The 3 Best Flights From Boston to Dublin
Dublin is one of the most culturally-rich cities in all of Europe!
The flight from Boston to Dublin is one of the most popular routes between the US and Europe, and for good reasons: not only does Dublin hold centuries of history with modern iconic cultural landmarks, but it also is one of the best destinations to fly from Boston-Logan International Airport, with a variety of options for cheap and easy flights!
However, with many options to choose from across a wide variety of airlines that operate the route, it can be difficult to figure out which flight makes the most sense for you based on your budget and preferences.
To help you out with this decision, we have done the research for you! We’ve pulled from both the data and our personal experience flying between Boston and Dublin to put together a list of our top three recommendations based on price, customer experience, and more. No matter what your flight preference is—whether it’s speed, price, or onboard amenities, we’ve got a recommendation for you!
Now with that background information out of the way, let’s jump into our recommendations for the best flights between Boston and Dublin.
The Best Flights from Boston to Dublin
1. Delta DL154
Cash prices for a round-trip flight with DL154 from Boston to Dublin, broken down by seat class
Our first recommendation and overall favorite flight from Boston to Dublin is Delta Air Lines DL154.
Firstly, this flight goes direct from Boston to Dublin with no layovers, both reducing your total travel time and dramatically decreasing the chance of a delay or lost bag!
This flight also leaves at what we think is the ideal time to travel from the East Coast of the US to Europe: late evening. When taking a red-eye, trying to get some sleep is super important yet is difficult for many (especially if you’re flying economy). The great thing about flights between 9 P.M. and 11 P.M. is that they fit your natural bedtime perfectly, dramatically increasing the chances that you’ll be able to sleep on the plane. DL154 fits that time perfectly, taking off at 9:20 P.M. from Boston-Logan and landing at Heathrow at 8:25 A.M. the following morning.
This Delta flight also has one of the cheapest overall cash prices of any non-budget airline. If you want just the bare necessities, you can fly in basic economy for as little as $430 round-trip! That nets out to just ~$215 per flight; for a 6-hour journey, you can’t get prices that are much better than that. However, we recommend booking in main cabin for an extra $100 per direction ($200 round trip), which gives you faster boarding, free seat selection, and a checked bag.
However, the biggest reason that we love this flight is the value of booking it with credit card points and airline miles. Unlike many international flights to the British Isles, DL154 can be booked with points/airline miles at great value without any massive fees.
But booking this flight has to be done in a specific manner; if you go to book this flight with Delta SkyMiles, you’ll pay a whopping 60,000 SkyMiles for a one-way flight (see below)!
The trick to booking DL154 with points is to book it through another airline in the SkyTeam Alliance. For instance, if you book the exact same flight (DL154 BOS-DUB) through KLM on the same date, the price drops to just 20,500 miles. This comes out at practically a third of the price for the same flight just by booking it on another airline!
For this reason, we always recommend checking code-share flights before booking.
Top: Delta SkyMile prices for DL154, Bottom: FlyingBlue prices for the exact same flight
KLM and Air France have a shared points network known as “Flying Blue”; the great thing about Flying Blue is that it is a shared transfer partner between American Express, Chase Bank, and Capital One. This allows you to essentially combine your Chase points, American Express points, and Capital One Miles together for a single booking, helping you to get the most value out of your points across different bank ecosystems.
Just keep in mind that to book with points at such a good rate, you’ll often have to book a few months out—award space tends to go quickly on flights like these because of how good a deal it is.
Overall, this Delta Air Lines flight is our favorite option for your travel between Boston and Dublin, providing a great combination of value, amenities, and speed. Delta is one of the best airlines to fly from Boston regardless of your destination, and this is a great example of why!
Related: How to book Delta flight with American Express points
2. Aer Lingus EI132
Cash prices for a one-way flight on Aer Lingus EI132
The second recommendation on our list for flying between Boston and Dublin is Aer Lingus EI132. Aer Lingus has far more flights from the US to Dublin than any other airline, and markets heavily to try and increase their dominance even further; if you’ve even Googled the word “Ireland” while in the USA, you’ll probably have seen ads for Aer Lingus flights.
