Emirates Game Changer: How I Booked the World’s Best First Class for 143K Miles

Updated: May 10, 2025, 8:30am CDT

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Table of Contents

How I Booked Emirates’ Best First Class With Points and Miles
Tips For Booking Emirates Game Changer Flights With Miles
Final Thoughts

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As a young adult, I occasionally had the opportunity to travel, primarily flying back and forth to Colombia for family visits or occasional domestic trips. But those flights were always in economy, often booked on price alone. The idea of flying in first class wasn’t even on my radar — it was a pipe dream — something reserved for celebrities or business executives, not for someone like me.

That’s why stepping into some of the world’s most exclusive airline cabins isn’t just about luxury — it’s personal. These flights represent goals I never thought I’d achieve and remind me how far I’ve come.

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to have some incredible aviation experiences: Japan Airlines First Class, Singapore Airlines Suites, Etihad’s The Apartment, and Emirates A380 First Class with its iconic onboard shower.

Still, there was a particular premium cabin I couldn’t pin down: Emirates’ “Game Changer” First Class on select Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. It’s a next-level experience with fully enclosed suites with floor-to-ceiling doors, your own climate controls, and even virtual windows that simulate the view outside.

Keep reading to find out how I finally booked this bucket-list flight for 2026 and crossed off another entry on my ever-growing premium cabin checklist.

How I Booked Emirates’ Best First Class With Points and Miles

For years, I’ve read reviews, watched YouTube videos, and daydreamed about what it might be like to finally experience this mind-altering first-class product. But finding a way onto this “unicorn” of an aircraft has been incredibly difficult. Currently, the only U.S. route on which Emirates flies its latest first class seat is Chicago to Dubai, and award seats are not only hard to come by, but very expensive.

For starters, Qantas Frequent Flyer is one of the few programs that lets you book Emirates First Class with points, and it can be an excellent sweet spot if you time it right.

Once I noticed that Capital One had a 20% transfer bonus to Qantas, I knew I had a decision to make. I’d been eyeing Emirates’ Game Changer First Class for years, and this bonus felt like the nudge I’d been waiting for.

Emirates First Class Game Changer Binoculars — You can book Emirates’ best first class with points and miles. Image Credit: Cherag Dubash

I started where I always do: Seats.aero, a tool I use religiously to find award space. After a few searches, I spotted something rare — several dates with a single first class award seat on the Chicago to Dubai route, the only U.S. route that features the Game Changer Suite at the time of writing.

Seats.aero First Class Emirates Qantas — Image Credit: Seats.aero

I knew that booking this bucket list flight would cause my balance of Capital One miles to take a hit. But with the 20% transfer bonus to Qantas, I saw a rare chance to stretch my points a bit further.

Qantas Frequent Flyer charges 170,800 miles for an Emirates Game Changer First Class award from Chicago to Dubai.

Qantas Emirates F — Image Credit: Qantas

Emirates Skywards charges slightly less for the same route: 163,500 miles.

Emirates first class award — Image Credit: Emirates

Qantas’ 20% transfer bonus ends on May 31, 2025, so you’ve got a few weeks to take advantage of this sweet promotion. I only needed to transfer 143,000 Capital One miles to get the 170,000 Qantas points required to book Emirates Game Changer First Class, saving me over 20,000 miles compared to booking directly with Emirates.

While the award taxes and fees cost a hefty $835, it’s still a bargain compared to the typical $15,000 one-way fare for Emirates’ Game Changer from Chicago to Dubai. Given the 20% Qantas transfer bonus, even factoring in the fees, this was still a phenomenal redemption — one that made this bucket-list experience feel even more rewarding.

Emirates cash rate first class game changer — Image Credit: Emirates

Booking through Qantas requires a bit of patience as the website can be clunky. But after a few clicks, my Emirates Game Changer First Class suite was confirmed. Just like that, one of the most luxurious experiences in commercial aviation was officially on my calendar.

