Aer Lingus Visa Card Review: Versatile and Valuable for the Right Flyers

Fact: Guinness tastes better in Ireland. And thanks to the generous sign-up bonus offered by the Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card — the co-branded card of Ireland's major airline — it's easier to experience that for yourself.

The card, issued by Chase, earns Avios, which can be redeemed not just on Aer Lingus, but also on British Airways, Iberia and multiple other Oneworld Alliance airlines. An annual companion ticket for Aer Lingus-operated flights adds an extra dose of value to the card.

But it takes a lot of spending in the first year to earn it. And as is the case with all airline-branded credit cards, you get the most out of this card only if you fly that airline often. If not, consider a general travel rewards credit card for more flexibility.

Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card: The basics

Card type: Airline.

Annual fee: $95

Sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Rewards:

Aer Lingus distributes rewards points known as Avios, a currency it shares with several other airlines including British Airways, Iberia and LEVEL. The card earns:

• 3 Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL.

• 2 Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel.

• 1 Avios per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Foreign transaction fees: None.

Other benefits:

• Companion ticket: Make $30,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year, and you'll earn an economy companion ticket, which you have one year to redeem. The companion ticket is valid for Aer Lingus-operated flights when the cardholder is taking a paid economy flight. No taxes and fees apply to the companion ticket.

• Priority boarding: The primary cardholder, and any authorized users, are eligible for priority boarding on Aer Lingus flights to and from the U.S. and Ireland.

• Travel coverages, such as baggage delay insurance and lost luggage reimbursement.

Generous sign-up bonus

Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. That sum of Avios can snag you a round-trip economy ticket to Dublin or Shannon from select U.S. cities.

Annual companion pass

Bring someone else along on your journey for no extra charge when you book an economy ticket for yourself. You need to spend $30,000 on your Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card in a calendar year to receive the companion pass. No taxes or fees are charged on the companion pass, either. Sláinte!

Multiple ways to redeem Avios

If your #travelgoals extend to other destinations around the world, you can also redeem Avios for flights operated by British Airways, Iberia, and Oneworld Alliance partners like American Airlines.

Helpful travel protections

Getting the companion pass requires high annual spending

You'll have to spend $2,500 per month in one calendar year to earn the companion pass. With the Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card, you'll get one companion pass per anniversary year, which is good for an Alaska flight booked on alaskaair.com. Using the pass will cost $99 plus taxes and fees, from $23. What's more: you only have to spend $6,000 in a given year in order to access this companion pass. Alaska Airlines partners with Aer Lingus, British Airways and the rest of the Oneworld Alliance. The annual fee is $95.

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card also grants cardholders a companion pass for domestic main cabin travel when you renew your card, with no spend requirement. When you use the pass, you'll pay taxes and fees of up to $75. The card's $250 annual fee is on the high end, however (see rates and fees).

General travel cards can offer more flexibility

When it comes to international travel, Avios are remarkably versatile and can be used with a number of airlines. But Avios are of more limited use domestically. You can redeem them for flights with American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, but that's it. And keep in mind that Avios also have an expiration date.

A card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, on the other hand, offers a lot more flexibility. It features around a dozen travel partners, to which you can transfer points at a 1:1 ratio, and those partners include members of all three major airline alliances: SkyTeam, Star Alliance and Oneworld. But more than that, you'll have access to major U.S.-based airline partners as well, including JetBlue, United and Southwest. The card's rewards currency — Chase Ultimate Rewards® points — won't expire as long as you have an open card account. The annual fee is $95.

Companion pass is good only for economy tickets

Take it from someone who once flew from Dublin to New York in the back row of the coach section: Seven hours is a long time. The companion pass you get by renewing the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card can be eligible for an upgrade to a Delta Comfort+ or first class seat. Terms apply (see rates and fees). But that luxury comes at a price: namely, a $550 annual fee.

If earning Avios will get you where you want to go, the Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card can be a good fit. The card offers the biggest benefit to high spenders, because they'll earn the sign-up bonus and the valuable companion pass.

But if you simply don't spend enough to unlock these additional perks, fear not. There are a lot of travel rewards cards that can put you well on your way to your next international trip.