When you consider luxurious flying experiences, there is a good likelihood Emirates’ first class comes to thoughts. As a first-class passenger on considered one of its Airbus A380s, you’ll be able to benefit from the well-known inflight bar and bathe. And if you end up on one of many new Boeing 777s, you will expertise the latest first-class cabin with fully personal suites.
Emirates even lately introduced new first-class facilities accessible throughout its fleet.
However, reserving these awards with the airline’s Skywards loyalty program has turn into tougher over time. Japan Airlines Mileage Bank now not affords Emirates first-class awards, and Alaska Airlines and Emirates severed their partnership in 2021.
And to make issues worse, as of May 12, you need to have Emirates elite standing to book these flights. Thankfully, this restriction doesn’t apply to associate loyalty applications.
With these adjustments in thoughts, let’s take a look at the remaining best ways to book Emirates’ first class with points and miles. This will cowl incomes Emirates standing rapidly to book instantly, upgrading business-class tickets and leveraging associate applications.
Book with Emirates Skywards
Emirates Skywards used to be the go-to method to book Emirates first-class award flights. Award house was typically straightforward sufficient to come by, although this system did impose excessive award charges and vital taxes and charges. That modified May 12, when the airline began proscribing first-class award house to its elite members, successfully ending the flexibility to book these tickets for many vacationers.
But not all is misplaced. If you need to book with Emirates Skywards, you’ll be able to open an Emirates cobranded bank card by Barclaycard to rapidly earn elite standing. The airline affords two U.S. bank cards: the Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard® and the Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard®.
These playing cards each embrace elite standing for the first yr, with the Premium card providing mid-tier Gold standing and the usual card providing entry-level Silver standing. You can preserve this standing past the first yr by assembly an annual spending requirement.
The data for the Emirates World Elite Master card and the Emirates Skywards Rewards Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
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If you could have standing, you’ll be able to then redeem an enormous 163,500 miles for a one-way first-class ticket from Midwest and East Coast U.S. cities to Dubai International Airport (DXB) and 186,000 miles for a one-way ticket from the West Coast. Taxes and charges are excessive too, at $900-plus per one-way flight per passenger.
You can switch American Express Membership Rewards points, Bilt Rewards Points, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Citi ThankYou Rewards points to Emirates Skywards. However, Amex and Chase will pause transfers to Emirates on May 28 and May 29, respectively. Further, Citi will devalue its Emirates switch ratio from 1:1 to 1:0.8 on July 27.
Upgrading to first class with Emirates Skywards
Another good — however nonetheless not low cost — method to fly in Emirates first class is to book a business-class ticket with miles or money, and then improve that ticket with miles. You should book a business-class ticket to do that, as financial system and premium financial system tickets can solely be upgraded to enterprise class.
The variety of miles you will spend on an improve to first class depends upon the kind of business-class fare you book. You can view improve pricing on Emirates’ mileage calculator by inputting your routing and noting your cabin class (enterprise) and Skywards standing tier from the drop-downs. There’s then a tab for improve costs.
Here’s an instance of a flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to DXB. Note that there isn’t a money copay, so the value you see under is the “all-in” value for upgrades.
As you’ll be able to see, the decrease the business-class fare you book, the extra miles you will want to improve. Further, you can’t improve Business Special fares, and Business Saver fares can solely be upgraded at check-in and on board.
If you need to improve earlier than the day of departure, you want to book Business Flex or Business Flex Plus. Unfortunately, that is costlier (for those who’re reserving a money ticket) and would not assure an improve. You can see if improve house is accessible when reserving a business-class ticket with money or points. Generally, seeing first-class award tickets on Emirates associate web sites like Air Canada and Qantas additionally signifies open improve house.
If there isn’t any confirmable award house, you’ll be able to waitlist for an improve if house opens up. You can do that by the “Manage booking” web page on Emirates’ web site.
Meanwhile, some vacationers have had luck upgrading to first class on the airport. If a first-class seat continues to be on the market at check-in or boarding, communicate with an agent and ask them to course of a mileage improve.
