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If you are a frequent traveler, you may know about Emirates Skywards Miles–Emirates gives points upon flying with them or their partner airlines. But many travelers don’t know that these miles aren’t only for flying or getting some discount on your next ticket, but also several other sweet offers.
This article explains a variety of ways in which you can redeem Emirates Miles. So, without further ado, let’s take off!
In This Post
Calculating Emirates Skywards Miles
Before we begin explaining how to redeem Emirates miles, here is an overview of how you can calculate how many miles you have.
Although Emirates hasn’t published an official award chart, award tickets are priced according to flight distance. As a result, you must calculate the cost of a ticket using the carrier’s mileage calculator.
The three award tiers offered by Emirates are:
- Saver
- Flex
- Flex Plus
Saver
Saver tickets are less priced, but it can be difficult to find award space. Additionally, Saver space is only available on prizes in business and economy classes. Emirates does not currently provide Saver first-class awards.
Flex
Only first class is permitted to use flex tickets. In essence, this is first-class Saver level and has the lowest prices and the widest selection. For first-class routes, only round-trip Flex tickets are available for purchase.
Flex Plus
Finally, Flex Plus offers the largest award space across all travel classes, albeit at a greater cost. Flex Plus one-way tickets are also available in first class. If you must travel on a specific day, Flex Plus might be helpful, but if at all possible, we advise against it.
How to Redeem Skywards Miles
Wondering how to redeem your Skywards Miles? Here are the many ways of using them:
Fly in Luxury with Emirates First Class to Europe
Emirates offers one of the most luxurious first-class flight experiences in the world. With gold-studded cabins to showers and bars onboard, it’s an experience unlike any other.
Let’s not forget their first-class suites feature virtual windows, a huge monitor, motorized shades, and complete privacy. These suites are an absolute must-try when redeeming Skywards Miles.
You can also book a first-class flight from New York to Milan, or Riyadh or Kuwait City to Dubai, to redeem your Emirates Miles. You will have an extremely inexpensive flight and get first-class amenities, like lounge access, a private jetway, and an extra baggage allowance.
US Domestic Short-Haul Flights with Emirates Skywards
Emirates Skywards isn’t restricted to just luxurious long-haul travel. JetBlue and Emirates have a partnership, through which you can get one-way flights for as little as 7,500 miles. The problem is that connecting flights might cost two different awards, therefore nonstop tickets are the best deals. You should hover over to JetBlue’s website to check for seat availability.
One thing to keep in mind is that you are limited to using Emirates miles to book economy flights on JetBlue, thus JetBlue Mint is out of the choice.
Emirates for Food Bloggers–Discover Cape Town’s Hottest Food Spots
Food connoisseurs must utilize their Emirates Skywards Miles to visit Cape Town–one of the most spectacular food destinations in the world! Whether you want to try their traditional Fish and Chips, or be adventurous with Capetonian street food, The Gatsby, there’s something for everyone.
If you’re booking a trip from North America, flights can cost up to 90,000 Skywards Miles in economy class. For more information on Skywards Miles redemption, log in to your Skywards account.
Using Skywards Miles for Upgrades
While it may not give you the most value to upgrade with points, many Emirates flights are an exception. From numerous U.S. cities, Emirates frequently offers promotions where you may book affordable business-class flights. Paying cash for the airfare and then using miles to upgrade makes sense in these situations.
For instance, during summer, business class seats on Emirates can be bought for roughly $2,400 with a 39,000-mile first-class upgrade option. For a first-class seat on the same aircraft, paying cash would cost you more than $3,800. Utilizing 39,000 miles in this case results in a $1,400 save. That’s a respectable offer!
Book Hotels with Emirates Miles
As mentioned previously, your Skywards Miles aren’t just for getting flight discounts. You can redeem Skywards miles for hotel stays all around the world with Emirates’ own Skywards Hotels program.
For each hotel stay you book through the portal, you’ll earn a certain amount of miles. The amount of miles you accumulate during a hotel stay typically corresponds to the cost of the stay.
Similarly, when redeeming miles for stays, you’ll pay more miles for more expensive hotels.
For instance, the Swissotel Chicago’s one-night stay would cost 47,043 miles. So, if you are short of miles, you can pay the extra cash for your stay. This will be cheaper as you’ll be paying only a fraction of the actual cost.
