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Aer Lingus Visa vs Chase Aeroplan

Avios (Aer Lingus) vs Aeroplan — Aer Lingus Visa vs Chase Aeroplan — here's what separates them. Same fee tier; the winner depends on which category bonuses and credits align with your actual spending.

Quick Answer

For first-year value (welcome bonus plus tracked annual credits, minus the annual fee), Aer Lingus Visa comes out ahead at ~$1,155 at the same $95 annual fee. Aer Lingus Visa sits in Avios (Aer Lingus); Chase Aeroplan sits in Aeroplan. The right pick still depends on which credits and category multipliers fit your spending pattern — full breakdown below.

Our Verdict

Aer Lingus Visa wins for most people.

At the same $95 annual fee, Aer Lingus Visa edges ahead at ~$1,155 vs ~$925 for Chase Aeroplan based on bonus value and category earning.

Exception: Chase Aeroplan is the better pick if your top spend categories align better with its multipliers.

Choose Aer Lingus Visa if…

  • You're maximising the welcome bonus right now (~$1,050 vs ~$840).
  • You'd rather build a balance in Avios (Aer Lingus) than Aeroplan.

Choose Chase Aeroplan if…

  • You fly Air Canada regularly — first checked bag free, a boost toward 25K Status pay for themselves at the gate.
  • Dining is a top spend category for you — 3x on restaurants vs 2x on Aer Lingus Visa.
  • Groceries drive your monthly budget — 3x at supermarkets vs 2x on Aer Lingus Visa.
  • Airport lounge access matters to you — it unlocks United Club (day passes).
Top Match

Aer Lingus Visa

Highest first-year value among the 2 cards you're comparing — $1,155 after annual fee.

Aer Lingus Visa Signature(Registered Trademark) card

Chase

Aer Lingus Visa

Annual Fee

$95/yr

Signup Bonus

75,000 Avios

Bonus Value

~$1,050

Benefits Value

~$200/yr

Spend Req.

$5,000 / 3mo

Rewards Currency

Avios (Aer Lingus)

Network

Visa

Card Type

Personal

Benefits

🛫 airline credit

Companion Voucher

$300/yr

🛡️ insurance

Travel Accident Insurance

$100/yr

Chase Sapphire Reserve (Registered Trademark) credit card

Chase

Chase Aeroplan

Annual Fee

$95/yr

Signup Bonus

60,000 Aeroplan Points

Bonus Value

~$840

Benefits Value

~$180/yr

Spend Req.

$3,000 / 3mo

Rewards Currency

Aeroplan

Network

Visa

Card Type

Personal

Benefits

🛫 airline credit

Free Checked Bag

$60/use

status

Aeroplan 25K Status Boost

$100/yr

🛡️ insurance

Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance

$200/yr

Quick winners by category

The fast answer if you came here looking for one specific thing.

✈️

Best for Travel

Chase Aeroplan

Better travel category multipliers and partner network for routing flights/hotels.

🍽️

Best for Dining

Aer Lingus Visa

Stronger dining category multiplier for everyday restaurant spending.

🛋️

Best for Lounge Access

Chase Aeroplan

Includes United Club (day passes) access — the other card has none.

🌱

Best for Beginners

Chase Aeroplan

Same $95 annual fee as the alternative, but the lower minimum-spend bar ($3,000 vs $5,000) makes the welcome bonus easier to clear without forcing unnatural spending.

🏆

Best Overall Value

Aer Lingus Visa

~$1,155 of first-year value after annual fee — wins the math.

What it's worth for your spending

Estimated first-year value (welcome bonus + benefits − annual fee) for four common spending profiles.

ProfileAer Lingus VisaChase Aeroplan
Light spender, building credit$1,400$1,209
Everyday family ($40K/yr spend)$1,902$1,807
Frequent traveler (2-3 trips/yr)$1,884$1,789
Premium traveler (5+ trips/yr)$2,325$2,293

Year-one value = welcome bonus + tracked benefits + estimated points value from spending − annual fee. Points valued at 1.5¢ each (transferable) or 1¢ each (cashback). Real-world value depends on how you redeem.

Side-by-side: every spec that matters

Higher value highlighted in green per row.

Aer Lingus VisaChase Aeroplan
Welcome bonus
75,000 Avios (~$1,050)
60,000 Aeroplan Points (~$840)
Annual fee
$95/yr
$95/yr
Authorized user fee
$0
$0
Transfer partners
None (single program)
None (single program)
Travel credits
$300/yr
$60/yr
Lounge access
None
United Club (day passes only)
Dining rewards
2x
3x
Grocery rewards
2x
3x
Hotel rewards
1x
1x
Travel insurance
Limited
Limited
Cell phone protection
Not included
Not included
Foreign transaction fee
$0
$0
Mobile wallet
Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay
Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay
Network
Visa
Visa

Who should get the Aer Lingus Visa?