TPG’s senior editorial director, Nick Ewen, achieved this in June 2024 when flying Emirates’ fifth-freedom flight from Athens International Airport (ATH) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Here’s what he had to say:
I had a bunch of Emirates Skywards miles left over from a disastrous canceled journey in 2022, so I used them to book three Business Flex Plus tickets for me, my spouse and my daughter from ATH-EWR. I knew (from the calculator) that upgrading to first class would require 39,000 Skywards miles per passenger, if seats had been accessible. Thankfully, the seat map of the Boeing 777-300ER confirmed seven as unoccupied after we departed for the airport.
When we acquired there, I requested the check-in agent about upgrades, and when she confirmed availability, I transferred 117,000 Capital One miles to my Skywards account (which arrived immediately — a lot to the agent’s shock). Soon, I had three first-class boarding passes in hand.
Yes, that is numerous miles for a single flight (after having used a ton to book enterprise class within the first place). However, it was an unimaginable expertise for my household — and one which we’ll bear in mind for a very long time.
Related: Stuck in coach with no elite standing? That improve is perhaps cheaper than you assume
Book with Air Canada Aeroplan
Air Canada and Emirates have a nonalliance partnership that lets Aeroplan members redeem points for Emirates flights. However, in contrast to most Aeroplan associate awards, Emirates flights are priced dynamically. Prices can fluctuate tremendously relying on once you book and the place you fly.
Aeroplan awards on Emirates nonetheless seem on the Aeroplan award chart, however awards solely have “Starting at” costs for every distance band. Flights from the U.S. to Dubai fall beneath the “Between North America and Atlantic zones” award chart.
In follow, nonetheless, you will discover that Emirates first-class award tickets value a lot greater than the “Starting at” value. For instance, a flight from Dulles International Airport (IAD) close to Washington, D.C., to DXB covers 7,069 miles, which suggests the beginning value for an Emirates first-class award ticket is 130,000 points. Next January, nonetheless, the flight prices 691,400 points plus $58.04 in taxes and charges.
You can switch American Express Membership Rewards points, Bilt Rewards points, Capital One miles and Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Aeroplan. Plus, Marriott Bonvoy points switch at a 3:1 ratio, with a bonus of 5,000 Aeroplan points awarded for each 60,000 Marriott points transferred.
Book with Qantas Frequent Flyer
Qantas and Emirates have the same nonalliance partnership that enables Qantas Frequent Flyer members to redeem points on Emirates flights. As with Aeroplan, this consists of first-class award tickets. Thankfully, Qantas has saved a normal award chart for these redemptions, and they’re far inexpensive than what Aeroplan fees for Emirates flights.
These flights are at the moment priced primarily based on Qantas’ Partner Classic Flight Reward chart. Unfortunately, this distance-based award chart will likely be altering Aug. 5, making award tickets costlier. However, you’ll be able to book at present charges by Aug. 5, even when your flight departs after this date.
Here’s a take a look at pricing:
Many Emirates flights from the U.S. to Dubai fall into the 5,801- to 7,000-mile distance band, which means they price 149,800 Qantas points every method. Expect to pay at the least $835 in taxes and charges on a one-way flight.
You can book all of Emirates’ first-class routes with Qantas points, even fifth-freedom routes like from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport (BOG) and from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP). This offers ways to expertise Emirates’ first class with out flying to Dubai.
Read extra: Flying Emirates’ first class from Miami to Bogota
These flights are considerably inexpensive than flights from the U.S. to Dubai, too. For instance, you’ll be able to fly from MIA to BOG for 64,500 points and $102 in first class.
You can switch American Express Membership Rewards points, Bilt Rewards points and Capital One miles to Qantas Frequent Flyer. Marriott Bonvoy points additionally switch at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-point bonus awarded for each 60,000 points transferred.
Bottom line
Booking Emirates first-class award tickets is not as straightforward because it used to be, however there are nonetheless just a few ways to achieve this. These days, your best wager is to both book a first-class ticket outright with Qantas Frequent Flyer or book a business-class ticket and improve to first class with Emirates Skywards miles. The latter of these choices is even accessible on the airport when checking in to your flight (topic to availability).
Regardless of which method you book, nonetheless, be ready to spend a hefty quantity of points and money, although splurging for this over-the-top product could also be price it beneath the proper circumstances.
