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| How to use points to fly 1 of the best airlines in the world |
| by Brian Kelly |
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When people ask me what my favorite airline is, I usually say Emirates for a couple of reasons. Its first class is absolutely divine — especially on the A380, where you have an onboard lounge and showers that very few other airlines offer, and then in the 777 game-changer suite, which I consider to be the best first-class suite in the world.
That being said, business class is just OK on Emirates. On the A380, it’s their best; I wouldn’t hesitate to fly it. However, the majority of its fleet are 777s that have angled lie-flat seats and middle seats in business class and are way outdated. I pretty much won’t fly Emirates on the 777 in business class because I personally don’t like stepping over people or having people step over me when I’m sleeping. I also do not like sleeping at an angle.
Emirates’ premium economy, which is pretty limited, is nice, and the economy experience is better than what you are going to find on a U.S. airline.
I also like flying through Dubai and splitting my journeys with a long layover there, and I like the fact that I can fly the A380 from New York to Milan.
I’m going to focus on its loyalty program and the two main ways I book Emirates. It can be quirky, but the two main programs I use to book Emirates are Emirates Skywards, which is a transfer partner of most of the major credit card programs, and Air Canada’s Aeroplan, which is also a transfer partner.
Here’s what you need to know: Aeroplan is a relatively new partnership, and interestingly, sometimes Aeroplan has access to Emirates award availability that Emirates doesn’t. Also, Emirates has reasonable award rates in business class; however, its first-class rates are astronomical and I would never recommend booking through Air Canada’s Aeroplan for first class.
For example, if using Aeroplan to book a business-class seat on the Emirates flight from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Athens International Airport (ATH), the redemption rate is only 78,500 points and 76 Canadian dollars (about $55), while the Emirates Skywards rate is 87,000 miles and the taxes and fees are $104. The taxes and fees are lower on Aeroplan because it does not impose fuel surcharges.
Earning transferable points
If you need more points, a welcome bonus is always a great option. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is currently offering 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. The Platinum Card® from American Express is currently offering 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership, and the Citi Premier® Card is currently offering 60,000 bonus ThankYou points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
How to book
Emirates Skywards has pretty reasonable redemption rates. For example, I’m going to Johannesburg this fall, and I was able to book a first-class seat from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Dubai International Airport (DXB) with a stopover and then from Dubai to Johannesburg for 178,750 miles and $1,223 in total taxes and fees.
Pricing out just the New York-to-Dubai portion, it was 163,500 Emirates Skywards miles, so by adding a second leg to the journey, the Dubai-to-Johannesburg portion was only an additional 15,000 miles!
When I priced the New York-to-Johannesburg route with United Airlines, it was 285,000 miles just for business class one-way — and an Emirates cash fare was $13,858 one-way! So even with $1,200 in taxes and fees, my miles get me nearly 7 cents each in value!
Pro tip: When booking Emirates and going to Dubai, look at the additional long-haul options since it might only be a few extra miles. My Dubai-to-Johannesburg leg on the A380 was only an additional 15,000 miles for another 10 hours in first class, giving me more time to enjoy the caviar and Dom Perignon.
When possible, build in layovers in Dubai for far-flung destinations — it’s a better bang for your mile.
Upgrades
Another great thing about Emirates is that it makes upgrading pretty easy. In fact, it will let you upgrade to first class, using miles, on award tickets. But note this does not work with Air Canada bookings. If you use Air Canada Aeroplan points for business class and want to upgrade to first class, you basically won’t be allowed to, whether with cash or points. However, when using Skywards, whether you pay for a ticket or have an award ticket, you can automatically list for an upgrade if it becomes available.
If the upgrades are not available within 48 hours of departure, the request will be canceled, but here’s the real kicker: You are able to upgrade at the airport or even on board the plane if you have miles or cash — as long as there’s a seat available.
Say you want to splurge on first class to the Maldives, but the only thing available on an award booking is business class — as long as there are seats available in first class, you should be able to use your miles or cash to upgrade. Especially for honeymoons, I say go for it at least one of the ways because not only will you have a better onboard experience, but the lounges are pretty awesome as well.
If you want to see more, check out TPG’s four-cabin review of the Emirates A380.
Have a great weekend,
BK
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| Photo Credit: WYATT SMITH/THE POINTS GUY. |
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