GUIDE: In Depth Look at the Aer Lingus AerClub Loyalty Programme – Top Tier Status for £2,556?

The Aer Lingus AerClub is a popular airline loyalty programme among readers and has become increasingly popular since changes were made to BA and programmes across the industry. Dublin-based, with partnerships with BA and American Airlines (AA), US pre-clearance at Dublin/Shannon, and Avios currency, Aer Lingus is an interesting alternative if you’re considering switching your loyalty, especially if you’re already crediting your flights to an Avios-earning loyalty programme. 

Even if you’re not considering a switch, Aer Lingus has some great fares and benefits, including lower Air Passenger Duty (APD) compared to flying from London. Is AerClub worth focusing your time on?

To decide which loyalty programme is right for you, it’s paramount to spend a bit of time learning about airline loyalty programmes, airline alliances, and partnerships rather than just crediting to the loyalty programme of the airline you’re flying with, even if it’s one you won’t fly with again for a long time.

This article details the essential things you need to know about the AerClub loyalty programme as part of our series covering the most popular airline loyalty programmes and alliances. Make sure you also read part 2 of this article, which covers how to earn and spend Aer Lingus Avios for the best value. 

Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus is Ireland’s flag carrier, founded in 1936. Transatlantic flights were launched in 1958, and as of summer 2026, they will have 26 transatlantic route options. On long-haul routes, Aer Lingus positions itself as a value-driven, yet premium, airline offering two classes: Economy and Business, but unfortunately, there is no First cabin.

The main hub is in Dublin, where you can also benefit from US pre-clearance, saving lots of time when you land. Regional UK and Ireland routes are also aplenty, meaning you can connect via Dublin – especially useful if flying West.

The great range of connecting airports is also a great feature of KLM and therefore the Flying Blue loyalty programme if you’re looking for a loyalty programme in the SkyTeam alliance. There are also a few direct transatlantic flights from Manchester and Shannon.

The Aer Lingus Fleet

The entire fleet is operated by Airbus aircraft models, including the newest A321XLR and the large A330-300. The A330 has 30 Business Class seats in an alternating 1-2-2 and 1-2-1 layout. The A321neo LR has 16 fully flat seats in an alternating 2-2 and 1-1 layout.  On short-haul routes, the premium product is AerSpace.

Aer Lingus and Airline Alliances

Aer Lingus sits in an unusual position. It is now a wholly owned subsidiary of IAG, although it is not (and has no current plans to rejoin) a member alliance of Oneworld. 

AerClub’s elite status does not equate to Oneworld Sapphire or Emerald. This may massively limit the appeal to you of choosing AerClub as your programme of choice. This depends on how often you fly with other airlines. However, consider that other major airlines, such as Emirates and Etihad, are also not part of an alliance. 

AerClub: What You Need to Know

AerClub replaced the previous Gold Circle loyalty programme in 2016. To get your head around how it works, there are two important things to distinguish:

• Tier Credits: Earned by flying with AerLingus or select partner airlines. These determine your status level.
• Avios: The currency used by Aer Lingus. This is the currency you earn and redeem in. If you’re familiar with an Avios-earning programme, it can often be easier to switch to another. You can learn all about earning and spending Aer Lingus Avios in part 2.

How to Join AerClub

Like other airline loyalty programmes we often cover, AerClub is completely free to join. Once you’ve joined, you’ll receive a membership number which can be input when booking flights with Aer Lingus or partner airlines to earn Avios and Tier Credits. You will also get access to the eStore.

Even if you do not plan to switch to AerClub as your primary airline loyalty programme, having an account is still worth it. You can book flights (and credit them to other airlines if you like), redeem reward flights (from transferring Avios into your Aer Lingus account) and earn Avios via the shopping portal with partners that may not be partnered with your chosen airline.

How to Earn Status With AerClub

AerClub has four membership levels: Green, Silver, Platinum, and Concierge. Status is calculated based on the number of Tier Credits you earn within a membership year, which runs from 1st April to 31st March each year. On 1st April each year, your Tier Credit balance resets to zero. It’s also important to note that there is no way of earning Tier Credits without flying. This differs from the New BA Club and Iberia Plus.

When flying with AerLingus, Tier Credits are calculated as follows:

Note: AerSpace Tier Credits are awarded on short-haul flights purchased in I, J, D, & C Class only. They are not earned as part of a long-haul Business fare, where AerSpace is complimentary

Here’s what you need to know about the status levels and how to work your way through them:

Green

This is the membership level you will start with when you sign up with AerClub, similar to Qatar Burgundy and British Airways’ Blue membership. In comparison to other airlines, there are few benefits of Green status, apart from the ability to earn Avios, Status Credits, and access to promotions.

