable APR of 21.49% to 28.49%. Chase will consider your credit and other factors when determining your APR.
Annual fee
You’ll pay a $95 with this card, but it’s easy to offset by earning the welcome bonus.
Welcome offer
The has a generous : Earn 85,000 Avios after spending $5,000 in your first 90 days as a cardholder. Those points could be worth $850 or more, depending on your redemption method.
Intro offer
While some credit cards offer a 0% promotional APR for a set time frame, this card isn’t one of them. The regular APR applies immediately.
Rewards rate
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3x Avios points on flights purchased directly with Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, and LEVEL
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2x Avios points on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel
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1x Avios points on all other purchases
How to earn rewards
Unsurprisingly, you can maximize your earnings by using your card to book flights directly with Aer Lingus or its listed partners. These bookings will net you 3x Avios points. You’ll also earn 2x points when you use your card to book reservations directly with hotels. All other purchases will net you 1x Avios points.
The Avios points you earn each month are automatically transferred to your Aer Lingus AerClub account at the end of each billing cycle.
How to redeem rewards
One of the most popular ways to use your Avios points is for flights or upgrades on Aer Lingus, Iberia, British Airways, and LEVEL. You can also use them for or bookings, or to offset the cost of certain experiences while you travel.
Booking a rewards flight can be quite lucrative. For example, an economy seat from Dublin to Los Angeles in the off-peak season starts at 16,250 Avios points each way — at that rate, the welcome bonus could get you two round-trip tickets. Flights between Shannon and New York City start at 13,000 points, meaning the welcome bonus could get you three round-trip tickets across the pond.
For cardholders willing to do a bit more work, you could potentially use your points to book with more than a dozen other airlines. You’ll first need to transfer your Aer Lingus points to British Airways, which is a Oneworld airline alliance partner. Once your points are with British Airways, they can then be used to book travel on one of Oneworld’s partners, including American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Qantas.
Additional benefits
Companion ticket
This card is fairly light on benefits compared to some of its competitors, but it does offer the opportunity to earn a companion economy ticket annually. For each calendar year you spend over $30,000 with your card, you’ll get a free companion ticket that’s good for a year.
Priority boarding
Get priority boarding on Aer Lingus flights between Ireland and the U.S. when you use your card to purchase your reservations.
Who is the Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card best for?
The is ideal for travelers who fly from the U.S. to Europe fairly often. Since its highest rewards come from flight bookings on Aer Lingus or its partners, it likely doesn’t make sense unless you’re a relatively frequent flyer.
For those who don’t frequently fly or aren’t loyal to Aer Lingus, a more general travel card could be a better choice.
Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card pros
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Generous welcome bonus and solid rewards
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Opportunity to earn a companion ticket
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No foreign transaction fees
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Priority boarding
Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card cons
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Relatively light on airline perks
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High spending requirement to earn the welcome bonus
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Has annual fee
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Highest rewards categories are limited
Where can you use the Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card?
The Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card is part of the Visa network, which means you can use it almost anywhere in the world. Visa is accepted in over 200 territories and countries worldwide.
How to make an Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card payment
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By mail:
Cardmember Services
P.O. Box 6294
Carol Stream, IL 60197-6294 -
By phone: 1-800-436-7958
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In-person at a local Chase branch or ATM
Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card customer service info
The Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card is issued by Chase. You can reach a Chase customer service representative by phone at 1-800-432-3117 or by messaging them through , , or .
Alternative cards to consider
If you don’t travel from the U.S. to Europe often and the doesn’t seem like the best choice, here are other to consider.
Why we like it: The is popular among travel cards, and with good reason. This card comes with valuable rewards, the opportunity to earn a $50 annual statement credit, partnership benefits, and more. Like the Aer Lingus Visa Signature, the Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee.
Cardholders can earn 5x points on travel purchases made through Chase (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 annual credit that comes with this card); 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2x points on travel purchases; and 1x points on everything else. This card also offers a generous welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first three months.
Why we like it: The offers more straightforward rewards than the Aer Lingus Visa Signature. With the Venture Rewards Card, you can earn 5x miles on rental car and hotel bookings made through Capital One Travel and 2x miles on all other purchases. This card is a great choice if you don’t want to memorize complicated rewards categories.
As a Venture Rewards cardholder, you can earn a 75,000-mile early spend bonus after making $4,000 in purchases during the first three months. This card has a $95 annual fee.
Why we like it: If you’re a frequent flier within the U.S., the could be a better choice than the Aer Lingus Visa Signature. United flies to over 210 destinations in the United States, so you can rack up miles when you fly domestically.
The Explorer Card has a generous welcome offer and rewards. You’ll also get airline-specific perks like free checked bags, priority boarding, and 25% back on inflight food and beverage purchases. This card has a $0 introductory annual fee in the first year, after which it’s $95 annually.
This article was edited by Alicia Hahn
Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn’t include all currently available offers.