Aerlingus AerClub/Avios

goingnowhere · 04-03-2021 6:34pm

The lounge in Dublin was/is being refurbished but haven't been to the airport since September

Its costing EI nothing currently as no one is flying. It would be a foolish commercial decision to not extend as it would be handing business to Ryanair and others.

The lounge in Dublin, JFK, LHR are sunk costs and as long as there are business passengers they will exist, the program really doesn't cost them much to run given how little we get out it.

Board Walker · 04-03-2021 11:57pm

I was wondering this myself. I hit the middle tier last February so i didn't get the benefit. I cant even remember what the middle tier was called? I wont be traveling until August regardless of vaccine or not. Shell wont allow us as one of our colleagues in Rotterdam is quite Ill. I haven't traveled since last August. I traveled in July also but that's it since early March and the year before i completed 24 return flights for work in 2019.

Dublinflyer · 06-03-2021 3:47pm

BigMoose wrote: »

I have been wondering the same as there's no chance of me building status by November but also suspect they wont extend again. That said, if they don't, they'll be starting with pretty much 0 tier members when things eventually restart. You'd assume it's in their interest to keep loyal travelers choosing them when folk get flying again. If my economy class work trips to SFO pick up again and I've got no status with EI I'll definitely assess options of building points up elsewhere. But that's not going to happen until well into 2022 at the earliest!

Same here, I used to travel in both Europe and to the US but that changed and it was only the US before covid, normally about twice a month. I stuck with EI as I was on the top tier and if I drop down like yourself I will look at other options that may work better for me. That's assuming we have any routes left when it all opens up again, but that a whole other thread.

AndyBoBandy · 08-03-2021 10:41am

Since January 2018, I've taken 3 trips abroad with Aer Lingus, and still find myself a member of AerClub!!! (2 of the trips were to/from U.K.)

goingnowhere · 08-03-2021 11:41am

Soft landing

That sounds right if you were Concierge, you drop to Platinum, you drop to Silver next year. There is some token minimum flights taken requirement, Platinum is 4, Sliver is 2 so you just slid in there.

billy few mates · 09-03-2021 5:33am

Every other airline FF and hotel chain loyalty scheme that I belong to have frozen my status exactly where it was at the start of the pandemic until some point in the future when they hope things return to normal and members will start using them again. I gave up on Aerclub a few years ago so I don't even read the emails but reducing your membership benefits because you're not travelling as much in a global pandemic is a bit short sighted if you ask me.

Noxegon · 09-03-2021 7:57am

At the end of 2019 I flew a round trip to JFK in business class.

Part of the reason for upgrading from economy was to get myself most of the points needed to get lounge access on future European flights.

Those points were wiped out a year later because I hadn’t hit the magic threshold through no fault of my own.

When the world recovers I suspect I’ll just get a Priority Pass.

billy few mates · 09-03-2021 11:21pm

Noxegon wrote: »

At the end of 2019 I flew a round trip to JFK in business class.

Part of the reason for upgrading from economy was to get myself most of the points needed to get lounge access on future European flights.

Those points were wiped out a year later because I hadn’t hit the magic threshold through no fault of my own.

When the world recovers I suspect I’ll just get a Priority Pass.

When the world recovers people will just get their coffee from Butler's and claim it back on expenses...

Board Walker · 10-03-2021 11:44am

I think they will extend again, otherwise the Lounge will be empty.

goingnowhere · 10-03-2021 12:36pm

And the staff cost is fixed full or empty

goingnowhere · 11-03-2021 10:09pm

I was given 12 month extensions on all of my programs, AC was no different

Everyone is rolling forward, thats easier for the hotels as the typically go Dec/Dec or something similar, AC is 12 months from enrolment.

