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Emirates to Launch Fort Lauderdale Service in December
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Update 11/23/16: Emirates is now offering 10,000 bonus miles for a round-trip flight booked in any (paid) class when you register here, book by January 15 and fly by March 31, 2017. Additionally, passengers booked in business or first class will get an upgrade to Gold status (Special, Saver and Cash+Miles fares are excluded).
Emirates will fly to a total of 11 US cities when it begins its just-announced daily service to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) on December 15, 2016. The outbound flight from Dubai (DXB) departs at 3am local time and arrives in FLL at 10:25am. The inbound flight departs FLL at 8:20pm and arrives in DXB at 7:40pm (+1 day). The airline will operate a Boeing 777-200LR equipped with 8 first-class suites, 42 business-class seats and 216 economy seats on this route.
While at first glance it seems that Emirates would serve the larger Miami International Airport (MIA), the airline has a partnership with JetBlue that would compel Emirates to opt for Fort Lauderdale instead. JetBlue has a large presence at FLL and provides many connection opportunities for Emirates passengers throughout the US as well as the Caribbean and Latin America.
As of this posting, it's not yet possible to book award flights through Emirates' site or that of its partner, Alaska Airlines. But once you're able to book awards, you can expect to redeem miles with Emirates' various airline partners at the following rates:
Redemption rates for flights between Fort Lauderdale and Dubai:
| Program | Economy (miles) | Business (miles) | First (miles) | Transfer Partners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | 85,000 | 165,000 | 300,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest (1:1) |
Emirates Skywards* | 72,500 | 145,000 | 217,500 | American Express Membership Rewards (1:1) Starwood Preferred Guest (1:1) |
Korean Air SkyPass | 70,000 | 140,000 | 210,000 | Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1) |
JAL Mileage Bank | 60,000 | 100,000 | 155,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest (1:1) |
Malaysia Airlines Enrich | 96,000 | 144,000 | — | Citi ThankYou Rewards (1:1) |
Qantas Frequent Flyer | 90,000 | 192,000 | 288,000 | Citi ThankYou Rewards (1:1) |
Virgin America Elevate* | 45,000 | 100,000 | — | American Express Membership Rewards (2:1) Citi ThankYou Rewards (2:1) Starwood Preferred Guest (1:1) |
*Award rates from Orlando (MCO) to Dubai.
Due to the newness of this route, Fort Lauderdale is not yet listed as an option online for either the Emirates’ Skywards program or the Virgin America Elevate program. Alternatively, we’ve listed the award rates from Orlando, an Emirates destination about 200 miles away from FLL.
If you want to pay cash for these flights, we're seeing reasonable rates in economy in January, with prices between $800 and $900 round-trip.
Step up to business class, however, and prices become much less reasonable — it'll cost you just over $6,000 round-trip.
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Prices for first-class tickets are truly out-of-this-world, approaching $20,000 for a round-trip flight. (Pay close attention to that award chart higher up the page!)
Are you excited about Emirates' new route?
H/T: One Mile At a Time
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- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
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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.
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- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
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- $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.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Apply for American Express® Gold Card
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Best for dining at restaurants
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
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
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 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.