Once I noticed the current information that Emirates had determined to limit first-class awards to elite Platinum, Gold and Silver members of its Emirates Skywards loyalty program, I assumed my dream of flying this aspirational product with onboard bars, showers and limitless caviar was over.
I’ve by no means held, and can doubtless by no means maintain, any Skywards elite standing. Couple this with a number of bank card applications “quickly” suspending factors transfers to Skywards, and I used to be chalking this as much as a “ought to have booked it once I might” lesson of incomes and redeeming factors and miles.
Nonetheless, there’s nonetheless a straightforward solution to e book Emirates first-class, and it in the end helped me obtain my dream in spite of everything. This is what you must find out about it.
Associated: Emirates first-class nonetheless wows: Totally enclosed suites and limitless caviar
We’re within the golden age of Qantas factors
Studying that Skywards was including restrictions to its personal members’ skill to e book first-class awards, I naturally assumed they’d add comparable restrictions to accomplice airline applications. In spite of everything, if an entry-level Skywards member can not e book an Emirates award, why let an entry-level member of one other loyalty program achieve this?
However up to now, that hasn’t occurred.
The perfect accomplice applications to e book Emirates awards have historically been Air Canada’s Aeroplan program and Qantas Frequent Flyer. Aeroplan not too long ago started pricing Emirates awards dynamically, and whereas Aeroplan nonetheless has entry to first-class awards, these are priced as much as 750,000 Aeroplan factors per flight, which isn’t a superb deal.
Nonetheless, Emirates first-class awards are nonetheless available to all Qantas members utilizing Qantas factors, with comparable charges and charges, taxes and surcharges as Skywards prices its elite members.
Utilizing my secret weapon, Seats.aero, I simply discovered a number of nonstop flights from North America to Dubai Worldwide Airport (DXB).
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This is an instance of some flights accessible in late September and early October of this 12 months, when the summer time temperatures within the Center East develop into milder.
Qantas at present prices the next charges for Emirates first-class awards, one-way, per particular person:
- Flights 0 to 600 miles in size: 29,000 factors
- Flights 601 to 1,200 miles in size: 43,500 factors
- Flights 1,201 to 2,400 miles in size: 64,500 factors (this consists of Emirates’ new service from Florida to Colombia)
- Flights 2,401 to three,600 miles in size: 89,800 factors (this consists of most routes from Europe to Dubai)
- Flights 3,601 to 4,800 miles in size: 107,700 factors (this consists of Emirates’ fifth-freedom routes between North America and Europe)
- Flights 4,801 to five,800 miles in size: 149,800 factors (this consists of departures from the Northeast to Dubai)
- Flights 5,801 to 7,000 miles in size: 170,800 factors (this consists of all different U.S. departures, together with from the West Coast)
Associated: A overview of Emirates enterprise class on the Airbus A380 from New York to Milan
I jumped on this nice availability and pricing, reserving an Emirates first-class flight from London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) to DXB on the Airbus A380 round two weeks earlier than departure for 89,800 Qantas factors plus 572 British kilos, which is about $775 and consists of the obligatory Air Passenger Responsibility tax for all departures from the UK.
Keep tuned for a full report of my bucket-list flight, however let’s simply say it exceeded my already excessive expectations.
One more reason proper now could be such a good time to think about Qantas factors is that for bookings constituted of Aug. 5 onward, Emirates flights will likely be priced in keeping with the Qantas award chart (moderately than the accomplice award chart), which means charges (and surcharges) will largely improve as follows:
- Flights 0 to 600 miles in size: 29,000 factors (no change)
- Flights 601 to 1,200 miles in size: 43,600 factors (up by 100 factors)
- Flights 1,201 to 2,400 miles in size: 65,300 (up by 1,200 factors)
- Flights 2,401 to three,600 miles in size: 102,600 factors (up by 12,800 factors)
- Flights 3,601 to 4,800 miles in size: 123,100 (up by 15,400 factors)
- Flights 4,801 to five,800 miles in size: 149,800 factors (down by 2,100 factors)
- Flights 5,801 to 7,000 miles in size: 170,800 factors (no change)
Though some Emirates first-class award flights from the U.S. booked with Qantas factors will lower barely for bookings constituted of Aug. 5 onward, we do not know the way lengthy Qantas Frequent Flyer members could have entry to such beneficiant Emirates first-class availability.
In spite of everything, as this entry is best than what’s supplied to entry-level Skywards members, I would not be stunned if Emirates decides to cut back the variety of first-class seats accessible to accomplice airline applications like Qantas.
The way to earn Qantas factors
Qantas factors are simple to earn, as Qantas Frequent Flyer is a switch accomplice of American Specific Membership Rewards, Capital One and Citi ThankYou Rewards.
Listed below are a few of the greatest bank card welcome presents accessible proper now that you might leverage to switch to Qantas at a 1:1 fee:
- The Platinum Card® from American Specific: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
- American Specific® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
- The Enterprise Platinum Card® from American Specific: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership. Plus, earn a $500 assertion credit score after spending $2,500 on qualifying flights booked instantly with airways or via American Specific Journey within the first three months of card membership. You’ll be able to earn one or each of those presents, which finish June 30.
- Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
- Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening.
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see charges and charges): Earn 60,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 on purchases inside three months from account opening.
Backside line
If you wish to e book Emirates’ fabulous first-class product with factors and miles and haven’t got elite standing in Emirates’ personal Skywards loyalty program, it is a nice time to take a look at the Qantas Frequent Flyer program.
On condition that entry-level Skywards members now not have entry to those seats, I might argue availability via Qantas Frequent Flyer has by no means been higher.
The beneficiant award availability could not final, and with most Emirates first-class awards growing in value for bookings constituted of Aug. 5 onward, now could be the golden age of Qantas factors, transferable from Amex, Capital One and Citi.
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