MoneyGeek’s Take

Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Review

The Aer Lingus Visa Signature® may be a good card for people who travel frequently with Aer Lingus and want a card with no foreign transaction fees and a great rewards program.

Advertising & Editorial DisclosureLast Updated: 1/16/2023
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Aer Lingus Visa Signature®

The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.

With this card, you earn a welcome bonus of 100,000 Avios (“Avios” is Aer Lingus’ term for rewards miles) for spending $5,000 on purchases within three months of the account opening. Other than that, you can get a companion ticket after making purchases worth $30,000 in a year.

Avios are reward points that are used in AerClub, the loyalty program of Aer Lingus. The Avios you earn can be used to book flights with Aer Lingus, British Airways and other partner airlines.

Card Details to Know Up Front
  • Bonus, Fee or Feature
    Has or Not
  • Has Annual Fee
  • Has Balance Transfer Offer
  • Has APR Offer
  • Cash Back Rewards
  • Travel Rewards
Click to see this card’s rates, fees and how they compare to other cards in our dataset.
OUR REVIEW AT A GLANCE

Aer Lingus Visa Signature® at a Glance

The Aer Lingus Visa Signature® card offers many benefits for frequent travelers. With this card, you earn three Avios on every dollar spent making purchases with Aer Lingus, Iberia and British Airways.

For hotel bookings, you earn two Avios per dollar. For all other purchases, you earn one Avio per dollar.


  • Aer Lingus Visa Signature®

    A travel card with a great welcome bonus for frequent Aer Lingus travelers

    • Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
    • $95Annual Fee
    • 1–5 Avios per $1Rewards Rate
    • 3xRewards Rate on Air Travel
    • 2xRewards Rate at Hotels
    Aer Lingus Visa Signature®

    Terms, rates and fees apply

    Compare this credit card with other top-rated cards from our partners.

Pros & Cons Explained

We will discuss Aer Lingus Visa Signature®’s benefits and drawbacks to help you make an informed decision.

Pros

  • Benefits
    Description
  • Substantial welcome bonus
    With this card, you earn up to 100,000 Avios. Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening and earn an additional 25,000 Avios after spending $20,000 in the first 12 months of account opening. The Avios can be later redeemed to book flights with Aer Lingus and other partner airlines.
  • Annual companion pass
    After spending $30,000 in a calendar year with this card, you get a free companion ticket for an Aer Lingus flight to Ireland originating from the U.S.
  • No foreign transaction fees
    You don’t have to pay a fee when you make international transactions with this card, making it the best option for international use.
  • Priority boarding
    This card offers you and your authorized user priority boarding on Aer Lingus flights originating from the U.S. and returning to the U.S. from Ireland.

Cons

  • Drawbacks
    Description
  • High spending requirement
    To get the free companion ticket, you would have to spend $30,000 in a year. In addition, to get the welcome bonus, you have to spend $5,000 within three months. Both are relatively high spending requirements.
  • Good credit score requirement
    The Aer Lingus Visa Signature®’s credit score requirement is good to excellent. You are not eligible for this card if you have a poor credit history.
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LOOKING FOR THE BEST CREDIT CARDS OF 2022?

MoneyGeek has not featured Aer Lingus Visa Signature® card in The Best Travel Credit Cards of 2022. You can check out the list to look over other travel cards that we think offer a better rewards program for travelers than this card.

Bonuses & Rewards Explained

The Chase Aer Lingus Visa Signature card has a good rewards structure which is beneficial for frequent travelers on this airline. However, for people who don’t often fly on Aer Lingus (or its partner airlines), there isn’t much reason to get this card.

>>MORE: CHASE ULTIMATE REWARDS: PROGRAM GUIDE
1

Welcome bonus

You earn up to 100,000 Avios. Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening and earn an additional 25,000 Avios after spending $20,000 in the first 12 months of account opening.

2

Points reward rate

This card offers you 5x Avios on every dollar spent making purchases with Aer Lingus, Iberia and British Airways for the first 12 months; after that, you earn 3x Avios per dollar.

For hotel bookings, you earn 3x Avios per dollar for the first 12 months and after that, you earn 2x Avios for every dollar spent. For other purchases, you earn 1x Avios per dollar.

3

Free companion ticket

If you spend $30,000 with this card within a year, you get a free companion ticket for an Aer Lingus flight to Ireland originating from the U.S. Although the spending requirement is high, you can save up to $1,000 on that ticket.

