Summary
- Aer Lingus is introducing frequent flyer flights to Tenerife with Avios only from Dublin during the Easter holidays.
- The sale offered 50% off Avios for return flights, as well as free checked and hand luggage for passengers.
- The trend continues, with IAG airlines such as British Airways and Iberia offering Avios-only flights to exotic destinations such as Santorini and Sicily.
The latest airline to offer a special flight that can only be booked with frequent flyer miles is 
Aer Lingus The Irish airline follows other International Airlines Group carriers British Airways and Iberia in opening routes that can only be booked with Avios to reward its frequent flyers.
When and where is the flight?
Aer Lingus has chosen the upcoming Easter holiday period for flights departing from its hub Dublin Airport (DUB). The direct flights available to AerClub British Airways Executive Club members enjoy reward flights to a reliable sunny winter destination in the Canary Islands.
Aer Lingus chose Tenerife South/Reina Sofía Airport (TFS), the second largest airport in the Spanish archipelago, for its first direct flights. The flights will be operated with an Airbus A320 at the following times:
- EI764 Dublin to Tenerife South (DUB-TFS) Departure on 19 April 2025 at 15:00
- EI763 Tenerife South to Dublin (TFS-DUB) Departure on 26 April 2025 at 12:35
The sale was announced with an initial discount of 50% fewer Avios for customers booking before Tuesday 3 September, resulting in a return fare of just 10,000 Avios plus airline taxes, fees and surcharges.
Passengers are even provided with one free checked bag and one free hand bag. Speaking to the Irish Sun, Susanne Carberry, Chief Customer Officer at Aer Lingus, explained why the airline has introduced these flights:
“At Aer Lingus, we want to make every journey count for our customers. With almost 3 million members worldwide, AerClub gives us a unique opportunity to offer exclusive travel benefits in recognition of loyalty to Aer Lingus.
“We are always looking for new ways to reward loyalty and these first Avios-only flights will allow AerClub and British Airways Executive Club members to discover the exceptional value they can get with their Avios – especially if they act quickly and book before 11:59pm on 2 September.
“We look forward to extending a warm welcome to everyone who is lucky enough to join these first Avios-only flights in April 2025.”
Photo: Pavel1964 | Shutterstock
The flights went on sale at 10:00 a.m. 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 that Aer Lingus hasPoints Airplanebut it is far from the first airline to do so. Other airlines in the International Airlines Group (IAG) have been doing this for some time. British Airways started this trend when it introduced flights consisting exclusively of award seats for Executive Club members last year, with the first flight departing from London Gatwick to Sharm El Sheikh in November 2023.
Other airlines in the group have since introduced similar flights. Spanish airline Iberia followed Iberia with its Iberia Plus flight. Members of the Iberia Plus Frequent flyer program was able to book flight tickets to the Greek island of Santorini and the Sicilian city of Catania for only 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, head of pricing and airline partnerships at IAG Loyalty, confirmed that frequent flyers have already spent 50 million Avios points to purchase Avios-only flights.
Photo: Fasttailwind | Shutterstock
In addition, the Irish airline confirmed that it would reduce frequencies between Dublin and London Heathrow due to a lack of business demand and the controversial passenger cap at Dublin Airport.
