Last week I posted about the opportunity to fly Aer Lingus business class roundtrip from Boston to Dublin for just 50,000 British Airways Avios points with no fuel surcharges (or just 25,000 Avios points in economy).
One day after I posted about the offer, award availability was spectacular. And I mean really, really spectacular. Unfortunately in the meantime availability has continued to dwindle, and there’s no accurate way to search for award space online anymore. While ExpertFlyer shows Aer Lingus award space, it doesn’t display a single date as being available in business class, which isn’t the case. At the same time United’s website also displays Aer Lingus award space, though in their case virtually every date shows as being available, which isn’t the case with British Airways anymore either. The truth is somewhere in the middle.
So there really is no point in looking online, since it’s in no way an indicator of what British Airways has access to. Out of Boston availability is still decent, though not great. Maybe every few days has a couple of seats available, though not every flight has availability anymore like before.
Stupidly I only got around to booking tickets yesterday, and as usual it was like pulling teeth. I’m pretty sure the performance of British Airways Executive Club agents is based on how quickly they can get you off the phone, because they almost always get impatient after just a few minutes. Therefore it’s a real pain to book these Aer Lingus seats, since there’s no way to know in advance what’s available, and British Airways doesn’t allow award holds of any sort.
In the end I snagged two seats in business class for 50,000 Avios points and $156.28 in taxes (including the $25 ticketing fee) per person on the following flights:
Aer Lingus 136 Boston to Dublin departing at 6:25PM and arriving at 5:20AM (+1 day)
Aer Lingus 137 Dublin to Boston departing at 2:15PM and arriving at 4:15PM
For anyone that’s interested, the breakdown of taxes is as follows (which doesn’t reflect the $25 ticketing fee):
Of course booking the ticket was like pulling teeth, as usual. First I started by explaining to the agent I was completely flexible with dates starting June 20. He said “that’s not going to work, I need specific dates.” Happy he appreciates my flexibility! I guess he was hoping I just had specific dates in mind, and when they weren’t available he thought I’d hang up. For the next few minutes the agent let out grunts until he finally had some options.
Once we started processing the ticket, he warned me repeatedly that there would be “taxation” on the ticket. When he told me the total due (after using the word “taxation” at least five times) I responded with “wow, that’s a lot of taxation without any representation.” He didn’t even chuckle. And I’m pretty sure he also wanted to be a cop when he was younger, since he read me the ticketing rules as if I was under arrest, and then finished with “do you understand your rights?” Oy, these British Airways folks in Jacksonville are something alright…
All that being said, I can’t even say how excited I am. I’ve always wanted to visit Ireland, and I’m especially excited to visit in the summer. No, there’s no glamorous world class first class product, but I actually get to stay in one place for a week, rent a car, and enjoy nature, which is even more fun!
With that in mind, I figured I’d share my observations thus far, and also ask some questions for those of you that have been in Ireland. I’m sure we can all help each other out if we all contribute in the comments section, since I doubt I’m the only one heading to Ireland over the coming months. 
Once I get enough feedback my plan is to create an updated post with all of the suggestions consolidated, which will hopefully be a good starting point for those of us heading to Ireland.
Let’s start with the basics. Again, I’ve never been to Ireland so I’m just sharing my research thus far, and hope that others can chime in as well, whether you’re an Ireland pro or just in the planning stages of your trip as well.
Dublin Hotels
Westin Dublin
There’s a Westin in Dublin, though rates seem insanely high. The hotel is a category five Starwood property, so if you’re redeeming free nights it will cost you 12,000-16,000 points per night (with the fifth night free, if you choose to stay that long). Unfortunately cash & points seems to almost never be available. It’s worth noting that this hotel belongs to American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts, so if you’re booking a paid stay and have an American Express Platinum credit card you can get some extra amenities, including a room upgrade upon availability, complimentary continental breakfast, 4PM late check-out, and free afternoon tea once during your stay. It’s worth noting, however, that this requires booking the flexible rate. Furthermore, the hotel is offering a complimentary fourth night when booking through Fine Hotels & Resorts for stays through August 31, 2012.
Four Seasons Dublin
The deal at the Four Seasons Dublin is probably the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen, so this is where I’m staying for substantially less than $200USD per night. The Four Seasons Dublin belongs to both American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts and Virtuoso (and by connection of course Four Seasons Preferred Partner). The benefits are as follows:
American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts:
- One category room upgrade upon availability
- Complimentary continental breakfast
- Guaranteed 4PM late check-out
- Complimentary afternoon tea once during your stay
- Third night free for stays through August 28, 2012
On the other hand, if you book via a Four Seasons Preferred Partner, you get the following benefits:
- One category room upgrade upon availability
- Complimentary full American breakfast either in-room or in the restaurant
- $100USD food and beverage credit per stay
- Third night free for stays through August 28, 2012
So the rates here are actually really good as well. They start at 210 Euros per night ($275USD). So I’m paying $550 for two nights with the third night free. That means for ~$180USD per night I’m getting a room at the Four Seasons with complimentary full breakfast and a $100 food and beverage credit. Amazing!
So in the end I decided to spend three nights in Dublin, and then the other nights roaming the countryside.
Where I (we?) need help
I plan on spending three nights in Ireland outside of Dublin. I realize there’s a lot to see from castles to cliffs to beautiful countryside. Any thoughts as to the best way to structure it? Does it make sense to pick one centrally located hotel for all three nights (is there such a thing?), switch hotels every night in different parts of the country, or something else? If anyone has a basic three day itinerary to hit all the highlights in Ireland outside of Dublin, I’d be eternally grateful.
Also, secretly I’ve always wanted to stay in a castle hotel. Can anyone recommend one?
Lastly, is it worth renting a car for the entire stay, or only while roaming the countryside? In other words, is transportation around Dublin and to/from the airport pretty good, or does it make sense to have a car?
Any help would be greatly appreciated, whether it’s a detailed itinerary, quick tip, or link to trip report that covers a similar trip. And I’m sure I’m not the only one that would be appreciative!
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