4

Flexible redemption options

Since British Airways and Iberia also use Avios for their loyalty programs, you can transfer your points to these airlines.

Other Features Explained

The Aer Lingus Visa Signature® card also provides many other valuable features for frequent travelers.

  • Card Feature
    Description
  • Baggage delay insurance
    If your bag has been delayed for more than six hours, you’re eligible for $100 worth of daily coverage for up to three days.
  • Lost luggage reimbursement
    If your luggage has been damaged or it gets lost, you’re eligible for up to $3,000 per passenger in compensation.
  • Purchase protection
    All of your new purchases are covered for theft and damage up to 120 days after the date of purchase. This protection has a limit of $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
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MONEYGEEK EXPERT TIP

"Take a look at avios.com for redemption values on Aer Lingus flights. You may see a sweet spot that is a great value." - Alene Laney, Credit Card Journalist

Understanding the Fine Print

A strong understanding of the fees and charges of the card will help you decide if the rewards are worth it or not.

  • Card Feature
    Amount or Rate
  • APR
    20.49% – 27.49% Variable
  • Annual Fee
    $95
  • Cash Back Rewards
  • Rewards Rate
    1–5 Avios per $1
  • Airline Benefits
  • rotating icon

    Purchase APR

    This card has a variable APR of 20.24% – 27.24%, which is high compared to the average APR. Carrying a balance forward every month with this card is not recommended.

  • annualFee icon

    Annual Fee

    Although this card has a moderate annual fee of $95, it may be worth it, depending on how much you use it.

  • cashCard icon

    Cash Advance Fee

    The cash advance fee on this card is 5% of the total amount or $10, whichever is greater. In addition, the cash advance APR is 29.24%.

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FINDING YOUR CARD'S RATES AND FEES

The best resources for this information are your credit card issuer’s website, mobile app, your billing statement or the Credit Card Agreement Database maintained by the Consumer Financial Protection bureau.

Who Should & Shouldn’t Consider Aer Lingus Visa Signature®?

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Other Considerations for Aer Lingus Visa Signature®

While making the final decision, you should keep your past experience with credit cards in mind as it will help you choose a card according to your needs.

Things to Consider if This Will Be Your First or Only Credit Card

You may not be able to benefit from this card if you use it for regular daily purchases, as it offers a low reward rate on those purchases. With a high variable APR, you would have to pay your balance in full before the due date to avoid accruing interest.

This card has no international transaction fees and a range of travel-related perks. Thus, using this card internationally will help you gain the best rewards.

Things to Consider if This Will Be an Additional Card in Your Wallet

As an additional card, you would have to use it frequently to fully benefit from the rewards program as it has a high spending limit for the companion ticket reward. For travel-related purchases, the Aer Lingus Visa Signature® is a great option for an additional card, as it offers strong rewards for these expenses.

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WHY TRUST OUR REVIEWS

At MoneyGeek, we follow a six-step process to review credit cards. Our methodology involves collecting credit card information, standardizing data points, analyzing potential cardholder profiles, considering annual and introductory bonuses, establishing the card values and reviewing data monthly to reprocess rankings.

How Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Compares to Other Cards

The Aer Lingus Visa Signature® card has a great rewards program and offers many travel perks compared to other cards in the same category.

Quick Comparison of Aer Lingus Visa Signature®
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Aer Lingus Visa Signature®

  • Purchase APR: 20.24% – 27.24% variable
  • Annual fee: $95
  • International transactions fee: 0%
  • Points reward rate: 3 points per dollar spent on Aer Lingus and partner purchases
  • Best for: Frequent Aer Lingus travelers looking for a travel card with no foreign transaction fee
creditCard1 icon

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

  • Purchase APR: 20.24% – 27.24% Variable
  • Annual fee: $99
  • International transactions fee: 0%
  • Points reward rate: 2 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases
  • Best for: People who frequently travel with Southwest

Other Helpful Decision-Making Q&As

The following frequently asked questions about Aer Lingus Visa Signature® card may be helpful while deciding if it’s the right card for you.

Still not sure about this card? Consider these options.

If you still feel hesitant about getting this card, you can have a look at our comprehensive credit card guides to compare the features of travel cards recommended by MoneyGeek.

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*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
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