Emirates has just made a major change for passengers looking to book First Class awards using its Skywards frequent flyer program.
Emirates Restricts First Class Awards
As of May 12, 2025, Emirates has restricted First Class award availability to elite members of its Skywards loyalty program. Specifically, First Class awards are now a tier benefit that is available for Platinum, Gold, and Silver members.
While I am still able to see availability in First Class on the calendar, when I select the date i am rerouted to a Business Class seat.
Emirates First Class is an aspirational redemption for many points and miles enthusiasts, including myself, and the carrier has transfer partnerships with many of the top travel credit cards which has made it easy for those with large points balances to find seats.
Strangely, while Emirates is restricting redemptions to Skywards elite members, some partner airline programs including Air Canada Aeroplan and Qantas Frequent Flyer, can still access First Class awards on Emirates.
Aeroplan is one of my favorite transferrable points currencies as redemption rates are typically reasonably and the fees are quite low. However, for Emirates First Class tickets, these prices can get insane.
Earn Emirates Skywards Elite Status via Credit Card Spend
If you aren’t an Emirates Skywards elite member but want to use your miles to book a First Class flight, the carrier offers multiple credit cards which can help you achieve status.
As flagged by Ben from One Mile at a Time, there are two co-branded Barclays cards that allow you to spend your way to elite status. Depending on the amount of card spend you have and what level of status you are aiming to achieve should help you identify the card that works best for you.
- Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite MasterCard: $99 annual fee with free Silver status for the first year. Retain Silver for subsequent years when spending $20,000 on the card annually.
- Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite MasterCard: $499 annual fee with free Golf status for the first year. Retain Gold for subsequent years when spending $40,000 on the card annually. If you don’t meet the spend threshold, you’ll earn Silver status in subsequent years.
For those sitting on a large stash of Skywards miles, or looking to transfer one of the many transferrable currencies to Skywards for booking with Emirates, I’d get the Skywards Premium card. While the annual fee is high, just by holding the card you’ll get Silver status which will allow you to book First Class awards going forward.
Summary
Emirates has just restricted First Class award bookings using Skywards miles to Platinum, Gold, and Silver elites. Other programs, including Air Canada Aeroplan and Qantas Frequent Flyer still have access to inventory though the pricing can be steep.
If you’re looking to redeem Skywards miles in the future for Emirates First Class, your best bet may be to get one of the carrier’s cobranded credit cards. While this is an unfortunate development, I can’t say that I’m surprised given the tightening we’ve seen on frequent flyer programs as a whole in recent years.