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Aer Lingus may not be the first airline that comes to mind when planning a trip between the United States and Europe, but it plays a far bigger role than many travelers realize. Ireland’s flag carrier operates nonstop routes from more than a dozen U.S. cities and serves as a key gateway to Ireland, the U.K., and beyond.
This Aer Lingus review focuses on what matters most to long-haul travelers: the airline’s business class experience and how worthwhile it is to book, especially using points and miles. From lie-flat seats on transatlantic routes to the value of Aer Lingus Avios, the airline offers several advantages that are easy to overlook if you only compare it to larger European carriers.
Admittedly, Aer Lingus AerClub doesn’t make our top 10 list for the world’s best airline rewards programs. However, it uses the same points currency (called “Avios”) as one of our absolute favorite programs, the British Airways Club. We’ll touch more on that later, but just know that this makes Aer Lingus Avios extremely valuable.
While Aer Lingus does not offer ultra-luxury business class suites with doors, it delivers a comfortable onboard product, warm service, and some of the best award pricing across the Atlantic when booked strategically. In this guide, we’ll break down what flying Aer Lingus business class is really like, how much it costs in cash and points, and the smartest ways to book it for less.
Is Aer Lingus business class worth it?
Yes, Aer Lingus business class is worth booking if you’re traveling between the U.S. and Ireland (or the U.K.) and want a comfortable lie-flat seat without paying premium airline prices. While it does not compete with ultra-luxury products like enclosed business class suites, it offers strong value thanks to solid onboard comfort, warm service, and some of the best award pricing across the Atlantic.
business class on Aer Lingus is best for travelers who prioritize:
Lie-flat seats on transatlantic routes
Lower mileage costs when booking with Avios or partner programs
Convenient nonstop flights from major U.S. cities
It may be less ideal for travelers who require direct aisle access on every flight or who are seeking a “wow-factor” luxury cabin. That tradeoff, however, is precisely what allows Aer Lingus business class to remain one of the best value redemptions in transatlantic travel.
What to know about Aer Lingus business class
Aer Lingus offers different business class experiences depending on where and how far you’re flying, and that distinction matters. Within Europe, business class often consists of a bulkhead coach seat with a blocked-out middle seat. But when you’re traveling on a long haul flight between Ireland and the U.S., business class passengers can expect lie-flat seats designed for comfort on a transatlantic flight.
When flying business class on Aer Lingus from the U.S., you’ll typically be on one of the airline’s Airbus wide-body or long-range narrow-body aircraft:
A330-305
A330-302
A330-202
A330-200
A321-NEO/XLR
Aircraft type matters, as it affects seat layout, privacy, and aisle access, all of which we’ll break down below. While not every configuration is ideal, the overall experience compares favorably to many legacy carriers, especially when you factor in how affordable these seats can be when booked with points.
The best Aer Lingus business class routes
Aer Lingus flies directly to the U.S. from Dublin (DUB) and Shannon (SNN). It even operates a handful of nonstop flights from Manchester (MAN). Pretty neat!
Take a look at the map below. These are the routes for which you can book a business class seat (though, again, some will be a simple bulkhead coach seat with the middle blocked off).
Some of the best routes to book business class on Aer Lingus include:
San Francisco (SFO) to Dublin (DUB)
New York (JFK) to Shannon (SNN)
Chicago (ORD) to Dublin (DUB)
Miami (MIA) to Dublin (DUB)
These routes are popular for unique reasons — whether you want an extra-long flight to enjoy your fancy seat, access to impressive lounges (which you’ll get only when flying business class), wide-body aircraft with a better seat configuration, etc.
What to expect in business class
The main appeal when booking business class is, of course, the spacious lie-flat seats — otherworldly when compared to standard economy seats. But your experience outside the plane will be improved, too.
Check-in and security clearance
A business class ticket includes fast track security, so business class passengers can use a dedicated security lane that usually goes notably faster than the standard security lanes. Depending on how busy the airport is, this minor perk could save you quite a lot of time.
You’ll also benefit from Group 1 priority boarding, giving you a chance to settle into your seat before nearly everyone else.
Luggage allowance
Aer Lingus affords business class passengers a whopping three checked bags weighing a total of 150 lbs. This is considerably more than the single 50-lb bag you’ll get when booking either “Smart” or “Flex” economy fares (Saver economy fares across the Atlantic don’t even get that).
Lounge access
When you fly Aer Lingus business class, you’ll gain entry into Aer Lingus lounges — as well as lounges operated by partners including British Airways, United Airlines, Turkish Airlines, American Airlines, and more.
For example, you can enter the British Airways Lounge in Washington Dulles (IAD). Lounge access is only for Oneworld business and first class passengers and those with Oneworld Sapphire or Emerald elite status. It’s a stunning mezzanine lounge with lots of windows overlooking the terminal (so you can gaze down at all the people who don’t have business class lounge access).
