Summary
- Aer Lingus introduces Avios-only flights for frequent flyers to Tenerife departing from Dublin during Easter vacation.
- The sale offered a 50% discount on Avios for round-trip flights, with free checked bags and carry-ons for passengers.
- The trend continues as IAG carriers like British Airways and Iberia offer Avios-only flights to exotic destinations like Santorini and Sicily.
The latest airline to launch a special flight that can only be booked using frequent flyer miles is
Aer Lingus. The Irish flag carrier follows fellow International Airlines Group carriers British Airways and Iberia in opening up routes that can only be booked using Avios to reward its most frequent flyers.
When and where is the flight?
Aer Lingus chose the upcoming Easter vacation period for the flights, which will depart from Dublin Airport (DUB) hub. The direct flights, available to
AerClub
members and British Airways Executive Club members as reward flights, are destined for a reliable winter sun destination in the Canary Islands.
Aer Lingus chose
Tenerife South/Reina Sofía Airport
(TFS), the second busiest airport in the Spanish archipelago, for its inaugural point-only flights. The flights are scheduled to be operated by an Airbus A320 at the following times:
- EI764 Dublin to Tenerife South (DUB-TFS) departing April 19th, 2025 at 15:00
- EI763 Tenerife South to Dublin (TFS-DUB) departing April 26th, 2025 at 12:35
The sale was announced with an initial discount of 50% less Avios for customers who book before Tuesday, September 3rd. This resulted in a round-trip price of just 10,000 Avios, plus taxes, fees, and carrier charges.
Passengers are even provided with a free checked bag and carry-on. Speaking to the Irish Sun, Susanne Carberry, Chief Customer Officer, Aer Lingus, explained why the airline introduced the flights:
“At Aer Lingus, we seek to make every journey count for our customers. With almost 3 million members globally, AerClub gives us a unique opportunity to offer exclusive travel benefits in recognition of loyalty to Aer Lingus.
“We are always seeking new ways to reward loyalty and these inaugural Avios-Only flights allow AerClub members and British Airways Executive Club members to discover the exceptional value their Avios can deliver – particularly if they act fast and book before 11.59pm on 2nd September.
“We look forward to saying ‘You’re Very Welcome’ to everyone who is lucky enough to join us on these inaugural Avios-Only flights in April 2025.”
Photo: Pavel1964 | Shutterstock
The flights went on sale at 10:00 local time and were sold out within five hours for both Aer Lingus AerClub and British Airways Executive Club members.
A growing trend
This is the first time Aer Lingus has scheduled a ‘points plane,’ but it is far from being the first carrier to do so. Fellow International Airlines Group (IAG) carriers have been doing so for some time.
began the trend when it launched flights made up exclusively of Reward Seats for Executive Club Members last year. The first flight departed from London Gatwick to Sharm El Sheikh in November 2023.
Other carriers in the group have since launched similar flights. Spanish flag carrier Iberia followed Iberia with its Iberia Plus Flight. Members of the
frequent flyer program could book plane tickets to the Greek island of Santorini and the Sicilian city of Catania for as little as 2,050 Avios.
The frequency of these flights is widely expected to increase in the coming months. Speaking to Simple Flying earlier this year, Glenn Commerford, the Head of Pricing and Air Partnerships at IAG Loyalty, confirmed frequent flyers have already spent 50 million Avios points buying Avios-only flights.
Photo: Fasttailwind | Shutterstock
Elsewhere, the Irish flag carrier confirmed it will reduce frequencies between Dublin and London Heathrow due to a lack of business demand and the controversial passenger cap at Dublin Airport.
