Aer Lingus Guide: Is Aer Lingus a Good Airline to Fly?

Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland, headquartered in Dublin, and has been connecting Ireland to the rest of the world since 1936.   They are a member of International Airlines Group (IAG), one of the world’s largest airline groups, which also owns British Airways, Iberia, and Vueling.

Is Aer Lingus a Good Airline?

Aer Lingus is a reputable airline that focuses on the “value segment” of the airline industry within Europe and offers a premium service product when flying to North America.   They have a strong safety record, with no crash fatalities in over 50 years, and have been certified as a 4-Star airline, by Skytrax, the international air transport rating organization.

Just be aware that as an airline that has a mixed-service model, you will most likely have more fees than you would on a typical full-service carrier.  These include charges for seat selection, change fees, carry-on, and checked baggage fees (depending on your fare type).  If you want to be certain, check out their airline fees page.

Routes

Aer Lingus flies direct to over 100 routes in Europe, North America, and the Caribbean.

They fly to just about every major airport in Europe and the following transatlantic destinations in North America and the Caribbean:

Transatlantic Destinations from Ireland:

• New York, JFK
• Newark, New Jersey
• Boston
• Cleveland, OH
• Washington, DC
• Hartford, Connecticut
• Philadelphia
• Orlando, Florida
• Miami, Florida
• Chicago
• Los Angeles
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Toronto

Transatlantic Destinations to Manchester from:

• New York, JFK
• Orlando
• Barbados

Aer Lingus Flight Deals

Aer Lingus offers low-cost flights within Europe from €50 and flights to/from North America from as low as $375.  Always check their flight deals page before booking!

Aer Lingus Alliance

Aer Lingus is not currently a member of any Airline Alliance.  They are a former member of the Oneworld airline alliance but left in March of 2007.  

It was thought that they would rejoin Oneworld since its IAG sister airlines, British Airways, and Iberia are current Oneworld member airlines, but there are no current plans to rejoin.

Partner Airlines

Even though they are not part of an Alliance, Aer Lingus does partner with a network of other airlines, giving you access to their routes and benefits.  

These partner airlines include:

• Air Canada
• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Iberia
• jetBlue
• United Airlines

Aer Lingus Cabin & Fare Classes

Aer Lingus offers economy class service in Europe and both Economy and Business Class service for transatlantic flights.

The fare classes range from a no-frills saver fare up to a flexible business class fare

Within Europe, there are fewer fare types since they don’t typically offer a business-class product

Aer Lingus Loyalty Program

The name of the Aer Lingus loyalty program is AerClub and the frequent flyer program is Avios. AerClub has four tier levels that you advance through as you fly more with Aer Lingus throughout the year.

The AerClub tiers are as follows:

• Green: this is the entry tier, which you will stay at until you earn over 300 tier credits
• Silver: 301 – 600 Tier Credits
• Platinum: 601 – 1050 Tier Credits
• Concierge: 1051+ Tier Credits

The table below shows the benefits you will receive at each tier.

Avios – Aer Lingus Frequent Flyer Miles

Avios is the reward currency of AerClub (as well as British Airways and Iberia). Every time you fly with Aer Lingus or make a purchase from one of their partners, you will earn Avios, which can be accumulated to earn free flights in the future.

Aer Lingus Contact and Customer Service

When in the United Kingdom:

• Ireland: (01) 761 7834
• United Kingdom: 0333 004 5000

When in Continental Europe:

• Austria:  +43 12 06 09 26 75
• Belgium:  +32 25 85 52 43
• France:  +33 18 69 95 728   (French speaking agents: 09:00-17:00 (CET) Mon-Fri)
• Germany:  +49 69 94 51 89 915  (German speaking agents: 09:00-17:00 (CET) Mon-Fri)
• Italy:  +39 06 89 38 65 02  (Italian speaking agents: 0900-1700 (CET) Mon-Fri)
• Luxembourg:  +35 23 42 08 09 055
• Netherlands:  +31 707 006 106   (Dutch speaking agents: 09:00-17:00 (CET) Mon-Fri)
• Portugal:  +351 21 3665399
• Spain:  +34 918 362265   (El agente habla espanol: 0900-1700 (CET) de Lunes a Viernes)
• Switzerland: +41 44 52 46 766

When in the USA, Canada, or Barbados:

• USA: (516) 622-4222
• USA/Canada: (800) 474-7424
• Barbados:  +1 516 622 4222

Other places:

• Australia:  + 0061 2 8349 9876