Aer Lingus Business Class to Europe for 25K Avios: Where to Go

Aer Lingus Business Class to Europe is available for 25,000 Avios each way, from Boston to Dublin, including for summer travel, per Dan.  This is a great way to spend your Avios ahead of the new British Airways Avios Award Chart Devaluation on April 28, 2015, since the same flight would be 70K United miles each way.

Even if you're flying from NYC to Dublin, which is 40,000 Avios, you'll save miles over redeeming United MileagePlus miles, which would charge the same 70,000 miles for the Aer Lingus flight.

As noted in the above devaluation post, as of April 28, 2015, British Airways Avios award prices are going up for business and first class awards. For example:

• Boston to Dublin in Aer Lingus Business Class: Now 25K Avios each way –> 37.5K Avios each way
• New York JFK to Dublin in Aer Lingus Business Class: Now 40K Avios each way –> 60K Avios each way
• West Coast (SFO, LAX, SEA, SAN etc.) to London LHR in British Airways First Class: Now 75K Avios each way –>85K-100K Avios each way, depending on whether travel is during a peak time or not

Checking Award Availability

Note that Aer Lingus award availability is NOT available on the British Airways Web site. While United.com Aer Lingus award availability doesn't perfectly match Aer Lingus availability using British Airways Avios, it's a good proxy, since often Aer Lingus award availability is slightly better using Avios. 

Here's Aer Lingus Business Class award availability Boston to Dublin for July and August:

I recommend checking award availability using ExpertFlyer before calling British Airways to book. Here's an example of Aer Lingus Business Class award availability for July 18, with multiple seats available on both Boston to Dublin nonstop flights:

Booking Aer Lingus Using British Airways Avios

If you don't have British Airways Avios, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points or AMEX Membership Rewards points to Avios, and they transfer instantly. British Airways doesn't allow holds, but since points transfer instantly online, you can verify that the British Airways call center sees the same Aer Lingus award availability that you've already found in ExpertFlyer, then transfer while on the phone. You shouldn't be charged the phone booking fee, since Aer Lingus isn't bookable online.

If you do at some point need to cancel and redeposit the award, the fee is $55. Just be sure to cancel *before* 24 hours prior to departure, since if you cancel less than 24 hours before departure you'll forfeit your Avios points.

Where to Go from Dublin?

While you could certainly stay in Dublin or explore Ireland, it's also not hard to connect there to fly to many European destinations. Some of the most popular destinations Aer Lingus flies to from Dublin include:

• London 

• Paris

• Rome

• Barcelona

• Prague

• Amsterdam

• Vienna

• Budapest

If flying from Boston, you could fly to London, Paris, Amsterdam or Barcelona for 40K Avios each way, all in business class, if there's award availability for your dates. Further away cities such as Rome, Budapest, Prague and Vienna, however, would push the award up to 50K Avios.

Alternatively, you could simply book a cheap paid ticket on Aer Lingus or Ryanair from Dublin.

Do you plan to take advantage of good Aer Lingus business class award availability between the East Coast and Europe?

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