The Best Ways To Fly to Dubai With Points and Miles [Step-by-Step]

Dubai’s history is staggering.

Once you make your way past the skyscrapers, you’ll discover a rich Emirati culture, deep culinary arts scene, and no sign of tourism slowing down. Home to the tallest freestanding building in the world and one of the global business hubs in the Middle East, Dubai is a must-visit for all travelers.

Delivering a record 16 million overnight visitors, Dubai’s tourism economy shows absolutely no signs of slowing down at all. Plus, it’s the home country of the Emirates airline.

To many, Emirates represents an inauguration into the luxury travelers’ club. To others, it’s simply one of the most opulent experiences one can have.

Seeing as how some flights to Dubai are among the longest in the world, it can actually be pretty difficult to find nonstop flights there. In fact, Emirates is the only airline that offers nonstop flights from the U.S. to Dubai. You can also fly to Dubai on Air Canada from Toronto.

To put it simply, Emirates is far and away superior to almost any other airline. It’s important to note, however, that not all seats are the same.

When flying first class, you’d do fantastic to fly either the A380 or 777-300ER. In business class, you’d prefer either the A380 or 777-200ER. Economy’s most spacious cabin is aboard the A380.

In this post, we’ll cover the best programs to use for all cabin classes, including the planes that Emirates uses at each airport. We’ll also share a few ideas to construct an awesome itinerary featuring stopovers/open-jaws with a few additional miles!

This guide will be comprehensive, diving into all the best programs for flying to Dubai. The first programs we will look into are the most attractive, and the later programs will offer some alternatives to those.

Best Programs To Use To Book Flights

When flying from North America, you essentially have 2 options if you want to fly directly to Dubai. In fact, the only airline offering direct flights to Dubai from the U.S. is Emirates. In Canada, you can pick either Air Canada or Emirates from Toronto-Pearson International Airport (YYZ).

Booking Emirates is a little more complicated for a couple of reasons.

First, Emirates first class is one of the most luxurious experiences you can have in the sky, and it has a mileage price tag to reflect that.

Second, Emirates operates 3 different planes on flights to North America:

1. Airbus A380-800
2. Boeing 777-300ER
3. Boeing 777-200LR

Until recently, the A380 had the best first class product on Emirates — but with the new and improved First Class Suites on the 777-300ER, we may need to reconsider that.

Emirates’ business class on all 777s used to not even be lie-flat! Fortunately, this is not the case anymore, as Emirates will be retrofitting the new business class seats “soon.”

Even so, the new business class configuration is 2-3-2, meaning that although you’ll be able to enjoy lie-flat seats, you might be stuck between 2 others in a middle seat. Therefore, we would suggest you try to fly on an A380 if you like business class.

Below, you can see which airports fly which aircraft into Dubai.

Another thing to note is that if you fly from Fort Lauderdale or Orlando, it would be best to examine the seat map before booking the flight. This is because not all flights from Fort Lauderdale operate the new Emirates 777-200LR. If you see a 2-2-2 configuration, you’re probably flying the new lie-flat business class seats — the older 2-3-2 configuration uses cramped, angled-flat seats (it may be easiest to do some investigating through ExpertFlyer).

Emirates doesn’t have a regular schedule for releasing award space to its partners. Though it is an exceedingly popular award flight option, the prices for booking awards are now significantly higher than in the past… so it’s not as popular as it used to be.

Still, you’ll still want to be as flexible as you can when booking — building flexibility into your trip to Dubai will make finding award space significantly easier.

Also, remember to take into account the transfer time of your travel rewards card’s points if you are transferring from flexible point programs. It would be a shame to miss an award because you hadn’t transferred your miles yet!

Japan Airlines (JAL) Mileage Bank

When booking Emirates business class, Japan Airlines Mileage Bank is probably the go-to method for many travelers.

Since Japan Airlines uses a distance-based award chart, the prices of awards will vary. However, the 2 distance brackets we’ll be looking at for one-way travel are the 6,001 to 8,000 and 8,001 to 10,000-mile brackets.

