Trying to get to Europe this summer using miles can be incredibly expensive, thanks to the usual high demand for overseas trips, the Paris Olympics and of course, Taylor Swift. But we’ve just spotted a lot of business-class seats available to Dublin, Ireland, this summer available on Aer Lingus for as low as 45,000 miles each way. The award space is available through Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, and it includes departure cities like Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis.
Award space on other airlines for premium seats on flights to Ireland is currently going for significantly higher redemptions than this deal, making this one to jump on. So, if you’re sitting on a pile of Alaska miles, this is the time to cash them in.
There is space available from May through August on some routes; others mainly have flights in specific months. These low redemptions are only available for east coast departure cities and Chicago. This is a deal so good, you might consider getting to Dublin and then finding a a cheap flight on to elsewhere in Europe.
Deal basics
Airline: Aer Lingus (booked via Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan)
Routes: Round-trip flights from various U.S. cities to Dublin, Ireland.
How to book: Go to the Alaska Airlines website, click the ‘use miles’ button and search routes;
Travel dates: Award space is available May-August 2024; some routes may only have availability in certain months.
Sample flights
Departure cities with reduced awards redemptions to Dublin (DUB) include:
- Boston (BOS)
- Chicago (ORD)
- Minneapolis (MSP)
- Washington, D.C. (IAD)
We found lots of available business-class seats throughout the summer out of Philadelphia for only 45K miles each way. This itinerary from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to Dublin Airport (DUB) costs just 90K miles and $72.70 in taxes round-trip.
It’s not just the availability that makes this a rare deal. It’s the price. Booking a business-class seat to Europe for just 45K miles is absurdly low, especially during the summer. For comparison’s sake, here is what it would cost to book the same route in business class on American using miles.
There is business-class award space available all summer from Philadelphia to Ireland. May is slowly getting booked, but June still has lots of options. July is wide open, as you can see from the awards calendar below.
Boston also has tons of business-class availability, especially in July and August. You can fly nonstop out of Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Dublin for only 90K miles and $72.70 in taxes round-trip.
The availability is a bit more limited for flights out of Chicago, but the deals are there if you’re OK traveling later in the summer. The best month we saw for award redemptions is July, where you can find biz-class seats for just 55K miles each way. An itinerary like this one below will cost you just 110K miles and $72.70 in taxes round-trip.
The best availability for redemptions out of Minneapolis is in July and August, with loads of flights available at 55K miles each way. But if you want to book a family vacation to celebrate the start of summer (last day of school in Minneapolis is May 30), you can fly out from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) to Dublin on June 1 for only 110K miles and $72.70 in taxes.
Related: These Michelin-starred restaurants in Ireland are worth hopping on a plane for
Maximize your purchase
When you book this deal or any flights, be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 points per dollar spent on travel
- American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
- Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar spent on airfare
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 3 points per dollar spent on travel
Bottom line
These are exceptional redemptions for business-class seats to Europe, and the widespread availability gives you unusual flexibility to cash in those Alaska miles you’ve been sitting on. You won’t find prices like this for long, so jump on it. Also consider positioning to Dublin and then finding a cheap onward flight to other cities in Europe.
Related reading:
