Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card Review

The CardName is a travel credit card offered by Chase. As a cardholder, you will glean the maximum rewards when you use it to purchase flights on any of the card's associated airlines: Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, and LEVEL, as well as accommodations when you book them directly on the hotel website. For the frequent U.S. to Europe traveler, this card can go the extra mile. It has a AnnualFees annual fee, and a RegAPR APR.

CardName REWARDS

The benefits for this card begin with a generous signup bonus. The rewards currency is called Avios, and you can earn 75,000 Avios as a welcome bonus when you spend $5,000 in the first three months of opening your account.

This card also earns Avios on an ongoing basis on purchases made with the card.

• 3X Avios for each $1 you spend on Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and LEVEL.
• 2x Avios for every $1 you spend on hotels (you must book directly with the hotel).
• 1X Avios for every $1 you spend with the card on anything else.

CardName TRAVEL BENEFITS

There aren’t a huge number of travel benefits associated with the CardName, but those that are included can be attractive to travelers who are dedicated to the partner airlines. Benefits include: 

• Companion ticket. Every calendar year that you spend $30,000 on your card you'll earn an Economy Companion Ticket good for 12 months. All travel must originate in and return to the U.S., and is only valid on flights between the U.S. and Ireland. There is no surcharge on this ticket, and there are no restrictions or blackout dates for redemption.
• Priority boarding. Want to board early and settle in before the plane gets full? You can with the priority boarding feature. You and any authorized users on your account are eligible for Priority Boarding on Aer Lingus flights originating in the U.S. and Ireland. All you need to do is show your card at the gate. 
• No foreign transaction fees. When you use your card outside of the U.S., you won't be charged foreign transaction fees on any of your purchases. 

This card also comes with Visa Signature® benefits that can smooth common travel bumps and protect you from consumer problems: 

• Baggage delay insurance. With this embedded insurance product, you can be reimbursed for essential purchases such as toiletries and clothing when you experience baggage delays that exceed six hours. The maximum is $100 a day for three days. 
• Lost luggage reimbursement. There’s nothing like having misplaced or having ruined luggage on or after a trip. This reimbursement is valuable. If you or an immediate family member you are traveling with checks or carries on luggage that is damaged or lost by the carrier, you can be covered up to $3,000 per passenger.
• Purchase protection. When you make purchases with this card, you will have extra consumer protection. This benefit covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft (up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account). 
• Extended warranty protection. When you buy something that comes with a U.S. manufacturer's warranty, that time frame will be extended by an additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or fewer.

Moreover, Avios gives you access to special events curated for cardmembers, such as golf excursions in Edinburgh, Scotland and ski and spa vacations in Park City, Utah. 

WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES OF THE CardName?

The CardName won’t make much sense if you don't regularly travel out of the U.S., especially to destinations in Europe. Because the rewards are geared toward a few specific airlines, it won't give you as much freedom as a general travel credit card does. 

And then there’s comfort and convenience. If you’re looking for a travel card that comes with free entry to airport lounges, this card isn’t for you. Nor does it provide extra baggage allotments or credits toward such programs as Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, and CLEAR. 

HOW DOES THE CardName COMPARE TO OTHER CARDS?

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This card also has a AnnualFees annual fee, but it is a general travel card, so you won’t be locked into specific airlines for high reward accumulation. Although it only comes with a 60,000 point bonus offer, the minimum spend is a little lower, at $4,000 in three months of opening the account, and those rewards are worth $750 in travel when booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

The tiered point accumulation ranges from 1 to 5 points for every dollar charged, including 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3X points on dining, including eligible delivery services and takeout; 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs); 3X points on select streaming services; 2X points on travel purchases; and 1X point on all other purchases. The CardName may be more compelling than the CardName if you want greater flexibility in how you earn rewards when you travel.

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Another general travel credit card with a AnnualFees annual fee  is the CardName. It comes with a one-time welcome bonus of 75,000 miles, and the minimum spend is just $4,000 within three months of opening the account. These miles are worth $750 toward travel.

You may be interested in this card over the CardName if you don’t want to be limited to a few airlines but also want a simpler reward structure. You will earn 5X miles for every dollar you spend on hotels and car rentals when you book them through Capital One Travel, and unlimited 2X miles for every dollar spent on anything else.

An added perk of the Venture card is that it offers up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership every four years, which could help take some stress out of airport security lines.

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The CardName is a cousin to the CardName, but is designed with the British Airways customer in mind. It comes with the same 75,000 Avios signup bonus (75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 in the first three months of account opening). You’ll get a “Travel Together Ticket” after spending $30,000 on your card in a calendar year. The difference with this card is that you have two years to redeem.

Additionally, the British Airways card offers reward statement credits of $100 for Economy and Premium Economy or $200 for Business and First Class, three times per year, up to $600, when you book a reward flight to London on British Airways and pay taxes, fees and charges with your British Airways card.

WHO IS THE CardName A GOOD FIT FOR?

The CardName is ideal if you travel extensively between the U.S. and Europe, especially Ireland, and you are happy to book on Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, and LEVEL airlines. It’s definitely worth considering if you want to claim the 75,000 Avios signup bonus and can meet the $5,000 minimum spend in three months with no trouble. One companion ticket you will earn after spending $30,000 on the card every year is a terrific value, too. As long as you don’t expect the luxury perks associated with some other travel cards that have higher annual fees, this card can be just the ticket to your travel needs.