Hot Tip:

We value Capital One miles at around 1.8 cents each, which means the 143,000 miles I redeemed are worth approximately $2,574. But by using them to book the ultra-luxurious Emirates Game Changer First Class, which typically sells for over $15,000 one way, I got a stellar value of over 9 cents per point — all thanks to this transfer bonus.

Tips For Booking Emirates Game Changer Flights With Miles

If you want to follow in my footsteps, here’s how you can make it happen:

1. Find Award Space

Use Seats.aero to search for Emirates First Class availability. Focus on routes that feature the Game Changer, like Chicago (ORD) to Dubai (DXB). Be flexible with your dates, as award seats tend to appear either 11+ months out or close to departure.

Seats.aero Qantas Emirates First Class Award — If you’re looking for space on seats.aero, choose the “Explore” option at the top of the page and then search the Qantas program. Image Credit: Qantas

If you’re flexible and looking to save points while still experiencing Emirates’ Game Changer First Class, consider booking a shorter or less expensive route outside the U.S. Emirates operates this premium product on a limited number of international routes, many of which require fewer points than the lone U.S. route to (or from) Chicago.

Here are some cities where you might find award space on Game Changer-equipped Boeing 777-300ERs to or from Dubai:

Brussels (BRU)
Geneva (GVA)
Kuwait City (KWI)
Melbourne (MEL)
Riyadh (RUH)
Tokyo Haneda (HND)
Zurich (ZRH)

Be sure to check seat maps or aircraft types to confirm you’re booking the Game Changer Suite. The easiest way to tell if you’re booking the Game Changer Suite is to look for the Boeing 777-300ER with only 6 first class seats arranged in a 1-1-1 layout. (If you see 8 seats in the first-class cabin arranged in a 1-2-1 layout, that indicates the older version.)

Emirates Aerolopa Seat Map — The Emirates Game Changer First Class cabin has only 6 seats, so double-check the seat map before booking. Image Credit: Aerolopa.com

2. Confirm the Availability on Qantas

Once you find award availability, head to Qantas.com to verify the ticket is actually bookable with points and miles. Occasionally, award search tools like Seats.aero may show phantom availability, so it’s essential to confirm directly with Qantas before you transfer a huge chunk of points.

To search and book awards on the Qantas site, you’ll need to log in to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account — membership is free if you don’t already have one. After logging in, select the “Use Points” search option, hit “Classic Flight Rewards,” and start your search.

Qantas Use Points Page — Image Credit: Qantas

If the award seat shows up with the exact mileage cost you saw on Seats.aero, you’re good to go. If not, try other dates or search again — availability can change quickly, so flexibility is key.

3. Transfer Miles From Capital One

If you have a Capital One Miles-earning card, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you can transfer miles to Qantas at a 1:1 ratio. During this transfer promotion, you will receive a 20% bonus, resulting in a 1:1.2 ratio.

That means transferring 143,000 Capital One miles gets you a bit more than the 170,800 Qantas points required to nab a one-way Emirates Game Changer First Class seat to Dubai, like I booked.

Capital One miles usually transfer instantly, but because Emirates Game Changer award seats are so elusive, it’s best to confirm availability on Qantas.com before transferring your miles.

Hot Tip:

Qantas Frequent Flyer partners with several major flexible points programs, most of which transfer at a 1:1 ratio. These include American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Citi ThankYou Rewards. You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-point bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred.

Final Thoughts

While redeeming this many miles might seem like a lot, it brings me immense joy and satisfaction when I can fulfill a major travel goal. I saved miles and secured a seat in one of the most luxurious cabins in the sky. With the bonus, I stretched my miles further, getting exceptional value for an unforgettable experience.

Taking advantage of Capital One’s limited-time 20% transfer bonus to Qantas, I was able to book a seat for one of my ultimate bucket-list flights: Emirates’ Game Changer First Class. This is why I’m such a big fan of earning and redeeming travel rewards for experiences I once thought were only for the ultra-wealthy.