Business class lounges are often comfortable spaces with decent food and free alcohol. You’ll typically find plenty of comfortable seats with lots of electrical outlets. Some even have shower suites.
Seats
Aer Lingus offers comfy and quality business class seats. Regardless of long-haul aircraft, you’ll get 22 inches of width and a 6.5-foot-long flatbed seat. You’ll also typically receive a pitch between 46 and 47 inches.
My recent seat was comfortable, though there were some mechanical gaffes. Trying to adjust segments of the seat felt touch-and-go; I had to press the buttons multiple times before they engaged. There was also a massage button that turned out to be mostly decoration.
The real issue is this: All of Aer Lingus’ aircraft feature seats that don’t have direct aisle access. For example, the Airbus A330-305 cabin has a 2-2-2 layout — in other words, the window seats will need to climb over their sleeping seatmate to reach the lavatory (I watched this play out plenty during a recent trip).
Other A330 aircraft are configured 1-2-1 or 2-2-1, while the narrow-body A321neo planes are 2-2 and 1-1. For the potential headache of no aisle access, the standalone seats are excellent with privacy that’s only bested by airlines that offer business class seats with sliding doors.
Food and drink
The menu aboard Aer Lingus flights will naturally vary depending on your route. In my experience, it’s all been great. For evening flights, Aer Lingus even makes it a point to offer melatonin-rich foods to help you sleep better. Genius.
Though simple, one of my family’s best treats aboard our recent flight from Washington Dulles (IAD) was a box of savory “Drinks Biscuits” with a unique balsamic dipping ramekin.
For flights from the U.S., you’ll find items like smoked salmon, seared and braised Guinness short ribs, and roasted chicken breast. The alcohol is free-flowing, of course — and there are plenty of cocktails and wines to choose from (though, frustratingly, no Guinness).
In-flight experience and entertainment
The Irish are famous for their hospitality, and Aer Lingus carries the tradition. Flight attendants are mostly proactive in anticipating your needs (like a refill on your cocktail).
In-flight entertainment is generally good, but the selection can vary dramatically by flight. Aer Lingus offers 90 hours of TV shows, new-release movies, and an enormous amount of music. While most screens are a generous 16 inches, entertainment system screens on the new Airbus A321XLR are 18 inches.
How much Aer Lingus business class costs
The cash rates for an Aer Lingus business class seat often cost more than $3,000 each way. Unless you’ve got so much money that you aren’t sure how to get rid of it, you’re probably not reaching into your pocket for that.
One option to avoid financial ruin is redeeming flexible credit card rewards (such as Chase Ultimate Rewards points) through your issuer’s online travel portal. Depending on the card you hold, you’ll get between 1 and 1.5 cents per point when booking this way. For a $3,000 round-trip business class fare, you’re looking at 200,000-300,000 points. That’s a steep price, making this a mediocre redemption for your hard-earned points.
Instead, you can book an award flight by using Avios (Aer Lingus’ rewards program). Aer Lingus prices its awards based on factors such as the date you fly and the distance of each leg of your trip. When you fly from select East Coast cities, such as Chicago (ORD), New York (JFK), and Boston (BOS), you’ll pay between 50,000 and 60,001 Avios each way in business class. Meanwhile, flights from the West Coast cost up to 75,000 Avios.
You can also expect to pay between $140 and $180 in taxes and fees. That’s high enough to be annoying, but still very reasonable for a ticket in business class.
You’ll often get a better deal when booking through partner airlines — namely, Alaska Airlines. Both the award prices and the taxes and fees are routinely much lower than booking directly through Aer Lingus. You’ll often pay just $19 in fees when traveling from the U.S. (we’ll examine that more in a bit).
How much do business class upgrades cost on Aer Lingus?
It’s possible to upgrade eligible economy flights to business class with cash by submitting a bid. Aer Lingus will send you an email inviting you to upgrade your flight, if you’re eligible. You will receive a notification if your bid is accepted — making it a more risky option than using Avios points to confirm an upgrade.
Booking an upgrade with Avios depends on your route and dates, but it will cost between 37,000 and 55,000 points. For example
Upgrading your flight between New York and Manchester will cost 37,000 points during off-peak dates and 44,750 points during peak dates.
Upgrading your flight between Los Angeles and Dublin will cost 46,250 points during off-peak dates and 55,000 points during peak dates.
Just note that you can’t upgrade flights you booked with Avios.
How to save on business class
Sales
Standard with any airline, Aer Lingus sometimes runs exclusive deals that can save you money on business class seats. Even so, expect to pay thousands of dollars for a flight. Alternatively, it may be possible to book a super-cheap economy seat that you can then upgrade with Avios.
Speaking of which…
Upgrades
Both cash and points upgrades are almost certain to save you considerably over buying business class seats outright. But again, your problems are:
Your cash bid may not be high enough to secure a fancy seat.
