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Chase and Amex will temporarily suspend Emirates Skywards point transfers — devaluations next?

April 29, 2025
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3 min read
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Chase and Amex will temporarily suspend Emirates Skywards point transfers — devaluations next?
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Following the news that Citi ThankYou Rewards will be devaluing point transfers to Emirates Skywards by 20% beginning July 27, Chase and American Express have announced that point transfers to the international airline loyalty program will be "temporarily" unavailable.

Keep reading to find out more about the temporary Emirates partner suspension and when point transfers will resume.

Related: Credit card transfer partners: Guide to transferring points and miles to airlines and hotels

Chase and Amex to suspend Emirates Skywards point transfers

As first reported by One Mile at a Time, Chase has issued the following notice to Ultimate Rewards members:

Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points online or over the phone to Emirates Skywards will be unavailable between [12:00 a.m. EDT on May 29 and tentatively June 30]. We apologize for the inconvenience.

emirates plane
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

In a similar statement on its transfer partner page, American Express Membership Rewards posted:

Beginning May 28th, the ability to transfer Membership Rewards points to Emirates Skywards miles will be temporarily unavailable. Please visit Emirates.com for more information. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

While Chase offered a tentative resume date for its members, Amex did not offer additional information on when (and if) transfers to Emirates Skywards will commence.

Both card loyalty programs offer 1:1 transfers to Skywards, meaning you can transfer 1,000 points and receive a value of 1,000 Skywards miles in return.

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Emirates is also a 1:1 transfer partner of Bilt Rewards and Capital One miles. At this time, members of those reward programs have not been notified about transfer changes to Emirates Skywards.

Will Chase and Amex devalue Emirates point transfers?

Less than one week after Citi announced that ThankYou Rewards points now transfer at a rate of 5:4, meaning for every 1,000 points transferred, you'll receive 800 Skywards miles, both Chase and Amex have issued statements halting transfers to Emirates altogether.

So, is a transfer devaluation imminent?

woman at computer
FRESHSPLASH/GETTY IMAGES

As I noted in my reaction to Citi's news, while devaluations are never good, what I was more afraid of happening was other credit card companies following suit. Chase and Amex have not publicly announced that they're losing Skywards as a transfer partner or devaluing the transfer rates. However, I wouldn't be surprised if devaluing transfer partners becomes a growing trend.

Members are able to get outsize value for their points and miles thanks to the flexibility they have to transfer those points and miles to loyalty programs. So, are airline and hotel loyalty programs trying to deter this flexibility and coerce more loyalty within a program by devaluing transfers?

Overall, I'm interested to see how this plays out. Let the chess match begin.

Featured image by DELMAINE DONSON/GETTY IMAGES
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.

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.