Emirates Skywards has never been a particularly attractive mileage programme, but it’s going to get even worse from tomorrow when it adds a major restriction— with virtually no notice.
Starting Monday, Emirates First Class awards will only be bookable by Skywards Platinum, Gold and Silver members. While this is presumably good news if you’re an elite (as there’ll be much less competition for awards), it’s extremely disappointing for the vast majority of travellers, who will effectively be blocked from enjoying one of the most aspirational redemptions out there.
For what it’s worth, Emirates isn’t the only airline to restrict First Class awards to elites, as Air France and SWISS do the same. But its First Class cabins are much larger than either of those two airlines, and one wonders how many paying customers are actually being displaced by passengers redeeming miles.
Emirates will block First Class awards for non-elites
From Monday, 12 May 2025, Emirates Skywards will restrict First Class award redemptions to Platinum, Gold and Silver tier members. If you’re a regular Blue tier member, you won’t be able to redeem First Class awards.Â
Effective 12th May 2025 Classic Rewards in First Class will be a Tier benefit available only to Platinum, Gold and Silver tier members
-Emirates
What’s particularly nasty is that Emirates is providing close to zero notice of this policy change. I can imagine the frustration you might feel if you were a Blue tier member accumulating miles with Skywards in the hope of a First Class redemption, only to find the rug pulled before you had the opportunity.
I’m struggling to understand the rationale behind this move, because Emirates has relatively large First Class cabins that it doesn’t always manage to fill.Â
And it’s not like it was giving away First Class awards to begin with. The mileage requirement is steep, and there’s a significant cash outlay required too because of the hefty fuel surcharges (more than S$1,000 on an itinerary between Singapore and Europe).
| From Singapore to | One-Way Mileage Requirement |
| Dubai | 118,500 |
| London Heathrow | 141,250 |
| New York JFK | 178,750 |
| San Francisco | 197,500 |
Restricting First Class awards also kills off a major aspirational aspect of Skywards, because for all its marketing, Emirates Business Class is a rather mediocre product that isn’t worth the miles and cash.
Emirates hardly releases First Class award space to partners in the first place, but I would assume that with the policy change, it also won’t be possible for them to redeem First Class otherwise the restriction would make no sense.
Upgrades to First Class remain available
For what it’s worth, this new restriction only applies to redeeming miles directly for First Class.
Unless Emirates has other plans that I’m unaware of, it will still be possible to buy or redeem a Business Class ticket, then use miles to upgrade to First Class. You can find the number of miles required to upgrade a ticket on the Emirates Miles Calculator.
Which programmes offer transfers to Emirates Skywards?
In Singapore, both American Express and HeyMax offer transfers to Emirates Skywards.Â
American Express cardholders can transfer Membership Rewards points at the following ratios.
 |
 |
| 400 MR points Centurion & Platinum Charge |
250 miles |
| 450 MR points All others |
250 miles |
All conversions are free of charge, and in my experience, are completed within 48 hours.Â
HeyMax users will need to purchase Emirates Skywards miles directly from the programme using a prepaid Visa provided by HeyMax.
Not that it really matters, because in either case your miles would arrive too late to make any last-minute First Class bookings before the new policy comes into effect.
What’s the Emirates First Class experience like?
In a word: excessive.Â
Think all-you-can-eat caviar, Dom Perignon (even the P2, on occasion), Hennessy Paradis, Bvlgari amenities kits, luxurious PJs, Bowers & Wilkins headphones, and a dizzying selection of wines.
If you’re lucky enough to land one of Emirates’ retrofitted “Gamechanger” B777-300ERs, you’ll have a suite that’s reminiscent of a luxury train cabin, with full height walls, personal climate controls, and virtual windows (in the centre suite). It’s commercial air travel like you’ve never seen before.Â
The First Class product on the A380-800 is older, but you of course get the legendary shower suite, which environmentalism be damned, is one of the most surreal experiences you’ll ever have.
I count myself fortunate that I managed to review Emirates First Class twice back in 2023 on my Golden Showers adventure— and all it cost me was 141,250 miles and S$1,172!
Conclusion
From 12 May 2025, Emirates Skywards will block Blue tier members from booking First Class awards, and make these available to Platinum, Gold and Silver status members only.Â
If you really want to try this product but don’t have status, it should still be possible to upgrade to First Class from Business Class using miles. Those living in the United States can also get status through a credit card, but the rest of us are out of luck.
It’s a disappointing development for sure, and perhaps a sign that the airline would prefer these cabins to be a bit more exclusive, and not filled with the usual Instagram/TikTok crowd.
I do find a couple of hotels and airlines have their regular complement of instagram and tiktok folks announcing their trips and how the experiences were. Sometimes to the extent of using miles to get to FCL seats or Suites sound so easy. Until you get into the game…it is actually not so easy. Even with a very decent status with SQ…none of my last couple of waitlist actually clear for JCL redemption. The last time my waitlist cleared was before COVID. I got to the point that I should not give myself too much hope and should plan for… Read more »
Please do it to PPS Solitaire Main Member too! Please…. POPI
Glad we did our Emirates First Class experience last year. We will never be able to travel Emirates first class again (on an award ticket) as we simply do not even fly Emirates routes often enough to ever expect Gold status! Given the high bar to even get the required miles, it seems an odd decision. Let’s hope SQ does not follow……….
SQ must enforce this! It’s only for PPS Solitaire status holders. Otherwise, the Suites will be occupied by people who shouldn’t be there.
People who should not be there? So are you suggesting that someone who pays for Suites has no right to be there? Does that apply if I pay with money? Or only with miles? And whether I pay with miles or with money, why should I not be there as a paying passenger? May I also know that if you must be a PPS member to “be there” is that the only requirement in your opinion? Or must you also be of a certain skin color and holding a certain passport too?
Nothing to do with gender, passport, race or religion. Paying customers should always be there. But no redemption for non Elite members. This is way overdue. Redemption should strictly work only for PPS solitaire.
PPS solitaire has already given priority to first / suites award availability, be it saver or advantage. What else more do you want?
Getting elite silver is already impossible for us ordinary folks as we don’t fly regularly, only once / twice a year.
My advice to you. Take it or leave it.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/former-starbucks-ceo-battles-bernie-sanders-billionaire-moniker-defense-american-dream-earned
Work hard. No one gives you the Singaporean Dream, not even your Ah Lao. You’re not the only one struggling. So stop talking about being ordinary. Dream big. Hope bigger. And bring that Singaporean winning attitude to the front.
Well we already work hard to learn the miles game to enjoy first class without paying big bucks and without status, considering miles are already difficult to redeem for first class. That itself is already a dream come true! 🙂
Either way more non-status will be sitting next to you in the first class and SQ KrisFlyer probably won’t follow the footsteps of Emirates restricting first class awards to elite status anytime soon. 🙂
Same advice to you as well.
Take it or Leave it by flying another carrier! Fly with Emirates, they did the job for you 🙂
Don’t be sore. Life goes on. Unfortunately I am a Lifetime PPS and I don’t love Emirates. Therefore I hope to see you beside me till they close this. Peace out. The time will come.
What about redeem Emirates First Class award tickets from Qantas Frequent Flyer?
Well as of this morning, you can still see Emirates first class tickets available for redemption via Qantas. So it would appear the other channels for redeeming Emirates first class remain.
thanks for sharing that! i would assume the same would go for aeroplan then
https://www.executivetraveller.com/news/emirates-first-class-qantas-points