Even if you never plan to earn status with AerClub, it’s worth signing up to access promotions and have the chance to book redemption flights and upgrades using Avios transferred from other programmes.

Silver

Qualification: 301 Tier Credits

Example: × Business Flex / 3× Business / 7× AerSpace / 21× Saver – You only need to fly one of these combinations or a mix

• Access to a dedicated priority check-in counter at select airports
• Complimentary 10kg cabin bag (7kg on Aer Lingus regional)
• Priority boarding. You will be ahead of the standard Economy, but, of course, higher-status members will come before you.
• Fast-track security at select airports (Dublin, Shannon, London Heathrow, Belfast, Birmingham, and Amsterdam airports). Only Dublin for Aer Lingus regional.
• Lounge access (selected lounges only – more details below)
• Ability to request a status extension if you’re unable to fly to major life events such as birth or serious illness. A doctor’s certificate is required to confirm an inability to travel for 16 weeks or more.
• 25% bonus Avios on Aer Lingus flights

Platinum

Qualification: 601 Tier Credits

Example: x4 Business Flex transatlantic flights x5 Business / x13 Smart / x41 Saver

All the benefits of Silver status, plus:

• One complimentary upgrade to Business on a transatlantic flight. You must book an Economy flight and call to upgrade.
• Priority boarding and fast-track also include your travel companion
• 50% bonus Avios on Aer Lingus flights
• One complimentary checked bag of 20-23kg when travelling in Economy, depending on your route. Excludes Saver fares. Unfortunately, you must call the Platinum line to add this in.
• Better lounge access (e.g. the 51st Green Lounge at Dublin Airport). Lounge access now also includes your travel companion.
• Priority waiting list for a complimentary upgrade

Concierge

Qualification: 1,051 Tier Credits

Example: x9 One-way Business transatlantic flights / x7 Business Flex / x71 Saver / x22 AerSpace

All the Silver and Platinum benefits, plus:

• 4 x one way transatlantic upgrades – expires when your status expires
• Complimentary WIFI up to 400MB on transatlantic flights.
• Waive change fees and refund administration fees for all Aer Lingus bookings.
• A companion ticket for one return flight in the same cabin class. Taxes, fees and charges still apply. You can’t add the complimentary upgrade benefit to this one. This is a very valuable benefit! For example, if you paid £3,500 for you from DUB to JFK, a companion ticket would be just £550-£700, saving £2,800 – £2,950 with just one benefit!
• Access to a dedicated help desk
• 75% bonus Avios on Aer Lingus flights. For example, at the 4 Avios per £1 earning rate for Aer Lingus flights, a Green member would earn 8,800 Avios. With the 75% bonus, you would instead receive 15,400.
• Guaranteed seat on a full flight on a full fare Economy ticket as long as you request 24 hours in advance. However, only two Concierge members can use this per flight, so it’s not guaranteed.
• Nominate a Green-tier companion to receive a Silver AerClub Membership until your tier expiry date. There is no fee to do this (like with some loyalty programmes).
• Request to travel earlier than scheduled on the same route and date as the original booking, within 24 hours of the scheduled travel date, is free of charge. 

Earning Status the Cheapest Way

If you want to benefit from the advantages of Aer Lingus status but you want to earn the cheapest way possible, here’s what you need to know:

Here’s the scenario of the average cost of a one-way fare: the two Aer Lingus transatlantic Business fare types, AerSpace, the ‘European Business Class’ and Saver Economy, the cheapest fare. 

*Based on the lowest fares I found multiple times on a quick search.

Now, here’s the number of tier points you need for each status level, the number of one-way flights of each fare type you would need if you earned status using just that fare type, and the cost.

How Does This Compare to BA?

• Bronze: 3,500 – £3,500 – Aer Lingus Silver – £756

• Silver: 7,500 – £7,500 – Aer Lingus Platinum – £1,716

• Gold: 20,000 – £20,000 – Aer Lingus Concierge – £2,556

BA Gold Vs Aer Lingus Concierge 

It’s clear that Aer Lingus Concierge can be earned by spending SIGNIFICANTLY less than what is required for BA Gold. No, you won’t have alliance-wide benefits, but it depends on how important this is to you and your flight patterns. However, you’ll have a range of benefits not available with BA, including:

• Nominating status to another member – a Green member to Silver
• Free rebooking on an earlier same-day Aer Lingus flight and waived change/refund fees
• Complimentary WIFI up to 400MB on transatlantic routes
• 1 yearly return companion ticket
• 4 complimentary transatlantic one-way upgrades

And more… These benefits alone could repay the cost of earning status if you managed to get to Aer Lingus Concierge for £3,000. That’s 71 Economy flights but just 22 AerSpace flights. The lowest cost of earning status via Aer Lingus Business Class is £14,904, and you’re looking at more like £17,000, which is edging closer to the £20,000 for BA Gold. Despite many airlines overhauling their loyalty programme, including both BA and Iberia in the IAG group, there’s still a loophole to earn Aer Lingus status for less, and you never know, you could use it to status match in the future!

