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Aer Lingus Launches Pittsburgh Route and Five New European Services for Summer 2026
Aer Lingus has announced another network expansion for summer 2026, including five new European routes alongside a brand-new transatlantic service from Dublin to Pittsburgh. As well as the new routes, the Cork-Prague service will now run year-round.
Dublin to Pittsburgh
From 25th May 2026, Aer Lingus will launch a four-times-weekly service between Dublin and Pittsburgh, operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Flights will be operated by the Airbus A321neoLR. This will take Aer Lingus to 24 North American routes from Ireland.
The route launch builds on its long-standing relationship with the Pittsburgh Steelers. It will provide one-stop access to western Pennsylvania without the need to transit through a US hub or change at Heathrow onto a BA-operated flight.
One way Business fares hover around €2,286. Economy fares start at €289.
New European Routes for Summer 2026
Aer Lingus has announced three European routes from Dublin in May, including:
- Asturias – Tuesdays and Saturdays: A picturesque part of Northern Spain where you can enjoy historic cities, traditional cider houses and some of Spain’s best food. The city is also an upcoming destination for slow, experience-led travel.
- Oslo – Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays: City life, fresh air, islands, walks and easy access to the fjords.
- Montpellier – Tuesdays and Saturdays from 19th May: A sunny southern French city with easy access to fantastic beaches.
From Cork, two new twice-weekly flights have been announced, including:
- Nice – Wednesdays and Saturdays from: The return of a popular route to this glamorous city on the Côte d’Azur. Explore the old town and enjoy Provençal cuisine.
- Santiago de Compostela – Mondays and Thursdays from June: A historic city with grand buildings and delicious Galician food. It’s also the starting and finishing point of the Camino de Santiago trail. Extra flights will run in October.
Advantage fares (the premium short-haul offering) average €180-€240, while Economy fares start at €59.99.
View the Aer Lingus site here or discover more about the AerClub loyalty programme + the cheapest way to earn status in our guide.
Discounted Virgin Hotels Reward Stays This Winter
Virgin Red has launched a fantastic winter redemption deal on Virgin Hotels Reward Stays, with lower redemption costs on most properties in the US and UK.
The offer applies to the Chamber Room category, and you must book direct with Virgin Hotels at least 7 days in advance.
US Stays include:
| Hotel | Points per Night (from) | Booking Deadline | Latest 2026 Check-Out Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Hotels New Orleans | 20,000 | 15th January 2026 | 31st January |
| Virgin Hotels Dallas | 22,500 | 15th January 2026 | 28th February |
| Virgin Hotels Nashville | 27,500 | 15th January 2026 | 28th February |
| Virgin Hotels New York | 27,500 | 15th January 2026 | 28th February |
There are some great value deals here. For example, the New Orleans hotel has rooms for £212-£349 during those dates, so you’re getting a value of 1.06p-1.75p per point, which is much higher than some redemptions (e.g. gift cards). However, hotel redemptions are not always the most lucrative way to spend Virgin Points, as flights, upgrades, cruises, and experiences are, but they are certainly more valuable than spending points on vouchers.
Virgin Hotels London Shoreditch is also included in the offer, though at a higher rate, starting at 45,000 points per night, for bookings made before 31st December 2025 for Thursday to Sunday stays with a check-out date before 31st March 2026. However, with the average Chamber room cost of £234, you’re getting a value of 0.52p per point.
If you have a stay in mind, make sure you check availability. Remember, you can transfer Virgin Red Points and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Points between accounts, depending on what you want to use them for.
If you opt for a paid rate instead, you can still earn 7 Virgin Points per £1.
Direct UK-Germany Rail Services Move Closer
Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn have signed an agreement to work on high-speed services to Cologne and Frankfurt. This follows the first-of-its-kind treaty signed in July by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Keir Starmer, aimed at breaking down legal and logistical barriers that prevent a direct rail route.
This service will most certainly make trains to Germany a viable option from the UK, removing the need for timetable juggling and changing trains in Brussels and providing transport between city centres.
At the moment, a rail journey between London and Frankfurt takes an average of 5-9 hours, with at least one change. The new service would take you to Cologne in 4 hours and Frankfurt in 5.
The service will use Eurostar’s double-decker Celestia fleet, announced as part of its €2 billion investment. At the moment, the service is planned for the early 2030s. For a UK-Germany through-train to work, German departure stations would need the proper terminal setup for security and UK border controls. That is doable, but one of the reasons the service will take so long to start.
The new service will be particularly appealing once Eurostar becomes SkyTeam’s first non-airline partner, especially if you’re one of the growing number of people who’ve moved over to the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club or Flying Blue.
Michael Peterson, Member of the Management Board for Long Distance Passenger Transport at DB, said:
“Europe is coming together ever more closely by rail. In cooperation with Eurostar, we also want to bring Germany and the UK closer together at high speed. We are convinced of the great potential of such a direct connection. However, this project also shows that new cross-border long-distance services are often only possible through partnerships like this, due to complex framework conditions.“