If you’re sitting on lots of Marriott Bonvoy points or JAL miles, now might be the best time to redeem them for Emirates business class.

For one-way flights, you’ll pay rates ranging from 45,000 to 47,000 miles in economy, 80,000 to 85,000 miles in business, and 130,000 to 135,000 miles in first.

For round-trip flights, award prices range from 55,000 to 70,000 miles in economy and 110,000 to 130,000 miles in business, and 165,000 to 190,000 miles in first.

Hot Tip: Japan Airlines’ award routing rules allow up to 7 stopovers! Even with some great value available from Emirates, you can get even better value: take advantage of its distance-based award chart and generous routing rules for multi-segmented routes that can exceed thousands of dollars in value. 

The following is a summary of the routing rules on Japan Airlines partners. Award tickets on partner airlines are distance-based according to this chart.

The following rules apply to award tickets on partner flights:

• Using Japan Airlines and another partner airline will require the partner award chart, not the Japan Airlines award chart. This is important, as Japan Airlines prices partner flights at a higher price.
• You can fly one-way.
• For round-trip bookings, your point of origin and returning point may be different as long as they’re in the same country (think flying from Los Angeles and returning to New York City).
• You can’t back-track through your point or country of origin to fly to your destination. For example, you can’t fly from New York to Miami and back to New York before going on to Dubai.
• When flying mixed cabins in a round-trip itinerary, the higher class mileage cost will apply.
• You can have at most 6 sectors and 1 open-jaw, with 3 stopovers maximum. Basically, this means you can visit 3 cities through a maximum of 6 flights.
• “1 city” can be included 3 times at maximum for the whole itinerary, however, a stopover at “1 city” is permitted only once in the whole itinerary. This means you can transit a city 3 times, but only stopover once. 
• A surface sector (open-jaw) is counted as a stopover for booking purposes. This means that it will count against your total sector count.
• Open jaws are calculated in the same distance-based method as all other segments. 

You can book flights on Japan Airlines online by following the steps below:

1. Go to the Japan Airlines website
2. Log into your JAL Mileage Bank account
3. Select JAL International Award Ticket Reservation
4. Select round-trip or one-way
5. Select your desired Area of Departure and Area of Arrival
6. Select your travel dates, departure and destination airports, and class
7. Select Designate Date if your travel must be on the specific dates you have selected, or Award Reservation Calendar if you have flexible travel dates
8. Click Next
9. If you selected Designate Date, you’ll be taken directly to your flight options
   • Make sure the flights you select have seats available and do not require waitlisting
10. If you selected Award Reservation Calendar, you will see 7 dates for your departure and 7 dates for your return — select the dates and you will be taken to your flight options for those dates
11. Confirm the Mileage Bank miles and taxes/fees required
12. Select your desired flights and hit Next (assign seat now) so you can select your seat and complete the booking process

When you select your flights, make sure there is actual availability, since Japan Airlines will also list flights you can be waitlisted for.

Here are some example routes you can book:

• Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – Dubai (DXB) non-stop round-trip for 130,000 JAL miles and ~$7 in taxes and fees to fly Emirates’ lie-flat business class on the new 777; one-way costs 80,000 JAL miles
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Dubai (DXB) non-stop round-trip for 130,000 JAL miles and ~$7 in taxes and fees to fly in Emirates business class; one-way costs 85,000 JAL miles
• Toronto (YYZ) – Dubai (DXB) non-stop round-trip for 110,000 JAL miles and $198 in taxes and fees to fly Emirates business class; one-way costs 80,000 JAL miles

Earning Japan Airlines Miles

Japan Airlines is a transfer partner with Marriott Bonvoy. For every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred to Japan Airlines, you will get 25,000 JAL miles, which is a 5,000-mile bonus to the usual 3:1 ratio.