You can’t upgrade award flights with Avios.
All to say, you’re going to be spending money one way or another when you go the upgrade route.
Travel rewards
This should be your go-to strategy when saving on Aer Lingus business class tickets. As mentioned above, you can book business class for less than $200 out of pocket each way when using travel rewards; or as low as $19 when using certain partner rewards programs.
Point.me will help you to quickly find these types of deals on and around your desired travel dates.
How to book Aer Lingus business class with points
Hopefully, you’re persuaded to go the award travel path instead of ponying up thousands for a one-way ticket. Here are the best ways to redeem your points for a business class seat.
How to book Aer Lingus business class using your credit card portal
While not the optimum choice, “buying” your flights through a credit card travel portal is a straightforward process. Depending on the rewards card you’ve got, bank points are worth between 1 and 1.5 cents each toward airfare. That means you’ll need hundreds of thousands of points to book a business class seat. For example, an Aer Lingus seat that costs $3,200 will cost you:
208,000 points through Amex Travel if you hold The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
213,334 points through Chase Travel if you hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve®
320,000 miles through Capital One Travel if you hold the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
320,000 points through Citi Travel if you hold the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
Booking a Saver-level award flight will never be this expensive. That’s why it’s generally a bad idea to reserve business class seats through a credit card travel portal.
Which credit card points transfer to Aer Lingus AerClub?
You can convert rewards into Aer Lingus Avios points directly from the following programs:
Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Wells Fargo Rewards
But here’s the thing: Aer Lingus uses the same rewards currency as several other airlines, including British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways, and Finnair. You can convert any of these rewards into Aer Lingus points by first transferring them to British Airways and then to Aer Lingus.
This trick means that, by extension, you can also convert Capital One miles (through Finnair) and Citi ThankYou points (through Qatar Airways) into Aer Lingus Avios.
How to book Aer Lingus business class using Avios
To book business class award flights through Aer Lingus, head to the Aer Lingus site and log into your account. Then click the “Book a Reward Flight” link in the drop-down menu under the AerClub tab at the top of the screen.
This will take you to the Aer Lingus award booking platform. Enter your origin and destination, and dates. Then click “Search Flights.”
Aer Lingus will show you all results for your query — between 50,000 and 75,000 points depending on your route. As an example, here’s a flight from Boston (BOS) to Dublin (DUB) in early July 2025. You’ll pay 60,001 points and $142 in fees.
If you don’t currently have enough Avios to book the flight, head to your credit card portal to transfer the points you need. We’ll show you how to do this when using point.me to find and reserve your flights.
Transfers are typically instant, though the conversion could take a couple of days to reflect in your Aer Lingus account.
What other loyalty programs can you use to book Aer Lingus business class?
Business class passengers can often book flights through the following partner loyalty programs, including:
Club Iberia Plus
Again, it’s often beneficial to book through a partner, as you can sometimes find lower award prices or taxes (or both).
How to save on Aer Lingus business class with points
If an award flight is available through Aer Lingus, it’s probably also available through a partner airline. Prices are similar to Aer Lingus when booking through Avios-earning airlines, such as British Airways.
But as previously discussed, booking through Alaska Airlines is the travel hack. That aforementioned flight between Boston and Dublin in early July costs just 45,000 miles and $19 in fees when booked through Alaska Airlines. That’s a saving of 16,001 miles and $124.
If you don’t have Alaska miles, you can also book Aer Lingus business class through United Airlines to save on taxes and fees — though the price in miles is usually much higher.
Take a look at the below flight from Dublin (DUB) to Cleveland (CLE). Booking this seat through Aer Lingus costs 60,000 points and around $180. But you’ll pay 93,000 miles and $45 through United Airlines. If you’re hypersensitive to spending cash, this could be a way to go.
Business class award tips
When looking for business class seats, keep your search to those U.S. hubs Aer Lingus serves (since award flights from smaller airports that connect to an Aer Lingus destination may be more difficult to find). Major hubs include:
Boston (BOS)
Miami (MIA)
Orlando (MCO)
Washington, DC (IAD)
New York (JFK)
Cleveland (CLE)
Chicago (ORD)
Los Angeles (LAX)
San Francisco (SFO)
Should you book Aer Lingus business class?
Aer Lingus business class is a joy to fly, and you should absolutely book it if you’re looking for a comfortable way to get across the Atlantic. It’s not exactly a bucket list seat in the same way that, say, Qatar Qsuite is. But the service is warm, the food is great, and the lie-flat seat is comfortable and spacious. You can book it for as little as 45,000 miles, after all.
Just beware of the less-than-ideal seat configuration with some rows that restrict aisle access for some seats. You may be forced to climb over a sleeping passenger to reach the lavatory — or the one being climbed over.
