Book fast: Wide-open Emirates first-class award space between Newark and Athens in early 2023

Emirates first class is a bucket list experience for many award travelers. And while it’s easy to rack up the miles for Emirates first-class awards thanks to the fact that you can transfer several different kinds of credit card points to Emirates’ Skywards mileage program, it is often difficult to snag an award reservation.

However, If you want to try Emirates first class for yourself and are just waiting for the opportunity to redeem miles for it, today might just be your lucky day.

TPG has found wide-open award space on the airline’s fifth-freedom route between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Athens International Airport (ATH) early next year. Most of the award space is available in February 2023, but January and March are showing some dates with open seats as well.

Each seat will set you back 85,000 miles and $80–$125 one-way depending on the direction, or 170,000 plus around $200 in taxes and fees round trip.

This award space is bookable with Emirates Skywards miles, which you can transfer from the following credit card programs:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Bilt Rewards
• Capital One Miles
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou

Even better, Emirates’ fifth-freedom routes from the U.S. to Europe weren’t affected by Emirates’ recent fuel surcharge hike.

Let’s take a closer look at the award space on offer and how you can book your tickets.

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

Deal Basics

 Airline: Emirates.

Routes: Newark to Athens.

How to book: Search for flights on Emirates’ website and transfer points once you find award space.

Travel dates: January to March 2023.

Sample flights

We’re only seeing widespread availability of award seats in Emirates first class on the route from Newark to Athens, so your options are limited. That said, there are numerous dates in early 2023 with open seats.

Almost every day from late January through February 2023 has first-class award space available for one person and there are some limited dates in March, too.

Here’s a snapshot of the availability we found. This is not an exhaustive list, so you might find more when running searches on the airline’s website. Just note that these deals can sell out quickly, so don’t wait to book.

Newark to Athens round-trip award space in mid-January

Newark to Athens round-trip award space in early February

Newark to Athens round-trip award space in early March

Related: What are the five freedoms of aviation, and how do they affect you?

Booking Emirates first-class awards

Not sure how to book an award ticket using Emirates Skywards miles? We have a handy guide on the topic that walks you through the process step by step.

And remember, the Skywards program is a transfer partner of several major credit card points programs, including Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou and Capital One Miles. That means if you have a card like one of the following, you can consider transferring the points or miles you earn to your Emirates Skywards account and booking from there.

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Citi Premier® Card

Just note that some transfers might take time, so if you want to jump on this deal, you should hurry.

Bottom line

Emirates first class is one of the most sought-after award tickets in the points and miles world and now’s your chance to book it. If you find awards that work with your schedule, make sure you nail them down quickly as these tickets will be booked up fast.

Remember, you can transfer points from all the major transferable points currencies to Emirates Skywards, so there’s a chance you already have enough miles to book a ticket if you have your heart set on it.

Featured photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images.