Aer Lingus - Why the Irish Airline Can Be a Smart Choice to Europe

It’s just finishing rolling out new flatbeds in Business Class on its A330s, and it offers relatively low published fares to 44 cities in Europe.

The seat roll out finishes at the end of March, and will be on A330s flying to Dublin from Aer Lingus North American gateways: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Orlando, and Boston. The seats—30 on A330-300s and 24 on A330-200s—are arranged 1-2-1 and 1-2-2, and convert to a 79-inch-long flat-bed; are equipped with a 16-inch high-definition screen, universal charge points, and USB power outlets. Watch this video for more information.

Beware, Not All Routes are Equal

Aer Lingus also flies non-stop to Shannon from Boston and New York and to Dublin from Toronto. The aircraft used on these routes, however, are B757s equipped with the carrier’s angled Business Class seats (12 seats; 60-inch pitch). There are no plans now to install flatbed seats on these routes.

Low Fares Beyond Dublin

Aer Lingus offers relatively low Business Class fares year-round. They only require a 30-day advance purchase and a three-day minimum stay (no Saturday-night-stay required). The fares allow a free stop each way in Dublin. Aer Lingus flies to 44 destinations in Europe.For example, the airline’s New York-Milan Business Class fare is $2,207 with the 30-day advance purchase requirement, whereas American and Delta charge $3,952 for their NY- Milan non-stop,

For example, the airline’s New York-Milan Business Class fare is $2,207 with the 30-day advance purchase requirement, whereas American and Delta charge $3,952 for their NY- Milan non-stop, $1,745 (44%) more. Note that the Dublin-Milan leg on Aer Lingus is in economy.

Earn Miles with British Airways: Aer Lingus doesn’t belong to an alliance, but it partners with British Airways (another earn-miles option is Cathay Pacific). Only trans-Atlantic, not intra-Europe, Aer Lingus flights earn BA miles.

Sample Aer Lingus Business Class Fares That Also Offer A Bonus Destination

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Business Class for the Price of Coach from Boston

If you followed my advice and stocked up on British Airways miles, you’re sitting pretty because BA charges only 50,000 miles round-trip (Boston-Dublin) to 100,000 (San Francisco-Dublin) for a Business Class ticket; plus taxes are only $475.

No BA Miles? No problem. Get BA miles via transfers from Amex Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Star wood. Or, buy the miles directly from BA. The annual limit is just 35,000, but you can “pool miles” through BA’s Household Account.

On April 28, the mileage cost increases 25,000 to 50,000 miles, but that’s still much less than most airlines charge.

You can book flights under the existing rates and change the dates later without paying the new, higher rate. Given that there is no fee to change dates, and the mileage redeposit fee is $80, if you cancel more than 24 hours in advance (lose miles if less than 24 hours), it could be a good idea to make a booking now, even for travel into 2016—and even if you’re not certain of your dates. (Flights beyond Ireland can be cheap, too: Dublin-Paris is only 9,000 miles.)