16 Best Ways To Redeem Emirates Skywards Miles for Max Value

BY 

Alex Miller

- January 9, 2017January 18, 2019

1. Use Points  / 
2. Use Airline Points

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Emirates is among the highest regarded airline experiences in the world. From economy to first class, Emirates is a distinctive experience.

In the 30 years since its first flight, Emirates has stretched across the globe from its Dubai hub. With its central location in the world and destination airport for duty-free shopping, Emirates is the airline of choice for many world travelers.

However, Emirates Skywards award flights are not generally great value compared to many other airline programs. Indeed, to redeem for Emirates flights, you may find a better value if you have miles with partners such as Alaska, JAL, and Korean.

If you are a regular Emirates flyer with lots of miles, let’s hunt around for some great Emirates Skywards values!

The Best Ways To Boost Your Emirates Skywards Miles

Etihad Guest miles can be transferred from American Express Membership Rewards, from Capital One at a 2:1.5 rate, or from Marriott at a transfer rate of 3:1.

Recommended Amex Cards (Personal)

AMEX CARD	BENEFITS & INFO
American Express® Gold Card	Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first 3 months. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at US restaurants. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. $100 Airline Fee Credit: up to $100 in statement credits per year for incidental fees at one selected airline. Terms Apply. Annual Fee: $250
The Platinum Card® from American Express How We Get $1,500+ In Value From This Card (Per Year) >	Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases in your first 3 months. 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. Access more than 1,200 airport lounges across 130 countries and counting, including the amazing Centurion® lounges. Up to $200 Uber Savings Annually. $200 Airline Fee Credit. Terms. Annual Fee: $550

Recommended Amex Cards (Business)

AMEX CARD	BENEFITS & INFO
The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express	Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 0.0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a variable rate, currently 13.49%, 17.49% or 21.49%. Terms. Annual Fee: $0
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express See How To Also Get $1,250+ in Value Per Year >>	Welcome Offer: Earn up to 75,000 Membership Rewards® Points. Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 & an extra 25,000 points after you spend an additional $10,000 all on qualifying purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com. Access more than 1,200 airport lounges across 130 countries and counting, including the amazing Centurion® lounges. $200 Airline Fee Credit. Terms. Annual Fee: $450
American Express® Business Gold Card	More Rewards: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. These categories include Airfare purchased directly from airlines, U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio); U.S. purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions; U.S. purchases at gas stations; U.S restaurants or for U.S. shipping. 4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year. Airline Bonus: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year. Pay Over Time Option: A flexible payment option to help manage cash flow on purchases of $100 or more. Terms. Annual Fee: $295
Are you a business owner? For more details, see our American Express business credit cards article or in-depth 2018 business credit cards guide to find the perfect card for your company.

Recommended Capital One Cards That Earn Miles (Personal)

Credit Card	Benefits & Info
Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card	Earn 20,000 mile sign up bonus (worth $200) once you spend $1,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. 0% Intro APR on purchases for 12 months Earn 10X miles per $1 spent across thousands of hotels Earn 1.25X Miles on every purchase An excellent beginner card for lower credit scores without ongoing membership fees Annual Fee: $0
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card	Earn 50,000 mile sign up bonus (worth $500) once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. Earn 10X miles per $1 spent across thousands of hotels Annual Fee: $0 intro for the first year, $95 after that.

Recommended Capital One Cards That Earn Miles (Business)

Credit Card	Benefits & Info
Capital One® Spark Miles For Business	Limited Time Offer: Earn up to 200,000 miles: Earn a bonus of 50,000 miles when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months and 150,000 miles when you spend $50,000 in the first 6 months of opening your account. Earn 2 miles per $1 on every purchase, every day Redeem miles for travel, cash back, gift cards and more No foreign transaction fees Annual Fee: $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
Capital One® Spark Miles Select For Business	Earn 20,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening Earn 1.5 miles per $1 on every purchase, every day Save on interest with 0% intro APR on purchases for 9 months; 14.74% - 22.74% variable APR after that No annual fee

Marriott-SPG Transfers

You can earn Marriott points and transfer those to Emirates Skywards at a transfer rate of 3:1. Plus, for every 60,000 Marriott points that you transfer, you’ll receive an extra 5,000 Emirates Skywards miles bonus.