Its a bit early, but its going to be 2022 before we get to some degree of normality, I'm expecting to get a roll over from AC. If not I just drop to Silver so I loose nothing really

L1011 · 11-03-2021 11:35pm

I had just lost my decent Radisson status - due to work being insanely busy for unconnected reasons - when they announced a year extra. Infuriating albeit it was already gone

Still got status with NH that should have long since expired due to them kicking it down the road too. Unlikely to use it!

Noxegon · 12-03-2021 8:25am

I’ve never gotten the impression that Aer Lingus wanted a loyalty club all that much.

BigMoose · 12-03-2021 12:47pm

Noxegon wrote: »

I’ve never gotten the impression that Aer Lingus wanted a loyalty club all that much.

It will be interesting to see what they do as if this is the case they have the perfect opportunity to fold it. Dont extend current status and they'll have next to no members by the time flying gets back to anything like normal. Would seem daft though as we cant be the only folk who chose to use them for work travel for the small perks we do get. Flights from Europe were half full of folk with AerClub tags on carry on. I cant imagine it costs them much given the loyalty they get. The lounges and business check in are needed for business class anyway and I'm sure the priority deal between them and DUB is next to nothing a passenger. That said, they could drop all the lounges on short haul routes as there is no business class. Drop the lounge in Dublin too and just keep 51st/Green for US business class...

AndyBoBandy · 12-03-2021 12:49pm

Noxegon wrote: »

I’ve never gotten the impression that IAG wanted an Aer Lingus loyalty club all that much.

fixed that a little bit... (that's how I feel about it anyway).

AndyBoBandy · 12-03-2021 1:01pm

BigMoose wrote: »

Flights from Europe were half full of folk with AerClub tags on carry on.

For the last 2 years or so I was regularly flying (up to around Jan 2018), on the UK flights I always took (MAN/LGW/BHX/LHR), the priority queue was always as big as, if not bigger than the regular queue, all with tags on bags..... so that kind of lost it's edge near the end for me, as in wasn't as worth it anymore...

Fast Track Security was and always will be the best benefit of membership.. especially during summer months.

Lounge access was handy enough in fairness, especially if you just want somewhere reasonably quiet to sit and relax if you've a few hours to kill, and to grab a few light refreshments... (I was always typically a 1-3 hour drive away from the airport, so would always leave with ample time to make it, so would usually* arrive 2-3 hours before a flight).

*there were times though!! :cool::cool:

Noxegon · 12-03-2021 11:59pm

My favourite Gold Circle experience (that long ago) was being refused access to the JFK lounge at the end of an extended trip because the card I had with me had expired a few days before.

Its replacement was waiting in my letterbox in Dublin when I got home.

I remember being amazed that the staff had no way to look up whether someone had current membership or not.

Dublinflyer · 13-03-2021 10:49pm

Noxegon wrote: »

My favourite Gold Circle experience (that long ago) was being refused access to the JFK lounge at the end of an extended trip because the card I had with me had expired a few days before.

Its replacement was waiting in my letterbox in Dublin when I got home.

I remember being amazed that the staff had no way to look up whether someone had current membership or not.

I got a survey from ei yesterday asking what I thought of the idea of a virtual card. Maybe that’s the direction they are going.

towger · 14-03-2021 12:33am

Dublinflyer wrote: »

I got a survey from ei yesterday asking what I thought of the idea of a virtual card. Maybe that’s the direction they are going.

Physical card is totally unnecessary, I don’t even use a physical credit card any more. I told them that on the survey so hope they go that way.

Rowley Birkin QC · 15-03-2021 8:16pm

towger wrote: »

Physical card is totally unnecessary, I don’t even use a physical credit card any more. I told them that on the survey so hope they go that way.

but but but how will people know that I'm platinum as I waft through past the GenPop queue if it goes virtual?!

:P

goingnowhere · 15-03-2021 9:05pm

I'm still keeping my concierge tags on my bags.

