Emirates Skywards Frequent Flyer Program

Earning points How to score big

Redeeming points Get flights and much more

Emirates Skywards Miles expire after three years irrespective of account activity, so plan your redemptions carefully.
Earn Miles on Emirates flights, partner airlines or by transferring eligible credit card points at often 4:1.
Redeem Miles for Classic Reward flights or upgrades with value potentially reaching 2.35 cents per mile.

Emirates Skywards is one of the world's largest frequent flyer programs, with over 30 million members globally.

It gives you a way to earn and redeem Skywards Miles with Emirates and partners. The more miles you collect, the higher you'll climb up the Skywards status tiers. Benefits include:

Flights with Emirates and partners including Qantas, Jetstar and Air Canada
Flight upgrades
Accommodation, travel packages and car hire

How do you become an Emirates Skywards member?

Emirates Skywards is free to join for anyone over the age of 2. You can sign up by filling in a simple form on the Emirates website.

Our expert says

"While you can't earn Skywards miles directly on an Australian credit card, some will let you transfer points into the scheme - worth considering if you fly Emirates a lot."

Angus Kidman

Editor-at-large

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Invite code (optional if you have a referral from a friend)

How you can earn Emirates Skywards points

Flights

Flights with Emirates
You'll earn Skywards Miles for Emirates flights based on your route, fare type, class and membership tier.

For example, a one-way economy flight from Sydney to London's Heathrow airport would earn between 1,240 and 12,400 Skywards Miles for an entry-level Emirates Skywards Blue member. An Economy Special fare would earn the least miles and an Economy Flex Plus fare would earn the most.

In comparison, a business class flight with the same details would earn between 13,640 and 23,560 Skywards Miles.

You can use the miles calculator on the airline's website to see how rewarding your next Emirates flight will be.

You can earn Skywards Miles and Tier Miles on all flights with Emirates' low-cost sister airline flydubai. Like Emirates, the amount of miles you earn is based on factors including distance flown, fare class and membership status.
You can find a miles calculator on the Emirates website for flydubai as well. In general the number of miles you can earn are similar to those you would receive at a comparable economy or business class fare on an Emirates flight.

You can also earn Skywards Miles with Emirates airline partners including Qantas, Jetstar and Air Canada. Here's how much you can earn with each airline:

Airline	Earn rate in Skywards Miles
Air Canada	Earn up to 1.5 Miles per mile flown
Air Mauritius	Earn up to 2 Miles per mile flown
Bangkok Airways	Earn up to 1.25 Miles per mile flown
Copa Airlines	Earn up to 1.5 Miles per mile flown
GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes	Earn up to 1.5 Miles per mile flown
Japan Airlines	Earn up to 1.5 Miles per mile flown
JetBlue	The Emirates and JetBlue partnership ended on 30 October 2022
Jetstar	Earn up to 1.25 Miles per mile flown
Korean Air	Earn up to 2 Miles per mile flown
Malaysia Airlines	Earn up to 1.5 Miles per mile flown
Qantas	Earn up to 1.5 Miles per mile flown
S7 Airlines	Not available until further notice
South African Airways	Earn up to 1.5 Miles per mile flown
TAP Air Portugal	Earn up to 1.5 Miles per mile flown

Credit cards

You can transfer reward points from eligible Australian credit cards, such as an American Express credit cards that earn Membership Rewards and CommBank Awards credit cards.

The amount of Skywards Miles you'll get varies depending on the rewards program and your card. But as an example, American Express offers a 4:1 transfer rate (4 Membership Rewards points to 1 Skywards Mile), while CommBank Awards transfers at 5:1 (5 CommBank Awards points to 1 Skywards Mile), according to the American Express, Emirates and CommBank websites.

How to transfer credit card rewards points to frequent flyer points

Hotels and accommodation

You can earn Skywards Miles on accommodation all around the world, with partners including Hilton, Marriott and Pullman hotels. Depending on the partner, you could earn points based on the number of nights you stay, the dollars you spend or by transferring hotel loyalty points to Skywards Miles.