Hot Tip: Link your SPG and Emirates accounts with Your World Rewards for extra travel benefits, and to earn points and miles in both programs with your Emirates flights and SPG hotel stays. Registration is currently on hold while the Marriott and SPG programs are combined, and is expected to open again late in 2018.

The 16 Best Ways To Use Your Emirates Skywards Miles

We searched far and wide to find some great redemptions on Emirates. Following are some of the best ways to use Emirates miles, but they’re not the only ways! Use these to come up with some creative ideas of your own for your next trip.

1. Fly New York to Milan Nonstop on Emirates

Emirates flies nonstop New York to Milan. Why fly a traditional U.S. or European carrier when you can experience Emirates!

For only 45,000/90,000/135,000 miles in economy/business/first, you can experience Emirates service at miles prices much lower than many airlines charge to Europe.

Note that you cannot redeem for any other Emirates U.S. to Europe award that would require a transit of Dubai. The Miles Calculator will show prices, but Emirates will not book them.

Need help booking? Read our booking guide for Emirates First Class or Business Class using points

2. U.S. Domestic Flights on JetBlue (One-Ways Allowed)

Emirate Skywards is not just for exotic international travel.

Emirates partners with JetBlue and one-way awards on JetBlue are as little as 7,500 miles. The catch is that connecting flights may price as 2 separate awards, so the best values are for non-stops.

3. Portugal to Morocco, Madeira, or Azores on TAP

Emirates partners with Star Alliance member TAP Portugal.

The award chart quickly gets exorbitant for long flights, but mainland Portugal to Northern Africa (Morocco), Madeira, and Azores is only 15,000/30,000 round-trip in economy/business.

Europe to Africa awards on many airline program award charts can be expensive, so this shortcut from Portugal to Morocco is a great deal.

If you haven’t heard about the Portuguese islands of Madeira and Azores, look them up and start dreaming of fantastic trips!

4. Fly in Style to the Seychelles on Emirates…

The Seychelles are an island paradise far in the Indian Ocean. Only a handful of airlines fly to the Seychelles, and Emirates is one of the best.

From eastern North America, round-trip flights are 85,000/170,000/255,000 in economy/business/first.

Western North America is only slightly more at 90,000/180,000/270,000.

5. …Or the Maldives on Emirates

On Emirates Skywards, getting to the Maldives is the same price from North America as the Seychelles. Have a trip of your dreams start with a luxury flight en route!

Round-trip flights from eastern North America are 85,000/170,000/255,000 in economy/business/first.

Again, western North America is only slightly more: 90,000/180,000/270,000.

Need help booking? Read our booking guide for Emirates First Class or Business Class using points.

6. Cape Town Foodie Tour on Emirates

Cape Town, South Africa is one of the hottest foodie destinations in the world. The innovative, great value food and nearby wine country is drawing connoisseurs the world over. You can continue up to Namibia for a fantastic safari and towering sand dunes.

From eastern North America, round-trip flights are 95,000/190,000/285,000 in economy/business/first.

Western North America is only slightly more: 100,000/200,000/300,000.

7. Safari in Kenya or Tanzania on Emirates

Kenya and Tanzania are justifiably the most famous safari destinations in the world. Seek out the annual Great Migration in person by flying on Emirates to Nairobi or Dar Es Salaam.

Round-trip flights from eastern North America are 85,000/170,000/255,000 in economy/business/first.

From western North America, flights are only slightly more: 90,000/180,000/270,000.

Need help booking? Read our booking guide for Emirates First Class or Business Class using points.