I've managed to get through fast track and into the lounge without showing a card and even through boarding gate without showing any ID, but once upon a time I was on first name terms with the staff

Board Walker · 22-03-2021 9:43am

Rowley Birkin QC wrote: »

but but but how will people know that I'm platinum as I waft through past the GenPop queue if it goes virtual?! :P

I hope you voted to keep the card!!

BigMoose · 22-03-2021 11:06am

Rowley Birkin QC wrote: »

but but but how will people know that I'm platinum as I waft through past the GenPop queue if it goes virtual?! :P

Surely they know by the tags on your carry-on not by the card they cant see you wave at the gate staff?? If they stop handing out tags then we do have a problem!

AndyBoBandy · 22-03-2021 11:10am

BigMoose wrote: »

If they stop handing out tags then we do have a problem!

I must have about 30 old tags lying around, most still attached to the letters they were stuck to when sent out.

I have at least 8 silver tags, 4 Platinum, 2 Concierge, and the rest in old Gold Circle...

BigMoose · 22-03-2021 11:15am

I have a whole collection dotted about various cases/bags, from Gold Circle and the 3 ME carriers and a Delta gold somewhere... The gold circle tag is/was handy for quickly identifying my case when I did have to check in luggage!

goingnowhere · 22-03-2021 11:37am

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I must have about 30 old tags lying around, most still attached to the letters they were stuck to when sent out.

I have at least 8 silver tags, 4 Platinum, 2 Concierge, and the rest in old Gold Circle...

I have Silver, Platinum and Concierge cards from AC, all issued in the same year. Just goes to show how messed up the program was...

The new bag tags don't have the metal inserts around the holes so they won't last

AndyBoBandy · 22-03-2021 11:42am

goingnowhere wrote: »

I have Silver, Platinum and Concierge cards from AC, all issued in the same year. Just goes to show how messed up the program was...

The new bag tags don't have the metal inserts around the holes so they won't last

I got my 1st set and 2nd set of Silver tags about 3 week apart from each other...
but yeah, also got a set of Platinum & Concierge in the same summer...

I pretty much stopped flying just after hitting Concierge, so only had a few of the occasions when they came down to my seat, before they'd even started the inflight meal service to give me a coffee & a kit kat... that was when you truly felt you'd 'made it'

Noxegon · 22-03-2021 11:59am

goingnowhere wrote: »

I have Silver, Platinum and Concierge cards from AC, all issued in the same year. Just goes to show how messed up the program was...

I had something similar from Emirates – though in their case the qualification was a rolling twelve months, so you didn't end up losing all your points on more than one occasion just as you were about to cross the magic threshold.

Yes, I am still bitter about that.

goingnowhere · 22-03-2021 12:03pm

I was never Silver with AC, the system had real problems with rollovers

In both AC and GC you could go up tiers as quickly as you fly, but in GC it reset the 12 months window every time you went up. So you can go from 0 to top in 12 months.

Coming down it GC was instant, with AC it is stepped so can take years...

LiamaDelta · 27-03-2021 5:59pm

Noxegon wrote: »

I had something similar from Emirates – though in their case the qualification was a rolling twelve months, so you didn't end up losing all your points on more than one occasion just as you were about to cross the magic threshold.

Yes, I am still bitter about that.

Same. So annoying to have your points reset, knowing that you would have crossed the threshold within a month or two (or in my case a week:mad:)

Board Walker · 29-03-2021 12:26pm

When GC changed to AC i had 85% of the points before i moved up from green, when they translated the points i only had 45% of required points.

micosoft · 04-04-2021 9:20pm

For the return to flying but this looks promising: https://www.executivetraveller.com/aer-lingus-is-likely-to-rejoin-oneworld-as-a-oneworld-connect-member
Seems a cut down alliance would make sense - if the sponsor airlines were BA, Qatar and maybe Cathay feeding Rest of World via Dublin to US.

