The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Advertiser disclosure
The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Guides
The best ways to travel to Dubai with points and miles
Andrew Kunesh is TPG's Points & Miles editor. He has been active in the points and miles space since 2014, using them to travel far and wide around the world. He is originally from Chicago but moved to New York City after graduating from DePaul University. His work is featured on Credit Karma, UpgradedPoints, ValuePenguin and various other travel and finance publications. He currently holds Delta Diamond Medallion and Marriott Titanium status, and 20+ credit cards that each have a special place in Andrew's wallet.
May 27, 2025 • 11 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
Related stories
Quick summary
Dubai offers futuristic attractions, luxury hotels and beaches, making it a popular travel destination with many flight options from the U.S.
Travelers can use points and miles to book flights to Dubai on airlines such as Emirates, Air France, KLM, Qatar Airways, United and Virgin Atlantic, with each program offering different award pricing and transfer opportunities.
Award availability, pricing and transfer ratios vary by airline and loyalty program, with some programs using dynamic pricing and others offering seasonal service or upcoming changes to transfer policies.
Dubai features a wide range of points hotels across major loyalty programs, allowing travelers to redeem points for stays at properties from budget to luxury.
What to consider
Award pricing can fluctuate due to dynamic pricing models and may be higher during peak travel periods or for premium cabins.
Transfer ratios and eligibility for booking certain cabins (such as Emirates first class) are subject to change, with some restrictions for non-elite members and upcoming changes to transfer partners and rates.
Taxes and fees on award tickets, especially in premium cabins, can be significant and should be factored into your planning.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of the best loyalty programs, transfer strategies and hotel options to maximize points and miles for a trip to Dubai.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
Dubai is home to massive skyscrapers, over-the-top hotels and stunning beaches, making it the perfect vacation for anyone who wants a trip to what feels like the future. Plus, you have plenty of great options for flying there. You can fly with Dubai-based Emirates on a number of non-stop routes from the U.S., or book a connecting ticket on a carrier like Air France, KLM or Qatar Airways — and even better, you can do so with your hard-earned points and miles.
Whether you're looking to cash in your points and miles on your flight to Dubai or your lodgings (or both), we'll cover the best ways to maximize their coverage. With a bit of strategy in picking the right airline and hotel, you'll be able to fly to and stay in the Pearl of the Persian Gulf in style.
Booking Air Canada flights to Dubai
Air Canada business class. ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Air Canada flies to Dubai International Airport (DXB) year-round from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and seasonally from Vancouver International Airport (YVR). And thanks to the airline's massive route network to the U.S., it provides an easy way for Americans to fly to Dubai, too.
Air Canada Aeroplan is a good way to book Air Canada tickets to Dubai, as it offers more award space than partner airlines — but pricing is somewhat unpredictable. Air Canada uses dynamic pricing for its flights, meaning prices vary depending on when you book and plan to fly.
According to Air Canada's award chart, flights in economy, premium economy and business class start at 55,000, 70,000 and 85,000 points respectively on the YYZ to DXB route. Still, in my testing, I could not find award tickets at the lowest levels in premium economy or business class. I was also unable to find award space in any cabin through Star Alliance partner loyalty programs like United MileagePlus.
AIR CANADA
If you're lucky enough to find a low-cost award ticket on this route with Aeroplan, you can transfer Capital One miles, American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, or Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book your flights. You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Aeroplan at a 3:1 transfer ratio, with 5,000 bonus Aeroplan points awarded for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred.
Booking Air France and KLM flights to Dubai
Air France business class. KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY
Air France and KLM both operate one-stop service from the U.S. to Dubai through their respective hubs at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS). The two airlines both have solid business-class offerings, with Air France known for its catering and KLM for its gin-filled Delft Blue ceramic houses that it hands out to passengers.
You'll get the best deals booking through Air France-KLM Flying Blue. This program also prices award tickets dynamically, but I've consistently been able to find flights from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to DXB for 35,000 miles in economy, 60,000 miles in premium economy and 90,000 miles in business class. In business class, expect taxes and fees to run between $350 and $450 each way.
AIR FRANCE
Flying Blue miles are among the easiest to earn. You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou points to Flying Blue; many of these programs run limited-time transfer bonuses throughout the year. You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Flying Blue at a 3:1 ratio, with 5,000 bonus miles awarded for every 60,000 points transferred.
Booking Emirates flights to Dubai
Emirates business class. BEN SMITHSON/THE POINTS GUY
Emirates is the largest airline in the UAE, flying from its DXB hub to 139 destinations around the globe. This includes the following U.S. cities:
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Miami International Airport (MIA)
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) (via Athens)
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
It's known for its ultra-luxurious first- and business-class products with onboard showers, bars and other unique amenities. But as you might expect, award tickets in Emirates premium cabins aren't cheap. Emirates Skywards charges an exorbitant amount of miles, taxes and fees. It doesn't publish an award chart, but you can use this calculator on Emirates' website to see how many miles you'll need for an award ticket.
