Get free flights, travel insurance and hotel discounts with loyalty programmes

Travel season is well and truly upon us and companies are vying for your business with all sorts of added benefits and loyalty programmes.

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Aer Credit Card

A partnership between Aer Lingus and Bank of Ireland, the Aer Credit Card offers various travel rewards to customers including:

When you spend a minimum €5,000 per year on the credit card, you are entitled to two return flights to Europe – but you have to cover the usual additional taxes, fees and bag charges. You can also gift your return flights to Europe to a family member or a friend if you’re unable to use them.

Avail of Fast Track and Priority Boarding when travelling from Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Belfast airports (Fast Track facility is not available in Cork airport).

You are entitled to two Lounge Passes each year. Lounge Passes may be used at Aer Lingus lounges in Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Belfast.

You can download your lounge passes as well as the Fast Track and Priority Boarding passes immediately after activating and linking your Aer Credit card to your AerClub account and use them for flights taken within 11 months of the download date.

Multi Trip Travel Insurance covers you and your family for all your travel, regardless of the number of trips you may take. You will receive your multi trip travel insurance booklet in the post along with your Aer Credit Card.

Booking.com Genius

Booking.com has a loyalty program called Genius, which rewards customers with various discounts and upgrades. There are three Genius levels, once you unlock each level you get to keep the benefits for life.

You can reach level one by booking two stays through Booking.com within two years.

Benefits. Level 1 gets you a 10% discount on ‘select’ hotels and rental cars worldwide.

Complete 5 bookings within two years to reach level 2. Level two gives a 10-15% discount on stays and 10% on rental cars, plus free breakfast and room upgrades on select stays.

Level three gives up to a 20% discount on stays, 10% on car rental, free breakfast and room upgrades, plus priority customer support on all stays.

Hotels.com

Hotels.com offer membership benefits that operate on a ‘stamp’ system that has three tiers, basic, silver and gold. Collect stamps by booking hotel stays through the website, every night equates to one stamp.

The basic rewards tier is for members with 0-9 stamps. It offers ‘member prices’ and reward nights that will be the average value of the stamps you collect.

If you collect between 10-29 stamps, you gain access to ‘silver exclusives’ like free breakfast, WiFi, spa vouchers and more at VIP access properties. If you find the same stay at a better price, Hotels.com will match it and refund the difference, until the point of your check-in, plus priority customer service.

With 30+ stamps, you can avail of free room upgrades at VIP access properties plus late check-out and early check-in when available.

Don’t forget everyone aged 66 and over and living permanently in Ireland can get the Free Travel Scheme, which allows you to travel, free of charge, on public transport and some private bus and ferry services.

From July 2024 the scheme is changing to include people who have never been able to drive due to disability or people who have a driving licence and are medically certified as ‘not fit to drive’ for 12 months or longer.

People with disabilities and carers aged under 66 may also qualify for Free Travel