Emirates Is Offering Discounted First-Class Fares Originating in North America

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

If you've been wanting to test out what it's like to fly in Emirates first class, the carrier is offering some discounted fares out of Canada to select worldwide destinations. If you're able to take advantage, you'll earn valuable Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan redeemable miles in return — as well as a premier in-flight experience.

On the surface, more than $3,800 round-trip for a flight might seem excessive. However, keep in mind that these fares are with Emirates in its first-class cabin on the A380, meaning you'll have access to its on-board shower, bar and premium experience. Normally, these fares can well exceed $10,000 round-trip — so there's the potential for some big savings here. Check out TPG's review of Emirates first class on the A380 here.

http://vimeo.com/199364071

The cheapest fares are from Toronto (YYZ) to Chennai (MAA), where you'll pay $3,891 with a stop in the carrier's hub in Dubai (DXB). To search, head to Google Flights and search for itineraries from YYZ to your desired destination. Be sure to manually select Emirates as your airline choice. Then, click through the calendar to find dates that work for you, select them and book directly through the carrier.

Here are some examples of what you can book:

Toronto (YYZ) to Chennai (MAA) for CAD 4,990 (~$3,891):

Toronto (YYZ) to Cairo (CAI) for CAD 5,257 (~$4,092):

Toronto (YYZ) to Johannesburg (JNB) for CAD 5,596 (~$4,356):

Toronto (YYZ) to Beijing (PEK) for CAD 5,905 (~$4,597):

Toronto (YYZ) to Sydney (SYD) for CAD 7,740 (~$6,025):

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If you purchase one of these discounted first-class tickets and credit the flight to Alaska's Mileage Plan program, you'll earn a solid number of redeemable miles in return. For example, if you fly from Toronto to Sydney round-trip, you'll fly almost 29,000 miles. Based on Alaska's earning with Emirates, you'd earn 43,500 elite-qualifying miles and 101,500 redeemable miles. Then, if you're a Mileage Plan elite member, you'll earn even more.

Be sure to book one of these tickets with a card that will earn you bonus points for airfare. For example, the Platinum Card from American Express will earn you 5x points on the airfare when booked directly with Emirates. If you book the round-trip to Johannesburg in the examples above, you'd earn around 21,780 Membership Rewards points — worth $414 based on TPG's most recent valuations.

H/T: View From the Wing