From JFK to DXB, expect to pay 30,000 miles and $202.90 in taxes and fees for a one-way ticket in economy and a whopping 138,0000 and $834.90 in business class. As of May 12, 2025, only Emirates elites can book first-class award tickets through Emirates.
EMIRATES
You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou points to Emirates. However, Emirates will pause transfers from Amex and Chase on May 29, 2025, and Citi will lower its transfer ratio to 5:4 on July 27, 2025. Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to Emirates at a 3:1 transfer ratio, with 5,000 bonus miles awarded per 60,000 Marriott points transferred.
You can also book Emirates flights with Qantas Frequent Flyer. Oftentimes, you'll get a better deal booking premium cabin award tickets with this loyalty program, and you don't need elite status to book Emirates first-class tickets. It's important to note, though, that beginning Aug. 5, Emirates flights will be priced according to the Qantas award chart (rather than the partner award chart), meaning award rates and surcharges will increase for Emirates-operated flights. Here's a look at current pricing on the JFK to DXB route:
EMIRATES
American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One and Citi ThankYou points transfer to Qantas. Marriott points transfer to Qantas at the same rates as Emirates.
Booking Qatar Airways flights to Dubai
Qatar Airways Qsuite business class. ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
Qatar Airways is based in nearby Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) and offers one of the best business class products in the sky — dubbed Qsuites — that fly to several U.S. cities, including major hubs like JFK, ORD, and LAX, among others. Once in DOH, you can quickly connect to DXB after enjoying one of the airline's legendary airport lounges, like the Al Safwa first-class lounge.
Generally, you'll get the best deal when you book Qsuites with The British Airways Club. This program charges 70,000 Avios for a transatlantic leg from the U.S. or Canada to DOH in Qsuites business class. Plus, you'll pay 5,000 Avios for a business-class leg from DOH to DXB, for a total of 75,000 Avios plus $300 to $400 in taxes each way. The same route costs 37,500 Avios in economy.
BRITISH AIRWAYS
British Airways Avios are easy to earn, too. You can transfer from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, and Chase Ultimate Rewards to British Airways. Likewise, if you have Avios with Aer Lingus, Iberia, Finnair, or another Avios airline, you can transfer them to your British Airways account. Marriott Bonvoy points also transfer to British Airways at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-Avios bonus awarded to 60,000-point transfers.
Booking United flights to Dubai
United Polaris business class. ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
United Airlines is the only U.S. airline with nonstop service to DXB. The airline runs daily nonstop service from EWR to DXB, and it offers connections in DXB through its non-alliance partnership with Emirates.
We've found that your best bet is to book this flight with United MileagePlus miles, where you'll often find one-way economy tickets for 45,000 miles and business-class tickets for 80,000 miles, plus minimal taxes and fees from just $5.60 on flights from EWR to DXB. However, United awards are dynamically priced, so you may pay more miles on peak dates, and lower pricing may be available to United credit cardholders and Premier elite members. You can transfer Bilt Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards to United at a 1:1 transfer ratio or Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio, with a higher 10,000-mile bonus awarded for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred.
UNITED
You can also book these award tickets with Air Canada Aeroplan. On the nonstop EWR to DXB route, expect to pay 55,000 points in economy or 90,000 in business class, plus minimal taxes and fees of under $100 each way. Again, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles and Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Aeroplan.
UNITED
Booking Virgin Atlantic award flights to Dubai
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
Virgin Atlantic serves DXB and many major U.S. cities from its hub at London's Heathrow Airport (LHR). Its loyalty program — Virgin Atlantic Flying Club — often offers low prices on economy flights from the U.S. to Dubai. You can find tickets on many dates for as low as 12,000 points one-way, plus under $200 in taxes. Unfortunately, Upper Class and Premium rewards are generally over 100,000 points each way. Note that Virgin Atlantic only serves DXB during the winter season.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou points to Virgin Atlantic. Likewise, Marriott Bonvoy points transfer at a 3:1 transfer ratio to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, with a 5,000-point bonus awarded for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you transfer to the airline.
Best points hotels in Dubai
The Park Hyatt Dubai. PARK HYATT DUBAI/GERRY O'LEARY/HYATT
Dubai is home to many points hotels that span all the major loyalty programs. We've listed some of our favorites below, alongside their points prices:
Park Hyatt Dubai: 21,000 to 29,000 World of Hyatt points per night
Grand Hyatt Dubai: 12,000 to 18,000 World of Hyatt points per night
The Dubai Edition: From 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night
The St. Regis Dubai Downtown: From 83,500 Marriott Bonvoy points per night
Conrad Dubai: From 39,000 Hilton Honors points per night
Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah: From 51,000 Hilton Honors points per night
Traveling to Dubai means you'll be paying for purchases in UAE dirhams. With that in mind, make sure you bring a credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. This can save you 2% to 5% in foreign transaction fees on each purchase — and help you earn credit card rewards toward your next trip.
The information for the Bilt Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Whether traveling solo or as a family, Dubai makes for a perfect destination for a warm vacation abroad. And with some savvy applications of your points and miles programs, you can save your wallet some stress on your visit.