8. Dubai to Perth on Emirates

Perth is the gate to Western Australia’s towering forest and spectacular diving. Flying North America to Australia the traditional way across the Pacific often involves multiple connections to Perth. If you live in the U.S., you can reach Perth on Emirates with only 1 convenient stop in Dubai.

Round-trip flights from North America (east or west) cost 70,000/144,000/216,000 in economy/business/first.

9. Sydney to Bangkok on Emirates

Enjoy Emirates’ “fifth freedom” routes between Australia and Southeast Asia. Sydney to Bangkok is a nearly 10-hour flight that connect 2 of the great world cities.

Round-trip, this route costs 56,000/55,000/180,000 in economy/business/first.

10. Brisbane or Melbourne to Singapore on Emirates

If Singapore is more your thing, Brisbane and Melbourne fly nonstop up to Singapore. Melbourne also flies to Kuala Lumpur.

Round-trip flights cost 27,500/120,000/82,500 in economy/business/first.

Need help booking? Read our booking guide for Emirates First Class or Business Class using points.

11. Indian Ocean Island Hopping on Air Mauritius

The lemurs of Madagascar are one of the great wildlife encounters in the world, but getting there is not easy! One creative option is to stop in Mauritius, then continue on Emirates partner Air Mauritius.

From Mauritius, you can fly to Rodrigues, Reunion, or Madagascar for just 25,000 miles round-trip to see the lemurs!

Going further to South Africa or India is not much more expensive.

12. Sri Lanka to Singapore on Emirates

This quirky route from Sri Lanka to Singapore is a nice way to connect South Asia and Southeast Asia on a round-the-world trip. Sri Lanka has much of the appeal of India in a much more compact and logistics-friendly package.

Round-trip, this flight will cost you 56,000/120,000/180,000 in economy/business/first.

13. Hong Kong to Bangkok on Emirates

Looking to sample Emirates service on a quick flight? Emirates runs the 3-hour flight between Hong Kong and Bangkok.

This round-trip flight is only 20,000/40,000/60,000 in economy/business/first.

Need help booking? Read our booking guide for Emirates First Class or Business Class using points.

14. Hop Around Brazil With Gol (One-way Tickets Allowed)

Unlike most other partner airlines, Emirates allows you to redeem on Brazil’s Gol for one-way tickets. Many flights are only 4,500 miles in economy! See the full city chart here.

One of the great Gol options (and one of the most expensive if you pay cash) is the pristine beaches of Altantic islands Fernando De Noronha. This is where Brazilians dream of having a beach holiday!

15. Japan to Australia or Hawaii on Japan Airlines

The Emirates award chart for partner Japan Airlines is not the best. However, one sweet spot is Japan Airlines flights to Australia or Hawaii for 40,000/85,000/125,000 in economy/business/first.

16. South Korean Domestic Flights Including Jeju Island on Korean Air

The Korean Air award chart is quite expensive with the exception of domestic Korean flights: only 10,000/12,000 for round-trip flights in economy/business.

You can use that bargain award to visit Jeju’s honeymoon retreat, Jeju Island, to see 4 seasons of spectacular nature.

Booking Awards With Emirates Skywards

The booking process for award flights can be difficult to understand, which is why we made some how-to booking guides! See one of the following guides for help booking Emirates:

• Booking First Class Award Flights With Emirates
• Booking Business Class Award Flights With Emirates

Hotel Transfer Partners

Emirates partners with several other hotel loyalty programs for transfers. While these aren’t always the most favorable rates compared to other options for your hotel points, they can be really helpful for using up “orphan” hotel points if you don’t have enough for a hotel award. You could also top up your Emirates balance if you are just short of an award there.

Here are the Emirates transfer partner options:

You can earn hotel points by using hotel credit cards:

See our article on the best ways to earn lots of Emirates Skyward Miles for more!

Emirates Skywards Program

How Much Do Emirates Skywards Awards on Emirates Cost?