Noxegon · 05-04-2021 7:10am

micosoft wrote: »

For the return to flying but this looks promising: https://www.executivetraveller.com/aer-lingus-is-likely-to-rejoin-oneworld-as-a-oneworld-connect-member
Seems a cut down alliance would make sense - if the sponsor airlines were BA, Qatar and maybe Cathay feeding Rest of World via Dublin to US.

That article is two years old.

One More Toy · 15-04-2021 10:26pm

Hi I was wondering could you help me out

I haven't earned any Avios since 16 May last year

If I remember correctly it expires within one year of not using it?

What should I do? Just buy 1000 Avios?

Thanks in advance!
Omt

VG31 · 15-04-2021 10:47pm

One More Toy wrote: »

Hi I was wondering could you help me out

I haven't earned any Avios since 16 May last year

If I remember correctly it expires within one year of not using it?

What should I do? Just buy 1000 Avios?

Thanks in advance!
Omt

Avios expire after 3 years.

"Your Avios won't expire as long as you're either collecting or spending Avios at least once every 36 months."

https://www.aerlingus.com/aerclub/about-aerclub/faqs/

You wouldn't even have to buy 1000 Avios. You could just use the AerClub estore to buy something cheap from Easons or the Book Depository for example.

One More Toy · 15-04-2021 10:49pm

VG31 wrote: »

Avios expire after 3 years.

"Your Avios won't expire as long as you're either collecting or spending Avios at least once every 36 months."

https://www.aerlingus.com/aerclub/about-aerclub/faqs/

You wouldn't even have to buy 1000 Avios. You could just use the AerClub estore to buy something cheap from Easons or the Book Depository for example.

Thanks so much!

Board Walker · 16-04-2021 8:35am

Just heard on Matt cooper yesterday the government or EU, cant remember which. Are planning on introducing frequent flyer tax. in a bit to reduce air travel or frequent air travel

Dublinflyer · 16-04-2021 8:52am

Board Walker wrote: »

Just heard on Matt cooper yesterday the government or EU, cant remember which. Are planning on introducing frequent flyer tax. in a bit to reduce air travel or frequent air travel

The EU are doing it as far as I know. It would be very problematic I think and it's really just another way of generating tax. For example, if you travel a lot for work will you and up paying more for your holiday flights? I would guess the airlines will push back given the year they have had as well.

ironclaw · 25-04-2021 4:21pm

Can't really see how they would impose that on an individual with GDPR in force. You'd literally need to track a person's flying habits which someone could just opt-out of. You can't use points or miles as a proxy as every program is different, for example, someone in Ireland could earn miles on United with a US credit card.

They'll just tack it onto the ticket for everyone on the plane.

goingnowhere · 25-04-2021 9:25pm

I'll happily take the train but, hang on I can't... I'd take the ferry but isn't exactly clean either.

Given EI struggles to track me in AerClub...

The real problem is business and first class, you can fit 3-6 economy seats in for each. I'd have no problem with jacking up the taxes there.

We should punish extravagance not the journey taken

Irish Steve · 25-04-2021 11:27pm

goingnowhere wrote: »

I'll happily take the train but, hang on I can't... I'd take the ferry but isn't exactly clean either.

Given EI struggles to track me in AerClub...

The real problem is business and first class, you can fit 3-6 economy seats in for each. I'd have no problem with jacking up the taxes there.

We should punish extravagance not the journey taken

Perhaps if we're going to tax extravagance, we should also double the tax on things like bottled water from outside of Ireland, to mention one specific example. It all depends on how far you want to go with this, I can't remember seeing any bananas growing in fields here, or things like oranges and grapes, the carbon mileage on some of these items is significant. You could also add things like Japanese cars that are imported from Japan after they reach 3 years old, because their NCT equivalent is punitive, or New Zealand Lamb, but look out for the swing of that pendulum when people start reacting against Irish Beef, butter and Whisky that gets shipped around the world.

That's the trouble with too much of "green" politics, it's all sound bites for PR, and no substance, because when it comes down to reality, the implications will hurt people significantly in areas that are not always immediately visible.