Hotel	Earn rate in Skywards Miles
25hours Hotels	Convert 2,000 ALL points into 2,000 Skywards Miles
Atlantis The Palm, Dubai	Earn 1 Mile per US$1 spent
Booking.com	Earn 1 Mile per 1 Euro spent
Crown Hotels	Earn up to 5 Miles for every AUD$1 spent
Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts	Earn 2 Miles for every US$1 spent. You can also convert 10,000 IHG One Rewards Points into 2,000 Miles.
Emirates Skywards Hotels	Earn up to 12,500 Skywards Miles per night
Fairmont	Convert 4,000 hotel loyalty points to 2,000 Skywards Miles
Hilton Hotels	Convert 10,000 Hilton Honors points into 1,000 Skywards Miles
Holiday Inn	2 Skywards Miles for every US$1 spent. You can also convert 10,000 IHG One Rewards points into 2,000 Miles.
Hyatt Hotels	Earn 500 Miles per eligible stay. You can also convert 2.5 World of Hyatt points to 1 Skywards Mile.
ibis Hotels	Convert 4,000 ALL points into 2,000 Miles
InterContinental Hotels Group	Earn 2 Miles per US$1 spent. You can also convert 10,000 IHG One Rewards points into 2,000 Miles.
Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts	Earn 1 Mile per US$1
Marriott Hotels & Resorts	Earn points twice on flights and stays at eligible properties. You can also convert 3 Marriott Bonvoy points to 1 Skywards Mile.
Novotel	Convert 4,000 ALL points into 2,000 Miles
One&Only Resorts	Earn 1 Mile per US$1
Pullman Hotels & Resorts	Convert 4,000 ALL points into 2,000 Miles
Radisson Blu	Convert 2,000 Radisson Rewards points into 200 Miles
Raffles Hotels	Convert 4,000 ALL points into 2,000 Miles
Rixos Hotels	Convert 4,000 ALL points into 2,000 Miles
Rotana Hotels & Resorts	Earn 500 Miles per eligible stay
Sofitel Hotels & Resorts	Convert 4,000 ALL points into 2,000 Miles
Your World Rewards	Earn points twice on flights and stays at eligible properties. You can also convert 3 Marriott Bonvoy points to 1 Skywards Mile. Hotels and properties include Marriott, aloft, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, JW Marriott Hotels, St. Regis, Le Méridien, Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels and Westin Hotels.

Car rentals

If you're going on a road trip or need a rental car while yours is at the mechanic, you can also earn Skywards Miles with partnered rental companies.

Partnered service	Earn rate per eligible rental
Avis, Budget	Up to 8 Miles per US$1 spent, based on your membership status
CarTrawler	Up to 1 Mile per US$1 spent
Europcar	Up to 1,200 Miles per eligible rental
Hertz	5 Miles per US$1 spent
Sixt	Up to 1,200 Miles per eligible rental

Retail and lifestyle

You can earn Skywards Miles with partnered retailers and services including the Emirates Official Store, Dubai Duty Free and Heathrow Rewards. As these partners are based overseas, it might be worth visiting the Skywards website before you travel to see when and where you might be able to earn more Skywards Miles.

