Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus has announced three new destinations for its winter schedule as it changes the benefits of its Bank of Ireland credit card. Cardholders can soon receive 40,000 Avios annually, enough for a transatlantic round-trip flight.

Seeking summer sun

Three new destinations are joining the carrier's lineup for the winter season. From its Dublin Airport (DUB) base, the airline is launching flights to Malta, Marrakech, and Sevilla. The 4-hour link to Malta International Airport (MLA) will begin on October 25th and operate three times weekly. Aer Lingus will operate on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, while Ryanair (and its subsidiary Malta Air ) will offer direct flights on the remaining days.

Flights to the Spanish city of Seville (SVQ) also begin on October 25th. The thrice-weekly service to the Andalusian city, home of the Star Wars filming location Alcázar Palace, will operate on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Ryanair also serves Seville from both Dublin and Cork.

The carrier's sole service to continental Northern Africa will begin the following day, October 26th. The carrier's link to Marrakesh (RAK) will open up Morrocco to new Irish travelers with connections on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The Airbus A320 service will compete directly with Ryanair on most days. 

In addition, the airline will boost frequencies on several of its most popular routes this winter across Spain, France, Greece, Portugal, and Turkey.

A complete overhaul

Alongside its new routes, the carrier is making several significant changes to its Bank of Ireland Aer Credit Card. Currently, cardholders are offered two lounge passes, two priority and fast passes, and two free flights to Europe after spending €5,000 ($5,466) in a year. Beginning October 23rd, these benefits will be replaced by an annual bonus of 40,000 Avios after spending €10,000 ($10,932) in the membership year.

The earning rate is also increasing from one Avios per €4 spent on everyday purchases to one Avios per €3. All Aer Lingus purchases will continue to earn one Avios per euro. The change will make award redemptions significantly easier for cardholders who earn the annual bonus. Using the current system, frequent flyers must request the award flights manually. With the new change, customers will be able to book flights online and use Avios for redemptions worldwide, including on partner airlines.

The worldwide family multi-trip travel insurance benefit will remain for all cardholders. On January 7th, 2025, existing cardholders will also be rewarded with 5,000 Avios, and new applicants will soon be eligible for a bonus of 5,000 Avios after spending €3,000 in the first three months. The carrier's US card with Chase remains unchanged as of press time.