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Hot Tip: Need help booking? See our step-by-step guide for booking Emirates business class. Don’t forget to check out other amazing redemptions with the Japan Airlines Mileage Bank program.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Alaska Airlines is the go-to rewards program of choice for many travelers and credit cardholders. It has co-branded credit cards and is a Marriott Bonvoy transfer partner. A new member of the Oneworld alliance, it is also partnered with several luxury airline brands, one of which is Emirates.

One advantage of Alaska Airlines is the ability to add a stopover or open-jaw on one-way flights. Another advantage is that there are no fuel surcharges imposed on Emirates, which can save you a bundle (especially when they can run upwards of $1,700!).

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan charges 82,500 Alaska miles for business one-way and 42,500 Alaska miles for economy one-way with ~$20 to $50 in taxes and fees. Remember, however, that you’ll be saving a bunch of money on fuel surcharges!

These award prices are on par with Japan Airlines’ Mileage Bank program, but your point of origin or destination must be in the U.S.

If you have a ton of Alaska miles sitting around, here’s how you can book an Emirates ticket:

1. Go to Alaska’s website
2. Search for your desired route (make sure you select Use Miles)
3. Select your desired flight and Add To Cart
4. Log in to your Alaska Mileage Plan account
5. Pay the necessary taxes/fees and complete your Emirates booking

While Alaska Airlines might not be the go-to program for Emirates awards bookings, Mileage Plan still provides some other amazing redemption options.

Hot Tip: The real value of Alaska miles for Emirates flights is in booking a stopover on one-way award tickets. After you’re finished seeing Dubai, you could work toward somewhere else in the Eastern Hemisphere, like Australia or Asia.

For example, if you wanted to fly to Auckland via Dubai, you’d pay 65,000 miles in economy or 120,000 in business! This is not a bad deal at all, considering you’re only adding 37,500 Alaska miles for business class or 22,500 Alaska miles for economy on one of the world’s longest airline routes!

Another sweet spot is flying to Asia via Dubai. You’d only shell out an additional 10,000 miles in economy or 22,500 miles in business to fly another 7 to 8 hours to Asia!

Regardless of your routing, your out-of-pocket cost will be at an absolute minimum in this case, ranging from $20 to $50.

Here are some great example routes:

• New York City (JFK) – Dubai (DXB) – Tokyo-Narita (NRT) one-way for 102,500 Alaska miles and $20 in taxes and fees to fly in Emirates business class
• San Francisco (SFO) – Dubai (DXB) – Auckland (AKL) one-way for 120,000 Alaska miles and $20 in taxes and fees to fly in Emirates business class
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Dubai (DXB) one-way for 82,500 Alaska miles and $20 in taxes and fees to fly in Emirates business class

Earning Alaska Mileage Plan Miles

Alaska miles can be earned by holding one of its co-branded credit cards offered by Bank of America, but the main drawback is the limited transfer partners. You could also transfer hotel points from Marriott Bonvoy.

However, you can also purchase Alaska miles if you have a specific redemption in mind. The limit per transaction/purchase is 60,000 miles; in practice, you can have as many transactions as you want, making Alaska miles purchases “uncapped.”

Alaska Airlines often offers discounts of up to 60% on purchased miles, so be sure to consider buying miles when these large promotions are offered.

Hot Tip: Looking for a place to stay while you’re there? Check out these Dubai boutique hotels.

Korean Air (KAL) SKYPASS

Korean Air SKYPASS is another valuable program worth looking into.

The Marriott Bonvoy transfer partner offers more competitive fares than Alaska Airlines for round-trip tickets. Korean Air doesn’t allow one-way award bookings on Emirates, so you’ll have to book round-trip. You’ll be on the hook for all fuel surcharges, which means you can pay up to $320 in taxes and fees.

Korean Air is like a combination of Japan Airlines and Alaska Airlines: the redemption rates are between JAL’s and Alaska’s, and 1 stopover is allowed. Business flights are priced at 140,000 miles round-trip and economy flights are 70,000 miles round-trip with ~$198 in taxes and fees.