Credit cards that earn points that can be transferred to Emirates Skywards Miles

10 of 12 results

Bonus points	Points per $ spent	Purchase rate p.a.	Annual fee
American Express Business Gold Plus Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points 100,000	Points per $ spent 1.5	N/A	Annual fee $395	Get 100,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. Plus, earn up to 3 points per $1 spent at Xero, Google Ads, Meta, Amazon Web Services and Dell. New Amex card members only. Ends 12 Jan 2027. T&Cs apply. ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue.	Go to site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
American Express Explorer Credit Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points 100,000	Points per $ spent 2	23.99%	Annual fee $395	Earn 75,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points when you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months and additional 25,000 points when you meet the same spend requirement in year 2. New American Express card members only. Ends 27 Apr 2027. T&Cs apply.	Go to site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
American Express Platinum Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points 150,000	Points per $ spent 2.25	N/A	Annual fee $1,450	Earn 150,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points when you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months. New American Express card members only. Ends 12 Jan 2027. T&Cs apply.	Go to site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
American Express Platinum Business Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points 350,000	Points per $ spent 2.25	N/A	Annual fee $1,750	Limited-time offer: Get 350,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points when you spend $12,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months. New American Express card members only. Ends 04 May 2027. T&Cs apply. ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue.	Go to site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
American Express Essential Rewards Credit Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points 30,000	Points per $ spent 1	23.99%	Annual fee $108	Earn 30,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points when you spend at least $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months. New American Express card members only. T&Cs apply.	Go to site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
American Express Qantas Corporate Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points 50,000	Points per $ spent 1.5	N/A	Annual fee $70	Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases in the first 2 months. For new corporate card programs only. T&Cs apply.	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
American Express Corporate Gold Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points 75,000	Points per $ spent 1.5	N/A	Annual fee $105	Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases in the first 2 months and uncapped points potential. For new corporate card programs only. T&Cs apply.	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
American Express Qantas Corporate Gold Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points 75,000	Points per $ spent 1.5	N/A	Annual fee $105	Get 75,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases in the first 2 months. For new corporate card programs only. T&Cs apply.	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points N/A	Points per $ spent 1	23.99%	Annual fee $0 first year ($195 after)	Save with a $0 annual fee in the first year. Plus, $200 Travel Credit every year. New American Express card members only. T&Cs apply.	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
American Express Corporate Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points	Bonus points 50,000	Points per $ spent 1.5	N/A	Annual fee $70	Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases in the first 2 months. For new corporate card programs only. T&Cs apply.	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading

Showing 10 of 12 results

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How much are Emirates Skywards Miles worth?

The value of your Skywards Miles is dependent on what you're spending them on. Typically in frequent flyer programs your points have the most value when you spend them on flights.

Example
You could redeem a one-way economy flight from Sydney to London with Emirates partner Qantas for 60,000 Skywards Miles. When we looked at this flight for September 2023, the cheapest economy option was $1,413.

ExampleYou could redeem a one-way economy flight from Sydney to London with Emirates partner Qantas for 63,500 Skywards Miles. When we looked at this flight for September 2023, the cheapest economy option was $1,413.

Note: We used Qantas as the airline for this example because the Emirates Skywards program has a table showing how many points are needed for flights based on the total miles flown. In comparison, Emirates only shows the Skywards Miles required for Emirates flights based on individual bookings.
How to calculate the value of rewards points

How many Emirates Skywards Miles do I need for a free flight?

One of the most obvious ways to spend your Miles is on flights with Emirates, you can redeem Classic Reward flights starting from 5,000 miles (the cost may vary depending on class, destination and travel dates).

You can choose to redeem the flight fully with points or pay with a mix of points and cash (minimum of 2,000 Skywards Miles).

Technically you'll never get a flight truly for free as there are fees for things like airport taxes.

If you want to use your points for travel with flydubai, there is no minimum redemption. This means you can use any combination of Skywards Miles and cash for your flights.

Can you use Emirates Skywards Miles to upgrade to business class?

Yes, you can use your Skywards Miles to upgrade from an economy class to business class fare.

The amount of Miles you'll need to spend to upgrade varies depending on the route you're flying. While your status affects how many Miles you earn, all status tiers have to spend the same amount to upgrade.

You can only upgrade to the next fare-class i.e. from Economy to Business or from Business to First Class. Upgrades are subject to availability so if you're looking to upgrade it's better to look sooner rather than later.

Can you buy extra Emirates Skywards Miles?

Yes, you can buy extra Skywards Miles. Purchasing extra Miles is useful when you just don't have enough Miles for the reward flight or upgrade that you want.

It costs US$30 per 1,000 Miles and you can buy up to 100,000 (Blue and Silver status members) or 200,000 (Gold and Platinum status members) per calendar year, with a minimum purchase of 2,000 Miles per transaction.

How do Emirates Skywards' Tier Miles and status tiers work?

