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American Airlines and Aer Lingus have a handy partnership, and it can come in clutch for travelers flying either airline across the pond. AAdvantage elites can enjoy a handful of benefits on Aer Lingus flights, just as Aer Club elites can enjoy perks when flying American Airlines. And with a recent enhancement to the partnership, AAdvantage members can now redeem miles for flights on Aer Lingus.
Here’s what to know.
Page Contents
Aer Lingus Benefits for AAdvantage Elites
American Airlines AAdvantage elites can enjoy a suite of benefits when flying Aer Lingus. Most perks are consistent across status tiers, with a few key differences depending on what status you actually hold. Here’s a simple breakdown:
- AAdvantage Gold
- Priority check-in
- Priority boarding
- AAdvantage Platinum
- All of the above
- Fast track security at Dublin (DUB), London Heathrow (LHR), Shannon (SNN), and Amsterdam (AMS)
- Access Aer Lingus lounges (plus one guest)
- One free checked bag in addition to the fare allowance (economy class only, except Saver fares)
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro
- All of the above
- One free checked bag in addition to the fare allowance (any class except Saver fares)
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum
- All of the above
On its Aer Lingus partner webpage, American Airlines also publishes the following table for easy reference:
In the partnership fine print, AA notes that AAdvantage elites should bring their elite status card (digital or physical) “to receive status benefits when traveling on Aer Lingus.” Just in case, it’s worth having it accessible when you fly.
Earn miles and Loyalty Points on Aer Lingus-operated flights
Earning rates on Aer Lingus- and affiliate- marketed and operated flights are a function of a few things, including the ticket's cash price, your AAdvantage elite status, and the fare class you've booked. On Aer Lingus flights, the only prerequisite to earning is booking into an eligible fare class, as detailed below:
- Business: J, C, D, I, R
- Economy: Y, B, H, K, L, M, N, S, V, G, O, Q, F, Z, A
The number of AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points you'll earn is the product of the base fare plus any carrier-imposed fees (less government-imposed taxes and fees) and your AAdvantage status. As a refresher, the bonuses tied to each level of AAdvantage status can be found below:
- General member: 5 miles for every $1 spent
- AAdvantage Gold: 7 miles for every $1 spent (40% bonus)
- AAdvantage Platinum: 8 miles for every $1 spent (60% bonus)
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro: 9 miles for every $1 spent (80% bonus)
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum: 11 miles for every $1 spent (120% bonus)
For example, if you hold AAdvantage Platinum status and book a ticket with a cash price of $1,000 (after subtracting the government-imposed taxes and fees), multiply the cash price by 8X. On this mock itinerary, you'd earn 8,000 redeemable AAdvantage miles and 8,000 Loyalty Points.
To credit your Aer Lingus flight to AAdvantage, you can either call Aer Lingus after making your reservation or enter your frequent flyer number during checkout.
American Airlines Benefits for Aer Club Elites
Aer Lingus’ own loyalty program, Aer Club, offers similar benefits for its elite members when flying on American Airlines. These perks include:
- Priority check-in
- Priority boarding
- Fast track security
- Lounge access
Additionally, Aer Club elites can earn Tier Credits and Avios on American Airlines flights by crediting flights to Aer Club. However, your exact earnings will depend on which airline issued your ticket. You can view the full breakdown by fare class here.
Redeem AA Miles for Aer Lingus Flights
From partnership inception until January 2026, Aer Lingus was one of American Airlines’ earn-only partners. But now, it’s a bit more than that. AAdvantage members can redeem miles for flights on Aer Lingus.
True to form, these redemptions follow American’s partner award chart. Flights from the lower 48 U.S. states to Europe (including Ireland) cost:
- Economy: 22,500 miles
- Premium economy: 40,000 miles (Aer Lingus doesn’t offer premium economy, but you may see mixed-carrier itineraries priced at this level)
- Business: 57,500 miles
At the time of writing, most Aer Lingus transatlantic award availability appears to be in business class. In fact, we haven’t been able to find economy seats on Aer Lingus-operated transatlantic flights. For some travelers, though, that may not be a major issue.
That said, economy availability does show up on itineraries that include connections within Europe. For example, if you fly from Chicago (ORD) to Dublin (DUB) via London (LHR), you may find awards where the transatlantic segment is operated by American Airlines and the intra-Europe flight is operated by Aer Lingus.
Taxes and fees are generally minimal, so if you can’t find a good cash fare to Ireland (and beyond), redeeming AA miles can be a cost-effective way to get to Europe.
Related: All the Airlines You Can Book with AAdvantage Miles
Final Thoughts
It’s exciting to have another way to get to Europe bookable with AAdvantage miles. Outside of using AA miles to fly American Airlines, British Airways (with its high taxes and fees), or Finnair (which can have sometimes sparse availability), there aren't a ton of great options. Aer Lingus is a welcome addition, and hopefully award space stays consistently available.
And even when you’re not redeeming miles for transatlantic flights, this partnership still offers value through reciprocal elite benefits and the ability to earn miles on paid tickets. That’s a useful perk in and of itself.
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