The 1 stopover allowance wouldn’t be very useful in this case, unless you intended on flying an Emirates fifth freedom route, such as the one from New York City (JFK) to Milan (MXP).

Follow the same steps as in the Alaska Airlines section above to book Emirates via Korean Air SKYPASS. The only exception is you’ll have to call Korean Air to book.

1. Go to Alaska’s website
2. Search for your desired route (make sure you select Use Miles)
3. Note the flight number, date, and time
4. Join SKYPASS
5. Call SKYPASS at 800-438-5000
6. Complete the SKYPASS bonus redemption and family registration forms
7. Ticket the reservation

Here are some great redemptions:

• New York City (JFK) – Dubai (DXB) round-trip for 140,000 SKYPASS miles and ~$198 in taxes and fees to fly in Emirates business class
• New York City (JFK) – Milan (MXP) – Dubai (DXB) round-trip for 140,000 SKYPASS miles and ~$198 in taxes and fees to fly in Emirates business class; you are allowed a stop-over in Milan

Earning Korean Air SKYPASS Miles

You can earn Korean Air SKYPASS miles by transferring Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio.

Marriott Bonvoy credit cards are a great way to boost your balance of SKYPASS miles; on top of this, the generous sign-up bonuses that are offered make it a no-brainer.

Emirates Skywards Mileage Program

The Emirates Skywards Mileage Program used to be discounted as a booking option for many travelers due to its high fuel surcharges. Fortunately, Emirates is no longer passing on these high fuel surcharges, making a booking with Emirates Skywards miles a great option!

Emirates Skywards enjoys the most transfer partnerships of any Emirates booking method (5 partners in Chase, Amex, Citi, Capital One, and Marriott Bonvoy) and will likely soon be the only miles currency you can use to book first class awards.

Emirates charges the following amounts for flights departing North America to Dubai:

Hot Tip: One-way award flights cost more than half of a round-trip flight. However, these bookings are typically Flex Plus bookings, which allows up to 2 complimentary stopovers, so it might still be worth it to leverage one-way award bookings in lieu of round trips. 

Here are some great example routes you can take:

• Auckland (AKL) – Dubai (DXB) – Milan (MXP) – New York City (JFK) one-way in Emirates business class for 178,750 miles + $100 in taxes and fees with 2 stopovers in Milan and Dubai
• Newark (EWR) – Athens (ATH) – Dubai (DXB) – Male (MLE) one-way in Emirates first class for 160,000 miles + $275 in taxes and fees with 2 stopovers in Athens and Dubai
• San Francisco (SFO) – Dubai (DXB) – Johannesburg (JNB) round-trip in Emirates first class for 300,000 miles + $526 in taxes and fees with 1 stopover in Dubai

You can book Emirates awards completely online. Follow these steps to book your Emirates flight:

1. Go to Emirates’ website
2. Log into your Emirates Skywards account
3. On the top banner, click Loyalty and click Spend Miles
4. Scroll down and press Book Classic Rewards Now
5. Click Classic Rewards
6. Select your travel dates, departure and arrival airports, quantity, and class
7. Run the search and book the flight

Earning Emirates Skywards Miles

Emirates Skywards is a transfer partner with Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Amex has a number of personal and business cards to choose from that earn Membership Rewards points, making it easy to accumulate the points necessary for a booking. Amex points transfer to Emirates at a 1:1 ratio.

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

80,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,760

Annual Fee

$695

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per $1 spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per $1 spent on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel
• Annual and monthly statement credits upon enrollment (airline credit, Uber Cash credit, Saks Fifth Avenue credit, streaming credit, prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, Walmart+ credit, CLEAR credit, and Equinox credit)
• TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
• Access to American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts
• Access to Amex International Airline Program
• No foreign transaction fees (rates and fees)

Cons

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card^®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card^®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^®.
• $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
• $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card^®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
• $189 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card^®. Learn more.
• $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card^®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
• Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile.
• $695 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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• Credit Card Reviews
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• Best Sign Up Bonuses

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BEST FOR DINING

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express^® Gold Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

American Express^® Gold Card

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.