Aer Lingus Lounge Access

Aer Lingus lounge access depends on your ticket type and AerClub status

• Silver Member: Access to Aer Lingus lounges in Ireland, London Heathrow, and New York JFK. Also includes direct USA routes (excluding San Francisco & Chicago/ORD), as well as selected European airports.
• Platinum & above – Access to all Aer Lingus lounges worldwide, including the 51st & Green (currently Aer Lingus T2 instead), US Pre-clearance lounge at Dublin. You can invite one companion to visit the lounge with you. Children age 2+ count as companions. You can also access BA lounges when on an EI+BA through-ticket. EI Business Class customers can use AA Admirals/Flagship lounges at US airports (depart/arrive/connect)

You can purchase a lounge pass for Heathrow or JFK when making your booking or via Manage My Trip. Can also pay at the door if available at LHR.

Note: Bank of Ireland Mastercard Gold Business cardholders (not available in the UK) receive entry to DUB, LHR, and JFK lounges, plus affiliated lounges (excluding SFO & ORD), with one guest.

You can view the full list of lounges you can access here.

Earning AerClub Status Via Partner Airlines

Aer Lingus has a partnership with American Airlines and British Airways, so you can earn AerClub Tier Credits when flying with them as long as your flight is credited to Aer Lingus. 

Here’s what you need to know:

Status with AerClub Via British Airways

Tier Credits:

Only applies to BA ticketed Aer Lingus fares

When Travelling:

• Silver: Priority Boarding in Group 3 and check-in at Club Europe/Club World check-in desks
• Platinum: Also fast-track and lounge access with a guest. Must travel on a transatlantic itinerary. Lounges in the UK, Europe, the USA, Canada, Mexico and Israel where British Airways has a lounge available.
• Concierge: Member-only extra checked bag in Economy

Status with AerClub via American Airlines

Tier Credits:

When Travelling:

• Silver: Priority check-in and boarding in Group 4 for you and all passengers on the booking (max 9)
• Platinum: fast-track for just you/lounge access for you and a guest – AA lounges and partner lounges
• Concierge: NO ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Final Words

AerClub is not for you if you’re aiming for Oneworld status, but if you would only use your Oneworld status with AA and BA, it’s still worth considering. It’s also important to remember that there’s no First Class cabin, although you can earn AerLingus Tier Credits flying in AA or BA First.

The global lounge network is not as big as if you had Oneworld status and can be patchy, but there are plenty of options if your travel is centred around the US, UK and Ireland. Similarly, the upgrade benefit is excellent, but not if you’ve booked an Economy fare to find out upgrades are not available, although the upgrade costs are extremely reasonable. It’s also only possible to earn Tier Credits via flying.

That said, AerClub has plenty of strengths, especially if you mainly fly West and even more specifically if you mainly fly from Ireland to the US. The ability to pre-clear US immigration is a huge advantage, but then you could have that anyway just by flying with Aer Lingus.

The pricing is also very competitive, with a simple reward chart and lower APD when starting your journey in Ireland; suddenly, those fares look even better value. The cost of earning top-tier Concierge status is also significantly lower than the £20,000 needed for BA Gold (more like £25,000 after taxes, etc). If you look for the cheapest fares, you can earn Concierge status via short-haul flights for just over £2,500!

Ultimately, AerLingus works best as a secondary option. I recommend that everyone has an account, as you can take advantage of various benefits, such as crediting via United (more in part 2) and transferring via ‘Combine My Avios’, or occasionally earning slightly higher rates on hotel bookings (more about that in part 2). You’ll also find out about all the offers and sales. Think of it as a free-agent approach to Avios Airlines.

However, if Dublin is your local airport and most of your flights are with Aer Lingus, they really do award their top-tier Concierge members with companion tickets, free upgrades and more.

If AerLingus were to join Oneworld, I’m sure many more people would be considering them as their programme of choice. But, until then, there’s still value in being a member.

• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• Qatar Privilege Club
• Club Iberia Plus
• Finnair Plus
• Air France/KLM – Flying Blue
• Turkish Airlines
• Cathay Pacific