Aer Lingus chose St Stephen’s Day to launch its flagship January sale, dangling headline fares of €179 each way to North America when booked as part of a return trip. The promotion, announced on 26 December, covers travel from 1 February to 27 May 2026 and must be booked by 20 January. Destinations include New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, Seattle and the carrier’s first-seasonal service to Cancún, Mexico, which begins in early February.
For corporates managing Irish outbound travel, the sale offers a chance to lock in Q1–Q2 air budgets before fuel-surcharge volatility returns in the spring. Aer Lingus is also slicing up to 25 percent off short-haul fares on more than 40 European routes for travel between 12 January and 12 June. Tickets must be purchased at least seven days in advance and are subject to limited seat availability, but the airline confirmed that sale inventory is loaded in all major global distribution systems, allowing travel-management companies to ticket at the discounted levels.
While locking in discounted fares, corporate travel coordinators will also want to ensure that entry paperwork for the U.S., Canada or Mexico is in order. VisaHQ’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can fast-track ESTA, eTA and visa applications, giving companies a single dashboard to monitor statuses and avoid costly last-minute disruptions.
![Aer Lingus Kicks Off January Sale with €179 Transatlantic Fares]()
The airline’s Chief Customer Officer, Susanne Carberry, framed the promotion as part of Aer Lingus’s ‘value-led’ recovery strategy. After handling a record 12 million passengers in 2025, the carrier is adding capacity—most notably the new Dublin–Cancún route—and wants to keep load factors above 82 percent during the traditionally weak shoulder season.
Travel buyers should note several caveats: advance-purchase and change-fee rules vary by cabin, and U.S. Customs pre-clearance slots at Dublin Airport can still bottleneck morning departures, so early check-in remains advisable. Employers reimbursing economy-class tickets may wish to cap ancillary fees, as Aer Lingus continues to unbundle seat selection and checked bags.
Overall, the sale is a welcome cost-containment lever for organisations with mobile staff across the Atlantic, particularly given forecasts of a 7-10 percent rise in long-haul airfares by mid-2026.
For corporates managing Irish outbound travel, the sale offers a chance to lock in Q1–Q2 air budgets before fuel-surcharge volatility returns in the spring. Aer Lingus is also slicing up to 25 percent off short-haul fares on more than 40 European routes for travel between 12 January and 12 June. Tickets must be purchased at least seven days in advance and are subject to limited seat availability, but the airline confirmed that sale inventory is loaded in all major global distribution systems, allowing travel-management companies to ticket at the discounted levels.
While locking in discounted fares, corporate travel coordinators will also want to ensure that entry paperwork for the U.S., Canada or Mexico is in order. VisaHQ’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can fast-track ESTA, eTA and visa applications, giving companies a single dashboard to monitor statuses and avoid costly last-minute disruptions.
The airline’s Chief Customer Officer, Susanne Carberry, framed the promotion as part of Aer Lingus’s ‘value-led’ recovery strategy. After handling a record 12 million passengers in 2025, the carrier is adding capacity—most notably the new Dublin–Cancún route—and wants to keep load factors above 82 percent during the traditionally weak shoulder season.
Travel buyers should note several caveats: advance-purchase and change-fee rules vary by cabin, and U.S. Customs pre-clearance slots at Dublin Airport can still bottleneck morning departures, so early check-in remains advisable. Employers reimbursing economy-class tickets may wish to cap ancillary fees, as Aer Lingus continues to unbundle seat selection and checked bags.
Overall, the sale is a welcome cost-containment lever for organisations with mobile staff across the Atlantic, particularly given forecasts of a 7-10 percent rise in long-haul airfares by mid-2026.
