Everyone loves a good bargain, and for years I’ve been hearing advice on how to get cheap flights to amazing destinations using points from frequent flying programs and travel credit cards. The travel credit card trend seems to have taken a while to catch on here in Ireland, presumably because it is a smaller market than in the US or Australia, where these sorts of points schemes seem to be more varied and readily available.
With the introduction of the Aer Lingus credit card in conjunction with Bank of Ireland, it seems that we are finally going to have more access to these types of rewards. I was curious how it would all work and started to look at the terms and conditions and potential perks and rewards. In my search, I discovered that, even though booking flights is obviously the best way to build up loyalty points quickly, there are actually lots more ways to earn points towards “free” flights.
The important thing to remember here is that very little in this world comes for free. You will still pay taxes and charges on your “free” flights, and it seems that the smartest way to use points on flights is on the longer routes, as the savings seem to be much greater, even as a percentage of the original cost.
The points system in question is the Avios points scheme, used by Aer Lingus, British Airways, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Iberia, and a number of other airlines. You can see a full list of all the airlines here. That means that any Avios points earned on flights booked directly with any of the participating airlines will earn Avios points. So, even if you’re not a frequent traveller but take an occasional trip, you could still be eligible for some points. It may even be possible to claim points for trips you’ve already booked.
Sign up for Avios now
So the first step is to start your Avios account if you don’t already have one. If you are a member of Aer Lingus AerClub, British Airways Executive Club, Vueling Club or Iberia Plus, that means you already have an Avios account and may even have some points already sitting there.
If not, head to the Avios website and start your account. You’ll be given the choice of which airline scheme to join, but since points can be used against flights with the other participating airlines, don’t stress to much about choosing which one to join. Either choose the one that is based in your home country and therefore deals with your home currency, or the airline that you feel you would be more likely to use in the future.
Start collecting Avios points
Avios points can be earned in a number of ways. They can be collected on the ground, in the air, or online by shopping on some of your favourite websites. My focus is specifically on the AerClub participants, but you can get full details for the other clubs on their websites.
Collect Avios in the air
I know the focus of this post is on getting cheap flights even if you’re not a frequent flyer, but it’s still worth a mention that you can get Avios points on any flight you take with Aer Lingus. You might think that it’s not worthwhile because you’re just taking a short flight, but I recently earned 348 Avios on a return flight from Dublin to Gatwick. It’s definitely worth clocking up those points wherever you can get them. So keep that in mind if you do happen to be taking a flight. Just make sure that you’re logged in to your airline loyalty scheme so that the Avios will be added on there automatically, but don’t expect to see them on your balance straight away. Your points will only be added after you have taken your flight.
Collect Avios on the ground
You can collect Avios in a few different locations by registering your credit or debit card to your Avios account. You will then receive Avios any time you make a purchase from one of those retailers using that card. These retailers include Just Eat, the Grafton Barber, Oliver Bonas lifestyle brand, and Open Fairways golf. Admittedly, they’re not all something that everybody would use, but still they’re worth mentioning.
Supervalu points and loyalty vouchers can be converted to Avios instead of using them instore. You can find more details on how to do this here. You can also find great offers from time to time offering double points for any Avios converted by a given date, so stay alert for those to get the best value from your points.
Avios can also be accrued when shopping at Kildare Village. Just visit the customer service desk on the day with your receipts and your AerClub member details to have your Avios added to your account.
Collect Avios online
This is by far the best and fastest way to accumulate Avios if you are not a frequent flyer. Aer Lingus lists 117 websites as part of their Avios scheme. This means that you can collect Avios on purchases from sites like Ali Express, Apple, M&S, Asos, Debenhams, River Island, Groupon, Boohoo, iTunes, and so many more.
Avios can also be collected when booking hotels through some of the top booking sites, including Booking.com, Agoda, Expedia, Hotels.com, and ebookers. The best rewards of all can be found here on Avios own hotel booking site, where you can get 15 points per £1 (or equivalent in another currency) spent. The selection of hotels doesn’t seem to be quite as extensive as on some of the other sites, but it’s definitely worth checking to see if your chosen hotel is available to book there at the same rate as available elsewhere. A quick comparison of a few hotels on random dates gave me the exact same rates as on Booking.com for any that were listed on both sites.
It’s very important to remember that in order to get your online shopping rewards, you MUST access the sites via the links on the airline or Avios website. Make sure that you are also logged in to your Avios account before clicking through to shop or book online. As with flight rewards, Avios gained from hotel bookings will be added to your balance after you stay.
Get an Aer Lingus credit card
As I mentioned earlier, Aer Lingus have introduced Ireland’s first airline credit card in conjunction with Bank of Ireland. They’re offering perks like 2 “free” return flights to select European destinations( subject to a minimum annual spend), plus annual multi-trip travel insurance, 2 lounge passes and 2 priority boarding passes.
Along with the €30 annual stamp duty, there is also a monthly charge €7.99 to have the card, so it may not be worth it for everyone. You will receive 1 Avios for every €4 spent on the card, so the rewards aren’t really that high. If you think you would reach the €5000 annual spend to get the 2 “free” flights, it could definitely be worth considering. Using the card for everyday purchases like groceries and petrol would mean that you are collecting Avios for things that you would already be buying anyway. Just make sure to pay off the balance every month. Otherwise you will get hit for interest on your balance, meaning you are actually paying for your Avios.
I applied for the card but was unfortunately declined (and that was without stating that I’m quitting my job to travel the world!).
Using your Avios
Now that you have collected your Avios points, it is time to book your flights, which you can do here on the Avios booking page. Availability for Avios loyalty booking is limited to a set number of seats per flight so you may need to be flexible. If you have your heart set on a particular destination or specific dates, be sure to search and book as early as possible.
How may Avios do I need for a flight?
And finally, for the biggest question of all. How many Avios do I actually need to book my flight? This obviously depends on the distance of the flight but here are a few examples, based on off-peak economy fares. A short flight from Dublin to one of the closer European destinations such as the UK airports and Paris will require 4,000 Avios each way (plus taxes and charges). Flights to east coast US airports like New York and Boston start at 13,000 Avios each way, while west coast airports like San Francisco and LA will use 16,750 Avios each way. You will of course need to pay the relevant taxes and charges for your flights.
And my favourite, a flight from Dublin to Sydney will need 36,500 Avios, plus just over €200 in taxes and fees. Avios can also be used for part payment towards flights, which means that you have the option to use your Avios to reduce the cost of your flight, even when you don’t have enough to cover the entire cost of the flight.
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