Skywards Tier Miles are different from regular Skywards Miles and can't be redeemed for rewards. Instead, they help you reach a higher membership level in the frequent flyer program.

New members of the Skywards program start off at the Blue tier and can then earn Tier Miles to reach Silver, Gold or Platinum membership.

When you reach a new tier you'll have access to different benefits for 12 months. After that if you haven't met the Tier Mile or flights requirements for that tier, your membership level will drop.

Blue
Silver
Gold
Platinum

Emirates Skywards Blue status logo

Blue status members are just at the start of the Skywards journey. As a Blue member you're entitled to:

Earn and spend Skywards Miles. Start earning points to redeem them for rewards like Flights.
Special member-only offers. Receive exclusive offers that won't be available to non-Skywards members.
Nominate a travel coordinator. Need a colleague or relative to look after your account? It's no problem.
Save personal preferences. That way each time you fly Emirates will aim to cater to your particular preferences like a window or aisle seat.
Waitlist priority. Guaranteed priority over non-Skywards members for seats on fully booked flights. The higher your status the higher your priority.
Buy instant upgrades with Miles. Status lets you be more spontaneous choosing to upgrade on board the aircraft. Subject to availability.

There are no requirements at the Blue membership level.

Emirates Skywards Silver status logo

Silver membership

Benefits
Requirements

Reach Silver status and you'll get all the perks available to Blue members plus the following:

Complimentary seat selection. Choose where you sit at no extra charge.
Earn 30% more Skywards Miles. Enjoy the perk of earning more rewards, faster.
Excess baggage allowance. Forget the stress of going over baggage allowance. With 12kg extra allowance.
Additional checked baggage allowance. Enjoy 12kg extra checked luggage.
Your World Rewards. Sign up for Your World Rewards and earn Marriott Bonvoy points whenever you fly with Emirates. Platinum and Gold members can earn 1 Skywards Mile per US$1 spent at participating hotels and resorts on top of Marriott Bonvoy points.

To get to Silver level you must earn 25,000 Tier Miles or take 25 flights.

Emirates Skywards Gold status logo

Gold membership

Benefits
Requirements

Gold status members can enjoy all the perks available to Silver and Blue members, earn 75% extra Skywards Miles plus the following benefits:

Priority check in and boarding. Enjoy priority check in at the Business Class counter anywhere in the Emirates network.
Priority baggage delivery. Your luggage is tagged for priority delivery at your arrivals.
Excess baggage allowance. Enjoy 16kg excess luggage allowance.
Complimentary lounge access. Enjoy complimentary access for you and one guest to the Emirates Business Class lounges. You can have one adult guest and two guests under the age of 17 in the First or Business Class lounges at Platinum level (see other perks below).
Priority support. If you have an issue you'll receive faster support through Emirates Contact Centres.
Guaranteed seats. Applicable only at Flex Plus fare levels, a guaranteed Economy Class seat will be available where none is available at the chosen fare class.
Additional checked baggage allowance. Enjoy 16kg extra checked luggage.

To get to Gold level you must earn 50,000 Tier Miles or take 50 flights.

Emirates Skywards Platinum status logo

Platinum membership

Benefits
Requirements

Platinum membership is the highest status level you can attain with Emirates. You have access to all the perks of lower status tiers, earn 100% more Skywards Miles and the following:

Priority check in and boarding. Enjoy priority check in at the First Class counter anywhere in the Emirates network.
Additional checked baggage allowance. Enjoy 20kg extra checked luggage.
Excess baggage allowance. Last minute souvenirs are no problem with 20kg excess baggage allowance.
'Last seat' Classic Flex Plus Reward tickets. Only Platinum members can redeem their Skywards Miles for Business Class or Economy Class Flex Plus reward flights, even with restricted availability.
Gold partner nomination. Nominate a spouse, partner, colleague or friend to receive a Gold Membership. They simply need to be a Skywards member and you can nominate one person per your 12 month tier-cycle.
No expiry of Skywards Miles. The sky is truly the limit for your Skywards Miles, you'll be able to save your Skywards Miles as much as you like. However they will expire if you return to Gold Tier.