60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,320

Annual Fee

$250

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The American Express^® Gold Card is a game-changer.

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x.

There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 4x points per $1 at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• 4x points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; and 1x thereafter
• 3x points per $1 on flights purchased directly from airlines or at Amex Travel
• Up to $120 annual dining credit: up to $10 monthly statement credit when you pay with the Amex Gold card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations
• Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash: get $10 monthly in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. when you add your Gold Card to your Uber account
• No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)
• Access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection
• Access to American Express transfer partners

Cons

• $250 annual fee (see rates and fees)
• No lounge access

Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
• $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
• $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
• Get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.
• Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Annual Fee is $250.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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• Credit Card Reviews
• Credit Cards
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• Best Sign Up Bonuses

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Business owner? See our list of the best Amex business credit cards.

Bottom Line: Because of Emirates’ transfer partner relationships, using Skywards miles is getting more and more attractive. The fuel surcharges are very mild (~$160 one-way), and the ability to add 2 stopovers on one-way Flex Plus flights or 1 stopover on round-trip Flex flights will certainly add value to your redemption.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club

If you’ve traveled on Emirates and feel like trying something new to Dubai, look no further than Air Canada.

Seeing as the only other option departing from North America besides Emirates would be Air Canada’s 787 Dreamliner business class, we’ve pretty much exhausted our options here.

Nevertheless, flying this Star Alliance partner is a great alternative option, especially if your home airport is in Canada or you don’t feel like sitting in a middle seat aboard Emirates’ new 777-300ER in business class.

Keep in mind that Air Canada rarely flies this route daily (the usual frequency is 3 to 5 times weekly), so you’ll have to plan for that in advance (and the schedule may vary due to COVID-19).

You can utilize ANA to book some of the best redemptions on Air Canada. Oddly enough, Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty program isn’t exactly the best way to redeem in this case. It’ll cost you more miles than ANA, and you’ll need to pay fuel surcharges in excess of $200 to $300!

ANA offers some of the best round-trip redemptions in the business. Keep in mind that ANA only allows round-trip bookings, so one-ways are not an option here.

Hot Tip: ANA offers 1 free stopover or 1 open-jaw on round-trip award bookings. If Dubai isn’t your final destination, you could work in a number of routes using this routing rule.

If you don’t mind flying round-trip, ANA will definitely provide the most bang for your buck.

To fly round-trip to Dubai on Air Canada will cost 65,000 miles in economy and 104,000 miles in business. Even better, ANA does not pass on Air Canada’s fuel surcharges!

The round-trip prices are summarized in the following table:

Book Awards With ANA

You can use United or Air Canada to search for award space here. United is probably the easiest to use, but less accurate than Air Canada. United Airlines can show phantom award space (award seats that aren’t actually bookable), and while Air Canada doesn’t struggle with this, connecting flights can cause it to error out sometimes.

Personally, we’d start by using United and confirm with Air Canada. 

Once you’ve found availability on Air Canada or United, go to ANA’s website to confirm availability and book completely online through ANA Mileage Club.

Here’s a route suggestion (the only nonstop route from Canada to Dubai):

• Toronto (YYZ) – Dubai (DXB) non-stop round-trip for 104,000 miles and $74 in taxes and fees on Air Canada business class

Earning ANA Miles

ANA partners with Amex Membership Rewards and Membership Rewards points transfer to ANA at a 1:1 ratio.

Amex has a number of personal and business cards to choose from that earn Membership Rewards points, making it easy to accumulate a ton of points.

In addition, you can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred.

Bottom Line: When booking Air Canada, be sure to give ANA Mileage Club the most consideration — it’s going to cost the fewest miles, and fuel surcharges will not be imposed on you. Be sure to utilize the stopover allowance, even if you’re just headed to Dubai. You can book a positioning flight to Toronto via Star Alliance if nothing else! 