  • You're comfortable with a $95 annual fee in exchange for stronger earning and welcome bonus value.
  • Travel is one of your top 3 spending categories and you want to earn faster on flights, hotels, and ride-shares.
  • You fly a specific airline 4+ times per year and want elite-style perks (free bags, priority boarding).
  • You're under Chase 5/24 (≤ 4 new personal cards in the last 24 months) — that window is precious, so prioritise the Chase application now.

Who should get the Chase Aeroplan?

  • You're comfortable with a $95 annual fee in exchange for stronger earning and welcome bonus value.
  • Travel is one of your top 3 spending categories and you want to earn faster on flights, hotels, and ride-shares.
  • Groceries are a major monthly line item and you want grocery-specific earning.
  • You fly a specific airline 4+ times per year and want elite-style perks (free bags, priority boarding).
  • You fly enough that airport lounge access alone justifies the annual fee.
  • You're under Chase 5/24 (≤ 4 new personal cards in the last 24 months) — that window is precious, so prioritise the Chase application now.

Break-Even Analysis

At what annual spend does one card permanently beat the other?

Below break-even

Aer Lingus Visa

wins on fixed value

Break-Even Spend

$6,500

annual card spend

Above break-even

Chase Aeroplan

wins on multipliers

Below ~$6,500/yr in total annual card spend, Aer Lingus Visa wins on ongoing value — its $95 annual fee + ~$200/yr in realistically usable benefits (credits counted at ~50% of face value) starts ahead. Above ~$6,500/yr, Chase Aeroplan's stronger category multipliers compound faster and overtake Aer Lingus Visa's fixed advantage. Year-one bonus math heavily favours Aer Lingus Visa regardless of spend.

Break-even calculated on year-2+ ongoing value (benefits + earning − annual fee). Year-one welcome bonus math is separate — see the value scenarios table above.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a better welcome bonus, Aer Lingus Visa or Chase Aeroplan?

Aer Lingus Visa currently has the stronger offer: 75,000 Avios (~$1,050 value) after $5,000 spend in 3 months, vs 60,000 Aeroplan Points (~$840) after $3,000 in 3 months for Chase Aeroplan. Welcome offers change frequently — verify the current offer on the issuer's application page before applying.

Is the Aer Lingus Visa worth the $95 annual fee?

For first-year cardholders the answer is usually yes — the welcome bonus (~$1,050) and statement credits alone typically cover the $95 fee several times over. After year one, the math depends on your spending patterns. Use our Annual Fee Calculator with your actual numbers to verify before renewing.

Can I have both the Aer Lingus Visa and the Chase Aeroplan at the same time?

Yes — Chase allows holding both Aer Lingus Visa and Chase Aeroplan simultaneously. Each card has its own welcome bonus and statement credits, so they don't conflict. Chase's welcome bonus eligibility rules may require waiting between applications; check current policy before applying for the second card. Keep Chase's application rules in mind: personal cards count toward your 5/24 limit, and Chase generally approves at most one new card per 30 days — space the applications out.

Which card is better for transferring points to Hyatt?

Neither card transfers points to World of Hyatt. Only Chase Ultimate Rewards, Bilt Rewards and the co-branded World of Hyatt card transfer to Hyatt at 1:1. To stack Hyatt points without leaving these two ecosystems you'd need to add a Chase Sapphire or Bilt card alongside.

Which card has better airport lounge access?

Chase Aeroplan includes United Club (day passes). Aer Lingus Visa doesn't include lounge access — you'd need to pay for it separately or upgrade to a premium card.

Which card has the better overall value?

Based on first-year math (welcome bonus + tracked statement credits − annual fee), Aer Lingus Visa comes out ahead at ~$1,155 of net value vs ~$925 for the other card. After year one, the better card for YOU depends on how naturally you'll use the credits and category bonuses.

Does Chase's 5/24 rule affect approval for these cards?

Yes — both cards are issued by Chase, so the 5/24 rule applies to both. If you've opened 5 or more credit cards (from any issuer) in the last 24 months, Chase will likely deny your application regardless of credit score. Check your 5/24 count before applying for either.

Which card has the easier minimum spend requirement?