Emirates does not publish an award chart for its flights. Instead, use the Miles Calculator on the Emirates website to price specific routes.

Routes are priced according to zone; see the full zone definitions here.

For travel from the U.S., Emirates divides the country into North America East and North America West. Depending on the total distance of the trip, award prices from North America West may be significantly higher than North America East.

Also look out for huge fuel surcharges and fees on awards. Unfortunately, you must call in with specific flight details to find out how much they will cost.

Emirates Skywards Classic Awards

Classic Awards on Emirates flights start at 15,000 miles round-trip.

Classic Awards come in lower-price Saver and higher-priced Flex Plus levels. Only Flex Plus fares can be booked as a one-way ticket.

Cash+Miles

Emirates launched Cash+Miles in September 2016. You must use a minimum of 2,000 miles on a Cash+Miles ticket, and every 5,000 miles translates to a $40 discount. In most cases, this is a low-value use of miles so tread carefully!

Upgrades

You can use Emirates Skywards miles to upgrade paid tickets. Prices start at 9,000 miles and are determined by route and ticket type.

Most tickets can be upgraded in advance, and you may also have the opportunity at check-in or even upon boarding.

Exceptions are:

• Business Class Saver Fare tickets: must upgrade at least 6 hours prior to departure.
• Economy Class Saver Fare tickets: can only be upgraded at check-in (online or at the airport), or upon boarding.

Emirates has some incredibly long flights…once you board and see your seat for the next 15 hours, you may be in the mood to splurge on an upgrade!

Changes and Cancellations

Emirates Skywards has reasonable award fees:

• No close-in award booking fee
• Date change: $25
• Destination change: $75
• Refund: $75

How Much Do Emirates Skywards Awards on Partner Airlines Cost?

Each Emirates Skywards partner airline is subject to its own award prices and allowed routes. Look for partners you can book one-way awards with, such as JetBlue.

Only Qantas and EasyJet partner awards are available on the Emirates website. For other partners, you can call Emirates Skywards or submit the online partner award form and be contacted by Emirates within 24 hours.

Hot Tip: Save time searching for partner awards by checking websites of Emirates partner airlines. Checking an airline for its own award flights may be misleading, though, because more flights may be available to its own program members than to partner airlines. Instead, use Air Canada Aeroplan to check South African Airways and TAP Portugal; or British Airways to check Japan Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Qantas, and S7 Airlines.

Mileage Expiration

Emirates Skywards Miles are valid for 3 years from date earned. This is not exactly 3 years: in the 3rd year, the miles expire at the end of your birthday month.

Unlike many airlines, regular earning of miles does not extend mileage validity. Use them or lose them!

The Alaska Airlines Partnership

Prior to March 2016, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles had been a tremendous value to redeem for Emirates first and business class flights. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case following a major devaluation.

Emirates and Alaska are still partners, though, so if you only have occasional Emirates flights, choosing to earn Alaska miles may be a smart play.

The Japan Airlines Partnership

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank is another program you can use to hunt for award values on Emirates.

Unfortunately, in November 2017, Japan Airlines began assessing cash surcharges on awards as high as $1,600 for a US to Dubai roundtrip. The amount varies by market, and travel originating outside the US in many cases attracts much lower surcharges. One-way awards are possible to beat some of the surchages, however with the distance-based Mileage Bank program, a one-way may cost much more than half the miles of a roundtrip.

The Korean Air Partnership

Korean Air is a partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards, so Korean Air Skypass is another option to redeem for Emirates award flights. Note, however, that for first class awards, you’ll generally need to pay miles plus a large cash component (sometimes topping $1,000!).

Final Thoughts

Emirates Skywards has some hidden gems if you look deep into the program and its partners. Hopefully, these give you ideas for some great trips to take on one of the world’s finest airlines!

While these are what we think are the best ways to use Emirates miles, there are certainly other options available. Happy redeeming!

Photo Credits
emirates.com/Shutterstock.com