Avianca LifeMiles

The last method we want to cover in-depth is LifeMiles, the loyalty program of Avianca.

Since Avianca is a Star Alliance partner, you’d be flying on Air Canada with this booking.

Also note that you can earn these miles through transfers from Amex, Capital One, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy or directly through Avianca’s co-branded credit cards.

Another advantage is that you can purchase LifeMiles! In fact, it’s often easier to just buy the miles and book with them. The reason why is because it often offers huge bonuses on purchased miles, upwards of 125% to 150%.

This method, however, does involve spending more than $1,000 on miles, so we would not suggest it unless you have a specific redemption in mind.

Round-trip awards cost 85,000 LifeMiles in economy and 156,000 LifeMiles in business with ~$75 in fees.

Hot Tip: Like ANA, LifeMiles does not pass on any fuel surcharges for this route! 

To book, follow these steps:

1. Visit the Avianca website
2. Click on LifeMiles in the bottom right corner of Avianca’s homepage
3. Once you’re on the LifeMiles page, hover over Use and click on Airlines
4. Enter your desired destination and travel dates and hit continue; the next screen shows availability and costs for those dates, as well as for 2 days before and after
5. Select your flight

Earning Avianca LifeMiles

As discussed above, LifeMiles is a transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Citi ThankYou is one of the least-discussed transferable points systems, but we should give ThankYou Points some love! Those who have a stockpile of Citi ThankYou Points or spend a lot on ThankYou Points-earning credit cards might want to consider this as a method for flying to Dubai.

Recommended Citi ThankYou Cards

Citi Premier^® Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.

Learn More(at our partner's secure site)

Citi Premier^® Card

Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou^® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou^® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.

60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$960

Annual Fee

$95

APR

21.24% - 29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Citi Premier^® Card is an excellent option for anyone looking for an all-around travel rewards credit card. The card helps you earn points fast with great 3x bonus categories such as restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotels. Plus, it offers access to airline and hotel transfer partners, doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, and has a reasonable annual fee!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotel purchases
• Access to Citi transfer partners
• Annual hotel credit
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• $95 annual fee

Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou^® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou^® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
• Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
• Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
• Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
• 60,000 ThankYou^® Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
• No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 21.24% - 29.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Sign Up Bonuses

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Citi Rewards+^® Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This no annual fee card rewards cardholders for everyday purchases. Earn bonus points at supermarkets and gas stations, plus your points are rounded up on every purchase.

Learn More(at our partner's secure site)

Citi Rewards+^® Card

This no annual fee card rewards cardholders for everyday purchases. Earn bonus points at supermarkets and gas stations, plus your points are rounded up on every purchase.

Welcome Offer

Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $250 in gift cards at thankyou.com.

20,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$320

Annual Fee

$0

APR

0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months and on purchases. After that, the variable APR of 18.74% - 28.74%.

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840)

Card Highlights

• Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com
• Plus, for a limited time, earn 5 ThankYou^® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel(SM) portal through June 30, 2024.
• 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 18.74% – 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
• Earn 2X ThankYou^® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou^® Points on All Other Purchases.
• The Citi Rewards+^® Card – the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase – with no cap.
• No Annual Fee

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months and on purchases. After that, the variable APR of 18.74% - 28.74%.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each purchase transaction in US dollars

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• Credit Card Reviews
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Citi Double Cash^® Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!

Learn More(at our partner's secure site)

Citi Double Cash^® Card

Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!

Annual Fee

$0

APR

19.24% - 29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Fair to Excellent (580-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Citi Double Cash^® Card has long been one of the top cash-back credit cards on the market, and the card now has the ability to earn Citi ThankYou Points!

This means that cardholders of the Double Cash card will now earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. Cash back is earned in the form of ThankYou Points. This means each billing cycle, you will earn 1 ThankYou point per $1 spent on purchases and an additional ThankYou point for every $1 paid on your purchase balance as long as there is a corresponding balance in your Purchase Tracker.