Chase Aeroplan has the easier bar — $3,000 in 3 months — vs $5,000 in 3 months for Aer Lingus Visa. Don't manufacture spend just to hit a higher threshold — if you can't reach it through normal spending, the card isn't the right fit right now.

How does CreditPoints compare Aer Lingus Visa and Chase Aeroplan?

Every comparison uses the same fixed methodology: welcome offer value (bonus × current points valuation minus AF), category earning rates, annual fee vs benefit math, transfer-partner depth + redemption value, lounge tier, travel protections, and foreign transaction handling. Card facts come from issuer pages (verified via Playwright on the "Last reviewed" date), card-program award charts, and TPG monthly valuations. Nothing on this page is paid-placement — the Quick Winners, Real-World Scenarios, and Comparison Table are deterministic outputs from the data, not editorial opinion.

How often is the information on this comparison updated?

The comparison data regenerates on every site build (typically multiple times per week as offers change). Welcome offer terms, annual fees, and category multipliers are verified against issuer pages and refreshed as part of the catalog. Welcome bonuses, annual fees, and benefits can change at any time at the issuer's discretion — always confirm current terms on the issuer's application page before applying. The "Last reviewed" date in the trust strip below shows the most recent manual methodology + data-source audit.

Alternatives Worth Considering

If neither card is quite right, these are the next closest options.

Capital One Venture Rewards credit card art

Capital One

Venture

$95/yr~$1,388 bonus

Broader transfer-partner network (17+ partners via Capital One Miles) than either card above.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® card

Citi

AA Platinum Select

$99/yr~$1,280 bonus

Citi alternative with American Airlines AAdvantage and ~$1,256 first-year value.

Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Card credit card

Bank of America

Atmos Ascent

$95/yr~$980 bonus

Bank of America alternative with Atmos Rewards and ~$1,091 first-year value.

Ready to apply?

Click through to the issuer's secure application page. Welcome bonus offers are confirmed at the time of approval, not at click time.

Chase

Aer Lingus Visa

Welcome: 75,000 Avios · ~$1,050 est. value

Apply for Aer Lingus Visa

Chase

Chase Aeroplan

Welcome: 60,000 Aeroplan Points · ~$840 est. value

Apply for Chase Aeroplan

Run your own numbers

These calculators use the same data this comparison runs on — plug in your spending and see net value.

How we compare these cards

Every pair on CreditPoints is evaluated against the same fixed set of criteria, regenerated on every build from verified card-level data. Nothing in this section changes based on who you are or how you got here.

Factors we evaluate

  • Welcome offer value (bonus points × current valuation, minus annual fee)
  • Earning rates per spend category (dining, travel, groceries, gas, base)
  • Annual fee vs benefit math (statement credits + perks priced to value)
  • Transfer partner depth + redemption flexibility (programs, ratios, sweet spots)
  • Lounge access (network tier, guest policy, in-airport coverage)
  • Travel protections (trip cancellation, baggage, rental-car CDW, cell phone)
  • Hotel and airline benefits (free nights, status, elite-night credits)
  • Foreign transaction fees + chip+PIN support for international use

How we evaluate rewards programs

We score transferable-points ecosystems (Chase UR, Amex MR, Citi TY, Capital One Miles, Bilt) by partner count + redemption value at each partner's sweet spot. Co-brand programs are evaluated against the loyalty program's published award chart and the realistic point earn rate from typical category spend.

How we evaluate transfer partners

Transfer-partner quality outranks transfer-partner quantity. A single 1:1 partner with strong sweet spots (Hyatt via Chase UR, ANA via Amex MR) often beats a dozen 2:1 partners with little redemption upside.

How we evaluate annual fees

An annual fee is justified only when the card's first-year value (welcome bonus + activated credits + benefits) clearly exceeds the AF for the typical reader profile. Our four spending scenarios (beginner, everyday, traveler, premium) show whether the math works for your situation.

How we evaluate travel benefits

Statement credits are priced at face value only when the activation barrier is low (broad-merchant credits, auto-redeem credits). High-friction credits (single-vendor, expiring monthly, claim-required) are discounted because most cardholders don't capture them.

Recommendations on this page are intended as educational guidance and are not financial advice. Always confirm current offer terms on the issuer's site before applying.

Last reviewed

2026-05-29

Data sources

Issuer pages (verified via Playwright on this date), TPG monthly valuations, public award charts.

Editorial note: CreditPoints may earn a commission when you apply through some of the links on this page, but the side-by-side ranking, Quick Winners and Real-World Scenarios are algorithmic and identical for all readers. We never accept payment to change ordering.

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