Aer Lingus Visa Signature credit card review: Full details

Aer Lingus Visa Signature overview

The Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card offers a compelling welcome offer and solid rewards for frequent transatlantic travelers, particularly those loyal to Aer Lingus, Iberia and British Airways flights. While the card lacks some of the premium airline-specific perks you might expect, it can be a valuable tool for Avios collectors who frequently fly between the U.S. and Europe. However, 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.

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With a manageable $95 annual fee, the card includes a few worthwhile travel benefits, but its ongoing rewards structure is relatively modest compared to competitors.

One standout feature is the generous welcome bonus, which can help you quickly build a healthy balance of Avois. 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.

We recommend applicants have a credit score of at least 670 or higher to increase their chances of approval.

Let’s take a closer look at what this card has to offer.

The information for the Aer Lingus Visa Signature has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: British Airways Executive Club: Guide to Avios, elite status and transfer partners

Aer Lingus Visa pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Earns valuable Avios Avios can be transferred between all IAG Group airlines Low annual fee	Limited benefits and most only apply to transatlantic flights No free checked bag

 Aer Lingus Visa welcome offer

When evaluating a card, you should consider its welcome offer. The Aer Lingus Visa currently offers 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 April 2025 valuations.

This bonus is the card’s biggest selling point 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’ll likely be denied for this card.

Related: Airlines you can book using Avios: How to maximize your points

Aer Lingus Visa benefits

As expected for a mid-tier cobranded airline card, the Aer Lingus Visa offers some perks though they feel minimal compared to other cards of similar caliber. 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 and from the U.S. and Ireland or the U.K.
• 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, the card falls short in comparison to other airline cards — especially when it comes to inflight discounts or complimentary checked bags, which are noticeably absent.

When comparing the Aer Lingus Visa to the British Airways Visa Signature® Card (see rates and fees), 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 have access to the valuable Travel Together Ticket.

This perk is earned after spending at least $30,000 in a calendar year and allows you to bring a companion on an Avois award booking — without requiring additional Avios — even in first class. Alternatively, solo travelers can use the ticket to cut the Avios cost of a reward redemption in half.

When stacked up against these offerings, the Aer Lingus Visa doesn’t bring the same level of long-term value for loyal flyers.

Related: British Airways Visa Signature credit card review

Earning Avios on the Aer Lingus Visa

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 the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) instead.

Related: The best travel credit cards to add to your wallet

Redeeming Avios on the Aer Lingus Visa

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, like flights between the US and Ireland for 13,000 Avios each way.

Related: How to redeem Avios for domestic and international award flights

Transferring Avios on the Aer Lingus Visa

You can freely transfer Avios across Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Qatar Airways. Since the latter four are part of the Oneworld alliance, this 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. 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.

Which cards compete with the Aer Lingus Visa?

You can earn Avios on Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia cobranded credit cards. Plus, Aer Lingus is one of the Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners, so you may be better off getting a card that earns that currency and transferring your points over as needed.

• If you prefer a more flexible currency and are under the 5/24 rule: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) 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 worldwide (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.

The information for the Iberia Visa Signature Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: Everything to know about Chase transfer partners

Is the Aer Lingus Visa worth it?

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?

Bottom line

If Aer Lingus is your go-to airline for travel between the U.S. and Europe, this card can be a smart way to earn Avios — especially with the generous welcome offer — and tap into a few valuable perks. However, if this isn’t your primary airline, you’ll want to earn Avios with a different card.

Related: The best ways to use Avios with British Airways