Comments on: Where can you fly on Aer Lingus with your BA Amex 2-4-1 voucher?

By: Margaret Boden OBE

We booked an Aer Lingus flight with Avios! On attempting check in I discovered I couldn’t because the administration of BA or Aer Lingus added my husband’s title immediately after his forename and passport details were not recognised. E.g Henrysir Smyth! Aer Lingus who did take my call said it was BA’s fault, but BA weren’t taking calls. I had to cancel the flights because accommodation reservations were going to be forfeit and non refundable if I couldn’t fly. I got my Avios back, but BA charged me £70 because I cancelled and have to date refused to acknowledge their culpability and refund the money. I certainly wouldn’t risk future flights.

By: Bill

Had an avios.com redemption with Aer Lingus on a regional flight earlier. Self service bag tsg kiosk in Dublin didn’t recognise that checked bags were included so had to queue to see an agent at the check in desk

By: Mikeact

In reply to BBbetter. Why 'especially ' ..that's part of the contract/deal.

By: BBbetter

In reply to Jonathan. It’s more to do with airlines than Amex. Especially BA who have to pay Qatar if voucher is used on QR metal.

By: Jonathan

Amex could really help themselves and allow these voucher too be used on Qatar Airways and Finnair !

By: Jonathan

In reply to Adam. You’d almost certainly make a saving on APD by travelling to Dublin !

By: Jude

Can you do BHX to Dublin, then Dublin to wherever but then come back directly to London using a 2 for 1 voucher. If yes how do you do it?

By: Martin

The first flight of the day during especially during the summer from Edinburgh is mailing.

By: GillC

In reply to John. I got seat selection by contacting Aer Lingus on twitter quoting the AL booking ref. Suggested which seats we’d like and they did it for me

By: Qrfan

What happened to Montreal? I’m sick to death of redeeming 6 figure avios balances for old club world.

By: John

Unless things have improved on the back end, which I doubt, Avios redemptions on EI are ticketed as BA 125-* and the booking ref cannot be managed on EI’s website or app. That means no seat selection (without calling), and often incorrect encoding of your enhanced Avios baggage allowance (easily overridden by checkin staff, but it prevents use of self service bag drop).

By: aq.1988

Rob, can you please give a rough idea of how many avios + taxes would be required to New York, from say Manchester and Dublin?

I know on Iberia from Madrid is only 68k, and reasonable on taxes.

By: Roast Chicken

East Anglia coverage sadly is very thin by Aer Lingus. Hoping one day they add a regional feeder route from DUB to one of NWI/SEN/STN. If it works for KLM (at NWI) for eastbound it should work for Aer Lingus for westbound demand.

By: Rob

In reply to Graham Wilson. Yes, start there so it's quite clear if the long haul is available. You can then try to add on a connecting flight, if there are seats.

By: Graham Wilson

In reply to Rob. And do you use Dublin/Manchester as the starting airport ?

By: GillC

I’ve successfully booked DUB-ORD in business on a 241 but I had to book as soon as the flights dropped on Ba.com. Availability on Aer Lingus doesn’t seem to follow the T-355, they are released slightly later. I *was* going to book connecting flights from/to BHX on avios but it looks like they’ve moved the goalposts. Last week there were up to 5 seats available on each daytime flight but today when I’ve tried to book availability is limited to the last flight of the day, 8 seats rather than 5. I can cope with the last flight on the outward but it’s a bit of a mare on the return, although I suppose we could trot down to town for the day. Maybe this change in reward seat availability is something you could look into Rob

By: Rob

In reply to Graham Wilson. No, BA.com

By: Rob

In reply to Quebec5. Very tight to key cities, easier elsewhere.

By: Quebec5

BUT is there any Business availability,? (Not sure there is) and evennif so is there any easy way to actually find it? (Not sure there is)

By: Graham Wilson

So if you want to use a 2-4-1 voucher with Iberia or Aer Lingus do you book direct on their websites and therefore need your have your AVIOS in those accounts ?

By: e14

In reply to Anna. It would be helpful is EI had some published APIs (application programming interfaces) which SeatSpy could pull. Also the same for Iberia.

By: Startupflyer

The turbo prop regional connections are problematic, no business, no fast track, no priority boarding even if your connecting to business, no lounge and they will try to take a regular carry on and check it in as they have a 7kg limit on them. Connections can be far too tight as these flights seem to pick up delays all the time. Other than that it’s all great.

That said BA connections via LHR (or the hilarious fly to LCY and get yourself to LHR option they like giving) are a nightmare too these days. Maybe it’s a group wide IAG goal to make customers feel bad when they travel.

By: BA Flyer IHG Stayer

In reply to Paul Hickey. Probably because it’s a mixed class multi partner itinerary. Also the code for Aer Lingus is EI.

By: Paul Hickey

I’ll tell you where you can’t fly with a 2-4-1 using AL and BA…
MAN – JFK on AL economy (direct)
JFK – LHR on BA club world.
System won’t allow for it as been trying all week with various agents / ticketing team.

By: FEMW

If flying on one of those wee turbo-prop Emerald planes – be prepared to be without your checked baggage for a while – like 5 days…

By: Anna

It would be so helpful if SeatSpy covered Aer Lingus!

By: Adam

Belfast does exist….

By: Stuart

I think it’s worth mentioning if you book a business class trip but your connecting flight is on Emerald you won’t get any lounge access etc at the regional airport