Chase Aer Lingus Credit Card Review

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Full review

Chase Aer Lingus Credit Card

Recommended for earning the welcome bonus

  • Welcome bonus: 90,000 miles (spend $5,000 in 3 months)
  • Rewards: 3x on flights with Iberia, British Airways, and Aer Lingus (5x in the first year); 2x on hotels booked directly (3x in the first year); 1x on all other purchases
  • Redemption: Redeem for Aer Lingus award flights, or award flights with BA and other Oneworld partners; points can be transferred to BA at a 1:1 ratio
  • Annual fee: $95
  • Apply now>>

Highlights

  • Companion Ticket After High Spending: Spend $30,000 in a calendar year to earn one companion ticket, effectively a buy-one-get-one in economy class. When booking, the cardholder and companion must be on tickets with the exact same itinerary, and the ticket must be purchased with cash. Both departure and return must be within the United States, and only Aer Lingus-operated flights qualify; codeshare flights do not. According to the terms, the companion ticket does not require paying taxes and fees, which is very good news since taxes and fees in Europe can be quite high and often reduce the value of companion tickets.
  • Airline Benefit: Enjoy priority boarding on Aer Lingus flights between the U.S. and Europe

About Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland. It is headquartered in Dublin and has 30 aircraft operating flights within Europe and to the United States. In 2015, Aer Lingus was acquired by International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways. The airline has service locations around the world across Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. Aer Lingus used to be a member of oneworld, but later changed its business strategy and left the alliance in 2007.

Aer Lingus miles can be used on Avios.com to directly book award flights on Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Iberia, and balances can also be transferred 1:1 among these three programs. If you want to book awards on oneworld partners, you can transfer them to British Airways Avios.

My Take

For long-term holding, this card is really only suitable for people who fly Aer Lingus frequently. After all, priority boarding and 3x points are both decent perks. The companion ticket after spending $30,000 comes with many restrictions, but according to the terms, no taxes and fees are required, making it a truly free companion ticket. Of course, if you have no use for the companion ticket, this is basically a card to keep for one year and then close, purely for the welcome bonus. If you can spend $20,000 and earn the 100,000-mile bonus, that is still quite attractive.

Application

  • Because this is a co-branded credit card with Aer Lingus, if you already have a frequent flyer number, you can enter it when applying; otherwise, one will be assigned automatically.

Chase Credit Card Application Guide

  • Chase application status check link (login required). Or call: 888-338-2586
  • The 5/24 rule: if you have opened more than 5 new cards in the past 2 years (including cards from other banks), you will not be approved for a new Chase card
  • You can be approved for at most two Chase credit cards within every 30 days
  • If you have received the welcome bonus on this card within the past 24 months (48 months for the Sapphire family), your application will be automatically denied
  • You can call the reconsideration line (800-453-9719) to expedite card approval or request a review of a denied application.
  • Having a Chase Checking account can help with getting approved for a credit card
  • More on applying for Chase credit cards

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