Aer Lingus which is part of the IAG Group of airlines which include British Airways and Iberia is offering members of its AerClub a free return flight from Dublin to Faro.
This is the second offer, following the introduction of a similar free return flight to Tenerife scheduled for April of this year which was fully booked within three hours of being announced.
The idea is to encourage passengers to be loyal to both Aer Lingus and British Airways (whose Executive Club members may also apply for the seats).
Aer Lingus club members offered ‘free’ return flight Dublin to Faro in return for 15,000 Avios points
The concept is very simple as club members simply have to book the flights by surrendering 15,000 Avios points that they have earned through other flights and in return they will receive the free seats as well as attractive baggage allowances including both hand and hold luggage at no extra cost.
The actual flights will be as follow;
EI496 Dublin to Faro (DUB-FAO) departing 17 August 2025 at 16:05
EI497 Faro to Dublin (FAO – DUB) departing 24 August 2025 at 19:40 although inexplicably the return flight is mistakenly described as a Dublin to Faro flight in the small print of the Aer Lingus website offer.
There will be extra charges if passengers want to choose one of the 174 seats that are being made available and they will also have to pay government taxes, fees and carrier charges but the saving will still be significant over the published price.
Aer Lingus offer of ‘free’ return flight Dublin to Faro for AerClub members bound to see huge response
This is a step up from previous offers where members have been able to upgrade from economy to business class using Avios points and on one occasion, British Airways mistakenly offered the upgrade for a very small number of points, but to the delight of passengers, they honoured their mistake.
According to a statement from a spokesperson for Aer Lingus “Portugal is one of our most popular destinations and, following the huge success of our previous Avios-Only flights, which sold out in less than three hours, we are delighted to be bringing this unique experience back, allowing members to turn their rewards into unforgettable trips.”
With continued pressure at the budget end of the European travel market and the withdrawal of many flights by Ryanair due to increased airport charges, this small gesture is welcome and it is hoped that other airlines will take the concept on board whilst Aer Lingus finds other free destinations for its club members.
