I'm going to jump in on this one, since I have a very similar question and the thread is new. (I'm a bit of a newbie to the forum, so hope I'm following the proper etiquette).
Our plan is to fly ord-dub using avios on EI. Our eventual destination is Bhx. ( or somewhere relatively near. We will rent a car so London, east midlands, maybe other would be acceptable.)
So, how to get from dub to bhx? We don't want to get stuck in dub if our first flight is delayed and causes us to miss the second. If we use avios for dub-bhx on Aer lingus we won't get hit with the apd or fuel surcharges, but would on the return bhx-dub-ord if we stopover <24 hrs?
So, reading this thread and extrapolating a bit, it sounds like this approach would work with minimal fees...
Ord-dub-bhx (2 week Stay..). Bhx-dub (stopover 24+ hours) - ord. All using BA avios on Aer lingus.
Does that make sense to get us back and forth without getting hit with huge fuel surcharges or departure taxes?
Thanks!