Citi has turned the Double Cash card into a top choice for those who are looking for an everyday, no-fuss credit card.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Uncapped 2% for every $1 spent (1% when you buy and another 1% when you pay)
• Flexible redemption options
• No annual fee

Cons

• No bonus categories
• 3% foreign transaction fees
• Lack of premium travel benefits

Card Highlights

• Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
• To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
• Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
• Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
• If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
• There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.24% - 29.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each purchase

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
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Citi Custom Cash^® Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Earn big on purchases in your top eligible spend category, up to the first $500 each billing cycle, with no annual fee!

Learn More(at our partner's secure site)

Citi Custom Cash^® Card

Earn big on purchases in your top eligible spend category, up to the first $500 each billing cycle, with no annual fee!

Welcome Offer

Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou^® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

$200

Annual Fee

$0

APR

0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%.

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Fair to Excellent (580-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Citi Custom Cash^® Card is inventive when it comes to cash-back credit cards. Instead of earning a set amount of cash-back on predetermined bonus categories, the Citi Custom Cash card earns 5% cash-back on your highest eligible spend category each billing cycle, without an annual fee.

Thanks to that unique perk, you’ll never need to worry about whether you’re using the right card for the right purchase, as your Citi Custom Cash card will always pay you 5% back on whichever category you end up spending the most on each month.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5% cash-back (on up to $500 each billing cycle) from your largest purchase category, including restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment
• No annual fee
• Multiple redemption options
• No redemption minimums

Cons

• Your 5% category is limited to $500 in spend ($25 in cash-back) each month
• Not particularly rewarding for any purchases outside of your top 5% cash-back category

Card Highlights

• Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou^® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
• 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
• Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
• No rotating bonus categories to sign up for – as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
• No Annual Fee
• Citi will only issue one Citi Custom Cash^® Card account per person.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3%

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Cash Back Credit Cards
• No Annual Fee Cards

More Reads

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• Best Citi Credit Cards

You can also earn LifeMiles by applying for the Banco Popular co-branded cards. There aren’t many other ways to snag lots of LifeMiles besides sign-up bonuses on credit cards.

If you regularly stay at Marriott hotels, then you could possibly top off your balance with its hotel points at a 3:1 ratio. However, this isn’t recommended, as there are better uses for Marriott Bonvoy points.

The last resort would be to buy LifeMiles. There are often sales providing up to a 200% bonus, so be sure to take advantage of that.

Other Options To Fly to Dubai

Although there are only 2 airlines you can fly directly to Dubai, there are many different ways to book these flights using various loyalty programs.

You can look into Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, Qantas, or Malaysian Airlines as well. These airlines don’t offer the most competitive redemption rates, but they’re technically still options.

Final Thoughts

Now that we’ve looked at all the best ways to fly to Dubai from North America, let’s recap what we learned.

There are 2 airlines offering nonstop flights from North America to Dubai:

• Air Canada (Toronto)
• Emirates (U.S. and Toronto)

To book Emirates, we’d first look at Japan Airlines. Alaska Airlines minimizes your out-of-pocket cost and its miles are competitive against other programs.

Next, we’d look to Emirates Skywards if you have lots of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Amex Membership Rewards points, or Capital One miles.

To book Air Canada, we’d examine ANA very closely. If you don’t have enough Amex or Marriott Bonvoy points but have a lot of Citi ThankYou Points, you can also check out Avianca, a Citi transfer partner.

Flying on Emirates is basically a requirement to be inducted into the luxury flyer club. It has a glamorous, over-the-top experience that everybody should try at least once!

If you’ve done it before, you can then try Air Canada for a solid executive-like experience. Plus, you’ll get a chance to try the Air Canada business class lounge in Toronto!

Bottom line, there’s a lot of value to be had when flying to Dubai, especially when you choose to fly using points and miles.

The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

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