The beauty of Aer Lingus is in their flight prices. While Aer Lingus likes to position itself as a luxury airline; in reality, it’s right on the cusp of being a budget airline (or as budget as an international airline can be). This means that Aer Lingus can offer cash flight prices that are substantially lower than most of their competition. While you might not get quite the level of luxury as on another airline, Aer Lingus will get you to Ireland at the same speed as other airlines often for a fraction of the cost.
Most of the Aer Lingus flights (including EI132) will cost you between $200 and $400 for a one-way flight depending on the number of bags you check and the specific seat you select. However, if you want to fly for the bare minimum, you can get a round-trip ticket for only $430!
While Aer Lingus has a few options between Boston and Dublin, EI132 is our personal choice for two select reasons:
This flight has one of the best on-time percentages of any of the Boston to Dublin flights. While never a guarantee that you won’t be delayed, it’s clear from the historical trends that EI132 is well-timed to consistently get to Dublin on-time or even early!
Of all the Boston to Dublin flights, this one seems to be oddly less crowded than the others. We have taken this exact flight three times at different points in the year, and never had a full flight! Your mileage may vary here, but it’s been a huge plus for our travel to Ireland.
The one caveat to booking on Aer Lingus is that booking with Avios (Aer Lingus’s reward miles) often gives a poor return when you book directly with Aer Lingus (often netting at roughly .5 cents per Avios). To get a good deal on Aer Lingus flights using Avios, you have to book through the Avios.com booking portal. I promise I’m not being dramatic when I say this, but the Avios booking page is one of the worst travel websites I have ever used—the page takes minutes to load, frequently breaks, and has a horrendous UI. Even if you can find good deals, it is a miserable process to actually book them. Save your Avios for booking on British Airways.
Overall, EI132 is a great option for getting between Boston and Dublin. And If you’re flying back from Dublin on Aer Lingus, you’re in for a treat; Dublin’s airport has USA Preclearance, allowing you to do your US customs in Ireland! This way, once you land, you can get your bags and leave—no customs or slowdowns whatsoever.
3. United Airlines UA2136 & UA228
Cash prices for a round trip flight on United flights UA2136 (BOS-EWR) and UA228 (EWR-DUB)
Our final recommendation for flights from Boston to Dublin is the only non-direct route on this list: UA2136 (Boston to Newark) and UA228 (Newark to Dublin). While we normally don’t recommend non-direct flights, these United flights have an extremely short layover (less than an hour), only increasing the total travel time by roughly 3 hours total.
The main reason that we recommend these United flights is the MileagePlus points price; you can fly from Boston to Dublin for only 32,000 United Miles! While this is slightly more than the Delta flight earlier (when booked with KLM), you can book this directly through United’s reward system instead of going through a Star Alliance partner. Not only does this save you time when booking, but it also lets you take advantage of any status bonuses you might have with United Airlines.
Prices for a one-way flight on United using MileagePlus Miles
Don’t forget, Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer at a 1:1 ratio to United MileagePlus!
Overall, while these United flights have a layover, the speed of the stop and the low cost of booking with points make this a good alternative option, especially for anyone with United status or a lot Chase points!
Summary
Soon, you’ll be enjoying the wonderful scenery and culture of Ireland!
Flying from Boston to Dublin doesn’t have to be stressful! If you choose the right flights for your needs, traveling between the US and Ireland can be one of the easiest and quickest trips you can make across the Atlantic.
To help you make that choice, we’ve provided a list of our favorite flights between the two cities. Regardless of whether you’re looking to fly with points, hoping for the shortest flight possible, or trying to leverage your status, we’ve got a flight recommendation for you!
We hope this article was helpful! If you’re interested in other destinations, check out our guide to flights from Boston to Austin and from Boston to Denver.