Yes, it's a sore point with me, because I've seen how that can backfire badly, the Greens are pushing an all electric future, with very few alternatives, but I don't see them promoting any sort of resilience to ensure that vulnerable customers will have heat and light if we get a major storm, and whatever about using candles for a while if the power's out, if we also can't cook anything, or heat any water or get the house warm due to a major power failure, or charge the car to get to work, or run critical medical equipment, that's going to be a very different story very rapidly if for some reason the power is off for more than a few hours, and that's without industrial unrest from the ESB unions once they realise that everyone is totally dependent on electicity.

Frequent flyer tax is just political posturing jealousy of the worst kind that will be meaningless when it comes down to the reality of how real life works.

Squedward · 29-05-2021 1:52pm

Is it possible to book an Avios redemption from Ireland connecting at LHR to Europe with BA. It's not possible online but has anyone been able to do it over the phone?

thebiglad · 29-05-2021 3:42pm

Squedward wrote: »

Is it possible to book an Avios redemption from Ireland connecting at LHR to Europe with BA. It's not possible online but has anyone been able to do it over the phone?

You can setup a BA account and transfer your Avios to BA and book there - make sure details match exactly.

Alternatively if the route is not flown by EI I thought they showed the partner routes which should include BA.

If you want to fly via LHR though, better off to move to BA.

Squedward · 31-05-2021 3:37pm

thebiglad wrote: »

You can setup a BA account and transfer your Avios to BA and book there - make sure details match exactly.

Alternatively if the route is not flown by EI I thought they showed the partner routes which should include BA.

If you want to fly via LHR though, better off to move to BA.

Thanks, just can't seem to load (a BA codeshare, Aerlingus flight connecting to a BA flight) on the British Airways Avios page, might have to give them a call, can purchase the flight for cash from them so should be possible.

Dublinflyer · 18-06-2021 10:07am

So Aer Lingus is going to start charging for carry on bags, €6 each way and while it's included with Silver or higher, you have to get priority boarding as well. Interesting timing, like it was always coming but you would think they would want to get people flying again. Or maybe they are hoping there will be a rush to travel again and make the revenue from that.

Board Walker · 18-06-2021 11:19am

Any news on opening lounges or extending tiers?

goingnowhere · 18-06-2021 11:33am

Dublinflyer wrote: »

So Aer Lingus is going to start charging for carry on bags, €6 each way and while it's included with Silver or higher, you have to get priority boarding as well. Interesting timing, like it was always coming but you would think they would want to get people flying again. Or maybe they are hoping there will be a rush to travel again and make the revenue from that.

They will check in your hand luggage for free now

Noxegon · 18-06-2021 11:37am

goingnowhere wrote: »

They will check in your hand luggage for free now

It's not hand luggage any more if they check it in!

In all seriousness, the service offered by Aer Lingus on European flights has gradually degenerated over the years, to the point that there's precious little difference between them and Ryanair.

This is just the latest step in the ongoing race to the bottom.

Dublinflyer · 18-06-2021 12:23pm

Board Walker wrote: »

Any news on opening lounges or extending tiers?

I dropped to Platinum last month so i guess they won't be extending. I think they are going to let people fall down and then change what is needed to move up the tiers. It was always pretty easy to get Silver with them with only a few flights needed.

Noxegon · 18-06-2021 12:37pm

Dublinflyer wrote: »

I dropped to Platinum last month so i guess they won't be extending. I think they are going to let people fall down and then change what is needed to move up the tiers. It was always pretty easy to get Silver with them with only a few flights needed.

Provided those flights are transatlantic – then yes.

If most of your travel is European then it takes quite a bit to hit the magic threshold unless you're buying advantage or AerSpace fares.

The fact that the qualification period isn't a rolling twelve months wiped me out more than once when I was on the verge of getting my card.

Aerlingus AerClub/Avios

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