Emirates Holidays Vacation Packages
Emirates Holidays is the Emirate’s in-house holiday booking service. You can use this service to make reservations for hotels and activities. Emirates’ travel specialists handle everything from beginning to end, so you can be sure you’re receiving the best bargain and discovering undiscovered gems for your journeys.
You can use your Skywards Miles for Emirates Holidays. For an AED110 discount, or about $30, you can exchange miles in increments of 5,000.
Go on an Arabian Adventure
You can also book tours with Arabian Adventures by redeeming your Emirates Skywards miles. This tour agency offers various adventure trips in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Outside of Dubai, there are other options, including cuisine trips and desert safaris. Whatever you decide, it’s a fantastic way to view the UAE on your next vacation in a fresh way.
Any of the excursions mentioned on the Emirates website can be purchased with Skywards miles. However, the majority of these trips only return 0.3 cents for each value point, therefore we advise paying cash in place of this. You’ll save a lot of money by using your points to book flights.
Fly Korean Airlines in Prestige Class
Business class in Korean Airlines is referred to as Prestige Class. It is widely recognized as one of Asia’s top business-class items. The airline has a substantial U.S. presence, making the nonstop travel to Seoul enjoyable.
Emirates and Korean Airlines have a non-alliance collaboration, as was previously discussed. With the ability to exchange Emirates Skywards miles for Korean Airlines tickets, you can save money. Prestige-class return flights only cost 105,000 Skywards miles each way, which is a fantastic offer.
Flights from Oceania and Europe to Korea are priced the same as well. Especially in light of the recent devaluation, this offer is far better than using Delta Skymiles to make a reservation. Additionally, using your interchangeable points to purchase Korean Airlines flights is simple.
Fly US to Dubai in Business Class
From its hub in Dubai (DXB), Emirates offers flights to the most significant American cities. The busiest routes are to New York-JFK, Newark (EWR), Chicago-O’Hare (ORD), and Los Angeles (LAX). As was previously said, the cost of these routes depends on how long the trip is.
When you use Skywards miles to book any of these flights in first or business class, you’ll get a good bargain. Although they aren’t particularly inexpensive, this is the only simple way to use transferable points to purchase first or business class on Emirates.
For further details, refer back to the prior section on Emirates flight costs.
Enjoy a Free Stopover
Stopovers are a great way to split up long journeys and see new areas. Unfortunately, not all airlines allow stopovers, and when using miles for scheduling a journey, the options are frequently even more limited.
Emirates, however, permits free layovers on some types of tickets. For example, one-way award tickets bought as Flex Plus reward prices are eligible to include a free stopover as long as they travel continuously from one flight zone to another.
When searching for flights, select the multi-trip booking choice to add stopovers to your round-trip award itinerary. On some partner award flights that you reserve with Skywards Miles, such as those on Korean Air and Qantas, you can even reserve a free stopover.
Swap for Heathrow Rewards
The reward system used by London Heathrow (LHR) airport is called Heathrow Rewards. When you spend at Heathrow Airport or through partners like Emirates, you earn points. You can convert your Skywards miles to Heathrow Rewards points at a ratio of 6,000:2,000, or 6,000 Skywards miles for every 2,000 Heathrow Rewards points.
Heathrow Rewards points can be used for a variety of benefits, including reductions on parking, Heathrow airport shopping credits, and savings on Heathrow Express. Typically, you receive £5 for every 500 points you spend, so 6,000 Skywards miles translates to a £20 savings on purchases. You receive just 0.39 cents per point in value with this transfer, which is around $27.30.
A Final Word
In conclusion, unlocking the full potential of your Emirates Skywards Miles is a rewarding experience that can enhance your travel adventures and make your miles work harder for you. By exploring these five best ways to redeem your Emirates Miles, you can maximize their value and enjoy incredible benefits. Whether you’re dreaming of flying first-class to exotic destinations, booking a stay at luxurious hotels, or treating yourself to exclusive experiences, Emirates Miles can turn those dreams into reality. Remember to keep an eye on promotions, plan your trips strategically, and stay flexible with your travel dates to get the most out of your miles. With careful planning and a little creativity, you can make your Emirates Miles go further and elevate your travel experiences to new heights.