Platinum status requires you to earn 150,000 Tier Miles and take at least one qualifying flight in First Class or Business Class.

Can you transfer Emirates Skywards points?

You can transfer Emirates Skywards Miles to other Skywards members. It costs US$15 per every 1,000 Miles with a maximum of 50,000 Miles per year. You have to transfer at least 2,000 miles per transaction.

You can't transfer your Emirates Miles to other frequent flyer programs, but you can use them to redeem flights with other partnered airlines such as Qantas.

How does Skywards Miles compare with other frequent flyer programs?

The right frequent flyer program (or programs) for you largely depend on your travel behaviours and preferred airlines.

Emirates Skywards, Qantas Frequent Flyer and Velocity members can all climb status tiers by earning Tier Miles or Status Credits. To give you an example of how they compare, let's look at the perks of Silver status and the Status Credits earned on a one-way economy class flight from Sydney to Dubai with these programs:

Program	Status Credits/Miles earned on flight	Number of Status Credits needed for Silver membership	Other requirements	Annual requirement to maintain Silver status
Emirates Skywards	4,500 tier Miles	25,000 Tier Miles	Earn tier Miles or take 25 eligible flights	Earn 25,000 Tier Miles
Qantas Frequent Flyer	60	300	Take at least four eligible Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar flights in a membership year.	Earn 250 Status Credits and take at least four eligible Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar flights in a membership year.
Velocity Frequent Flyer	40	250	Fly in at least 2 eligible sectors within a 12-month period.	Earn 200 Status Credits and fly in 2 eligible sectors within your 12-month membership period.

Status benefits

Now let's look at some of the benefits you can expect in Silver status with the three programs:

Feature	Emirates Skywards	Qantas Frequent Flyer	Virgin Velocity
Bonus points	30%	50%	50%
Priority reservation waitlist	Yes	Yes	Yes
Airline alliance	No	Oneworld Ruby status	No
Priority phone service	No	Yes	Yes
Preferential seating	Yes	Yes	Yes
Extra baggage allowance	Yes	Yes	Yes
Priority check in	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lounge access	Yes, free Emirates Business Class access and discounted Emirates First Class lounge access for you at Dubai international airport.	Yes, complimentary lounge invitation	Yes, two complimentary lounge invitations

Frequently asked questions

Do Emirates Skywards miles expire?

Yes, they do. Emirates Skywards has one of the longest validity periods of any frequent flyer program which is 3 years from the date of travel or earning. However, unlike Qantas and Velocity points which expire after inactivity, Skywards miles will always expire after 36 months. This means you have to be careful to spend them all before they expire.

How can I claim missing Emirates Skywards points?

Taken a flight and noticed your Skywards Miles haven't appeared on your account? Login to your Emirates account and fill in a missing miles claim form. You can expect the Miles to appear in your account immediately so long as the name on the ticket matches the name in your Emirates Skywards profile.

If you've only just joined the Skywards program, you can claim Miles for Emirates flights flown up to 2 months prior to registering with the frequent flyer program.

Does Emirates Skywards offer family points pooling?

Yes, you can pool your Skywards Miles together under a "My family account". You can add up to 7 family members with yourself designated as the Family Head set as the person to manage and redeem your miles.

Only immediate family members are allowed to join under your account.

Husband
Wife
Partner
Son
Step‑Son
Daughter
Step‑Daughter
Mother
Mother‑in‑Law
Step‑Mother
Father
Father‑in‑Law
Step‑Father
Brother
Sister
Granddaughter
Grandson
Domestic Helper

Finder writers are subject matter experts and use primary sources, in-depth research and interviews with other experts to ensure you're getting accurate, up-to-date information. Articles are fact checked in line with our editorial guidelines.

Pictures: Shutterstock

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Emirates Skywards Frequent Flyer Program

Discover how you can reward your spending and fly further with the Emirates Skywards frequent flyer program.

Key takeaways

How do you become an Emirates Skywards member?