Qantas Devaluing Redemptions on Emirates First Class, Adding New Rules for Bookings

Updated: January 21, 2026, 8:24am CST

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Table of Contents

New Rules for Using Qantas Points To Book Emirates First Class
Qantas Frequent Flyer Will Increase Emirates First Class Award Rates
Why These Changes Aren’t Surprising
Final Thoughts

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We’ve seen multiple restrictions on booking Emirates first class with points in the past year. On top of those new rules, the cost has also gone up.

Booking Emirates first class using Qantas Frequent Flyer points remained a good option, but that’s changing. Given the wider context of what’s happened in the past 12 months, this isn’t overly surprising. That doesn’t mean it’s not frustrating for travelers, though.

Here’s a look at what’s changing and the dates of the phased implementation.

New Rules for Using Qantas Points To Book Emirates First Class

Those using Qantas Frequent Flyer points to book Emirates first class using points will find 2 new rules being implemented, and the first takes effect today.

Effective January 21, 2026, members redeeming points for Emirates first class must be at least 9 years old. Then, another rule will go into effect on February 18, 2026, requiring members to have at least Qantas Silver status to book Emirates first using points.

Emirates New 777-300ER First Class Suites — Emirates New 777-300ER first-class suites. Image Credit: Cherag Dubash

Thus, anyone wanting to redeem Qantas Points for Emirates first class should do so quickly if the new requirement will make you ineligible after February 18.

Qantas Frequent Flyer Will Increase Emirates First Class Award Rates

The silver lining in this message is that many redemptions using Qantas Points to book Emirates flights will become cheaper in economy, premium economy, and even business class. Prices for first-class award tickets, though, will get more expensive soon.

Award pricing will go up on March 31, 2026. Here’s a comparison of the first-class pricing using Qantas Points before and after the change, representing a 20% increase across the board:

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Flight Distance (Miles)	Award Price Until March 30, 2026	Awards Booked March 31 or After
0 to 600	29,000	34,800
601 to 1,200	43,600	52,400
1,201 to 2,400	65,300	78,400
2,401 to 3,600	102,600	123,200
3,601 to 4,800	123,100	147,800
4,801 to 5,800	147,700	177,300
5,801 to 7,000	170,800	205,000
7,001 to 8,400	195,400	234,500
8,401 to 9,600	227,800	273,400
9,601 to 15,000	249,400	299,300

Why These Changes Aren’t Surprising

While these changes may feel frustrating, many of us expected them.

We saw Emirates ban award bookings for children in first class last year, and Emirates implemented a status requirement for first-class awards in its own Skywards program in May 2025.

Looking further back, we saw Emirates sever multiple partnerships that previously provided options for booking first class with points and miles, including Alaska Airlines and Japan Airlines.

Bottom Line:

The message is becoming increasingly clear: Emirates doesn’t want people booking first class with points if you don’t regularly engage with its program — engage enough to earn elite status, that is. And now it’s applying the same rules to Qantas. The airline doesn’t want passengers who show up randomly to book first class with points.

Final Thoughts

In a frustrating but not surprising move, Qantas Frequent Flyer is adding rules and increasing rates for those who want to book Emirates first class using their Qantas Points. There’s a new restriction for age and a status requirement coming soon.

If you’re interested in booking Emirates first at current rates, you can do so until the new pricing takes effect on March 31, 2026.