As part of my day-to-day job, I get to fly to London a few times per year. Before you get too excited, like many people in “normal” society, I fly Economy Class. With that said, I do not mind Flying Economy Class, as I am on the low end of the work totem pole. I get it. To compensate, my employer generally gives me one day after I land to recover. They also do not mind if I take a few extra days to travel after my work assignment. all in all, not a bad deal.
Now, since I am deep into the world of points and miles, I am always on the lookout for opportunities to fly “better.” I mean, who would say no to a Business Class upgrade? When I researched upgrade opportunities to Europe, I think I stumbled upon a “hidden in plane site” upgrade option…
How I Upgraded My Aer Lingus Flight To Business Class
I typically book my own travel, because to be frank, I have mastered the art of finding the flights I want (aka the “better” flights), but still staying within company policy. In most cases, I save the company money. Win-Win. The trouble with flights to London is that upgrading a British Airways or Virgin Atlantic flight comes with the infamous hefty price tag in the form of taxes and fees. To add insult to injury, the upgrades often only get me to Premium Economy. Not even a lie-flat seat! No thank you.
On this specific trip, the cheapest option to my destination on my travel dates was an Aer Lingus flight through Dublin. The best part of this flight option was the long-haul segment Business Class was almost completely empty. This meant there was a high chance of finding a Business Class upgrade.
After a little research, I found the costs to upgrade from Economy Class to Business Class on the Aer Lingus site:
- East Coast to Dublin: 37,000 points (off-peak) / 44,750 points (peak)
- South to Dublin: 46,250 points (off-peak) / 55,000 points (peak)
- West Coast to Dublin: 46,250 points (off-peak) / 55,000 points (peak)
Credit. Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus Business Class Upgrade Avios Point Requirement.
… and there was upgrade award space available. Bingo!
Here is how I processed the upgrade:
- Transferred Avios from my British Airways account to my Aer Lingus account (this action is free of charge)
- Emailed Aer Lingus (aerclubupgrade@aerlingus.com) with my AerClub Avios number, flight reference and booking number, full name, and upgrade request.
- Waited 24 hours.
- Anxiously waited another 24 hours.
After about 48 hours, I received the confirmation from Aer Lingus with my new ticket: Business Class!
Note: There are detailed instructions for upgrading a seat with Avios on the Aer Lingus website.
Why This Aer Lingus Upgrade Is A Hidden Gem
Whil not a household name, I think upgrading to Business Class with Aer Lingus is a clever use of miles. Here are a few reasons why:
- Avios Are Easy To Earn. You can transfer flexible points from every major transferable point currency (i.e. American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, etc.). If you open a new credit card once a quarter, and maximize your everyday spending, you should easily build a stash for potential Avios points.
- Avios Are Transferable Across Airlines. You can transfer Avios between the airlines which participate in the Avios program (Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, and Qatar Airways) free of charge.
- Aer Lingus Has Cheap Trans-Atlantic Flights. It is not hard to find Aer Lingus fares between the East Coast and Ireland for under $200 one-way in Economy. In contrast, Business Class fares on the same flight go for over $2,000 one-way. Economy Class Ticket ($200) + Points Upgrade (37,000 points = $740) = A Steal ($940 vs $2,000+).
- High Availability Of Upgradeable Seats. While there is no exact or published figure, almost every time I check, there is an upgrade option with Aer Lingus.
Credit. Aer Lingus. Example Aer Lingus Cash Fares (BOS – DUB).
Note: The return flight (i.e. Ireland to the East Coast) is often more expensive from a cash perspective, but the upgrade cost in points remains the same. I personally did not upgrade on the return, as it was a short day flight, and I wanted to save the points for a more valuable redemption.
A Quick Review Of Aer Lingus Business Class
Credit. Business Traveller. Aer Lingus A321neo LR Business Class.
No matter how good “the deal” was, the ultimate question is: was it worth it? At the cash + points price, and me traveling solo on this trip, I can say, absolutely!
The flight attendants were extremely kind, the seat was comfortable (did I mention it was lie-flat), there were air nozzles which let me control the temperature, and the food was much better than som other US-based airlines (looking at you American Airlines and United Airlines). However, the most important benefit was the I arrived well rested and able to work when I landed. As a bonus, Aer Lingus makes Economy Class passengers weigh their carry-on bags and gate check any overweight bags. Business Class passengers are blissfully example from this extra step.
It is important to note, that despite the flowing review above, Aer Lingus flies two types of aircraft on East Coast to Dublin routes: Airbus A330-300 and Airbus A321neo LR. The later is a single aisle aircraft, but still has lie-flat seats; and by most accounts, offers the superior experience.
Now, if I was flying with my wife, would I make the same decision? If I found a similarly cheap cash deal and there were multiple seats available for upgrades, maybe. With that said, in a non-work trip situation, I would probably opt for something a little more luxurious.
Note: I have only upgraded myself on flights and never tried to upgrade more than one person at a time. I am not sure how easy it is to upgrade two people at once.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I was extremely happy with my decision to upgrade my Aer Lingus flight to Dublin with Avios, and I highly recommend others explore this option. The best way to maximize this deal is to first find an extremely cheap Economy Class cash flight, then make sure there is an option to upgrade. Thankfully, most airlines give you 24 hours to cancel a ticket free of charge, which should give you enough time to confirm there is space available in Business Class. While Aer Lingus does not offer a Business Class product on par with Emirates or Qatar Airways, it is still a solid way to score a lie-flat seat across the Atlantic for rock bottom prices, If you are like me, that is good enough!