AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
Aer Lingus is an interesting beast when it comes to loyalty programs. Although its AerClub uses Avios as a currency, the airline is not a member of any airline alliance. However, since it falls under the same ownership group as British Airways and Iberia, those flying Aer Lingus have enjoyed limited reciprocal benefits. Now, German website Travel Dealz has spotted news that'll make British Airways (BA) loyalists happy: As of April 1, 2024, Aer Lingus and Emerald Airlines flights earn Tier Points toward BA elite status. Let's take a look at how it works.
Earn British Airways Elite Status With Aer Lingus
It's been possible to collect Tier Points toward BA status on Aer Lingus flights in the past. However, to do so, you needed to book your flight as a codeshare with a BA flight number. This could be more expensive than booking directly with Aer Lingus, so those wanting to earn credit for elite status needed to choose between paying more or giving up their status-earning credits.
British Airways has been busy updating the Avios earnings for flights, with changes occurring in September and February. Here are the current rates:
| Fare Class | Credit Earned |
|---|---|
| Deep discount economy (A, G, O, Z) | 25% of mileage flown |
| Discount economy (Q, N, F, S, V, L, M, K) | 50% |
| Economy flexible (Y, B, H) | 100% |
| Discount business (D, R, I) | 150% |
| Business (C, J) | 250% |
Unfortunately, these changes make it difficult to tell how many tier points you'll earn with your Aer Lingus flights. That's because the tier points calculator hasn't been updated to reflect the new fare classes.
Still, it's nice to know that these flights will earn Tier Points at all, even if it isn't clear how many (at least not until the credits hit your account).
Note that those with British Airways Executive Club elite status will not get a bonus on Aer Lingus flights as they would with BA flights.
Finally, those who participate in AerClub can earn elite status credit when booking British Airways flights. However, with such a limited partnership network, most flyers will be better off relying on British Airways for status, rather than Aer Lingus.
The Bottom Line
This is good news from British Airways and Aer Lingus, as the two airlines have begun awarding elite status credit on BA partner flights. While earning Tier Points was possible in the past, it required passengers to book codeshares marketed by their respective airlines. With higher costs, this made for a much less attractive option while pursuing elite status. Now that flights booked directly with the partner airline will accrue credit, travelers can take advantage of low-cost pricing and earn Tier Points at the same time.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.