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It has been a long time coming (considering BA and Aer Lingus share a parent company), but as of today, British Airways Bronze, Silver, and Gold card holders now get to enjoy select benefits when they fly with Aer Lingus.
The details
When flying with Aer Lingus, British Airways Executive Club Bronze members can now enjoy the following elite benefits:
- Priority check-in for everyone on the same booking as the elite status holder.
- Priority boarding for everyone on the same booking as the elite status holder.
When flying with Aer Lingus, British Airways Executive Club Silver members can now enjoy the following elite benefits:
- Priority check-in for everyone on the same booking as the elite status holder.
- Priority boarding for everyone on the same booking as the elite status holder.
- Priority security for the elite status holder + one guest (at select locations*).
- Lounge access for the elite status holder + one guest (at select locations when flying on transatlantic routes – see here).
- Extra baggage allowance of one additional bag at 23kg when travelling on Aer Lingus-operated flights in Economy, excluding EI Saver Fares.
When flying with Aer Lingus, British Airways Executive Club Gold members (and above) can now enjoy the following elite benefits:
- Priority check-in for everyone on the same booking as the elite status holder.
- Priority boarding for everyone on the same booking as the elite status holder.
- Priority security for the elite status holder + one guest (at select locations*).
- Lounge access for the elite status holder + one guest (at select locations when flying on transatlantic routes – see here).
- Extra baggage allowance of one additional bag at 23kg when travelling in any cabin on Aer Lingus-operated flights. For Aer Lingus Business class, an additional piece up to 32kg is allowed but the combined weight must not exceed 96kg.
*Priority security lines are available at Dublin, Shannon, London Heathrow, Amsterdam, Belfast and Birmingham airports.
Quick thoughts
We’re getting there. Slowly.
It wasn’t too long ago that British Airways flyers couldn’t even collect Tier Points when flying with Aer Lingus let alone enjoy any elite status benefits (Tier Point collection was only introduced in April of this year), so even though there are still a few privileges not offered to BA elites when they fly with Aer Lingus, today’s news is welcome.
For someone like me who, when flying transatlantic with Aer Lingus, is usually booked into Business Class, today’s announcement won’t really have much effect (most of these benefits are included in an Aer Lingus Business Class fare) so what I would have really liked to see added is complimentary seat selection on Economy Class bookings (for when I use Aer Lingus on short-haul), but as things stand, that’s a benefit that doesn’t seem to be heading our way any time soon.
Overall, however, I should give credit where credit is due. Any British Airways elites who are in the habit of booking Aer Lingus Economy Class across the pond should now have a more comfortable start to their journeys and in an environment where airlines seem to be more inclined to remove benefits than add them, that’s good news.
Bottom line
If you hold British Airways elite status of any kind, you now get more benefits when flying with Aer Lingus than you did yesterday. Unsurprisingly, the biggest beneficiaries of today’s announcement are BA’s Silver and Gold members, but even Bronze members have been given a little something to be cheerful about.
