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Boston and Dublin Were Just Moved Seven Miles Farther Apart
JT Genter
Contributor
JT is a location-independent digital nomad traveling 250,000+ miles each year with his wife Katie.
Dec. 08, 2016
•
3 min read
Boston and Dublin Were Just Moved Seven Miles Farther Apart
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Update 12/10/16: The original post mistakenly stated that you were able to book at British Airways off-peak rates for Aer Lingus flights. While this wasn't formerly possible, you can now redeem Avios for Aer Lingus flights using the off peak rates.
The distance between Boston (BOS) and Dublin (DUB) just grew by a few miles. No, there wasn't a great earthquake that made the Atlantic wider. With a stroke of a pen, British Airways just stretched the distance between the airports by at least seven miles.
While the Bureau of Transportation Statistics still lists the official distance between the airports at 2,993 miles — which Great Circle Mapper agrees with — British Airways and Aer Lingus are now treating the flight as being over 3,000 miles for award booking purposes. So, the Avios award cost for booking these flights just jumped.
Backing up, one of the long-time sweet spots of the British Airways award chart are Aer Lingus flights between Boston and Dublin or Shannon (SNN). These transatlantic economy flights used to cost just 12,500 BA Avios each way in economy or 37,500 BA Avios each way in business. This means that you could fly round-trip from US to Europe for just 25,000 Avios. With this change, that sweet spot just got a lot less sweet:
| Avios (one-way) | Old Price | New Price | Increase | Approximate Value Lost* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Economy Off-Peak | 12,500 | 13,000 | 500 | $8 |
Economy Peak | 12,500 | 20,000 | 7,500 | $113 |
Business Off-Peak | 37,500 | 50,000 | 12,500 | $188 |
Business Peak | 37,500 | 60,000 | 22,500 | $338 |
*Based on the latest TPG valuation of British Airways Avios
This British Airways Avios repricing comes as Aer Lingus is launching its new AerClub Avios program, the AerClub. The mileage bands are identical to British Airways, though there's a small, but important note at the bottom of the chart: "Please note the exceptions of Shannon/Dublin to Boston which are based on Zone 5".
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Since AerClub is a brand-new program, it's intriguing that Aer Lingus chose to call out this exception, rather than just setting mileage band 4 slightly narrower (i.e., 2001-2980 miles).
If you're still interested in booking these flights, remember that British Airways' website doesn't show availability. You'll have to check award availability on the United website and then call British Airways (1-800-247-9297) to make the booking.
Bottom Line
It's a major bummer that British Airways decided to further devalue these cheap transatlantic award flights on Aer Lingus. With that said, you can still fly transatlantic for just 26,000 Avios (plus about $139) for Off Peak dates and 40,000 Avios for standard dates. While this sweet spot is a lot less sweet, there's still value to be had booking these flights if you're based near Boston. However, positioning to BOS for this award redemption is going to make a lot less sense.
H/T: Rapid Travel Chai
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
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- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.