There are 80 FAQs for Skywards.
Emirates Skywards is the award-winning frequent flyer programme of Emirates Airline, launched in May 2000. Membership of the programme provides access to a world of exclusive benefits designed to make travel more rewarding and enjoyable.
Emirates Skywards is a regular winner of travel and customer service awards including Business Traveller Middle East Awards and the Freddie Awards, known as the ‘Oscars’ of customer loyalty programmes. Some of the titles we have earned over the years include: Programme of the Year, Best Website, Best Member Communications, Best Customer Service, Best Award Redemption, Best Reward Promotion, Best Loyalty Programme and Best Frequent Flyer Programme.
Tier Miles are valid for up to 13 months from the date you start earning, which is usually your first flight as an Emirates Skywards member either on Emirates or on an EK codeshare flight. If you receive Tier Miles from a backdated claim, they will be valid from the date of the flight.
The number of Skywards Miles required for a reward ticket varies according to your departure point, destination, class of travel and reward type. Please see the Skywards Miles Calculator for more details.
Skywards Miles are the reward currency you earn as an Emirates Skywards member. You can earn Skywards Miles when you fly with Emirates, as well as when you are a customer of our global partners, including partner airlines, banks, car hire agencies, hotels, and lifestyle and retail companies.
The benefits of the Skysurfers programme are similar to the Emirates Skywards programme. A Skysurfers member can attain Silver or Gold status and benefits in exactly the same way as an Emirates Skywards member. In addition, Skysurfers also enjoy extra benefits when travelling and have their own exclusive website, membership card and special Skysurfers offers and events designed for young frequent flyers. Skysurfers are not eligible for Platinum membership.
Benefits of Silver and Gold Skysurfer membership do not include the use of airport lounges. However, a Skysurfer member of any tier status may accompany a relative or guardian with Platinum status into an airport lounge.
Yes. You can top-up your Miles by purchasing additional Miles online at skywards.com.
The cost is just USD 40 per 1,000 Skywards Mile, with a minimum purchase of 2,000 Miles per transaction and maximum purchase of 25,000 Miles in any calendar year. An Emirates or partner transaction is mandatory in the account prior to purchasing Miles.
2,000 Skywards Miles = USD 80 5,000 Skywards Miles = USD 200 10,000 Skywards Miles = USD 400 25,000 Skywards Miles = USD 1,000
You can purchase Miles online with American Express and Diners Club credit cards.
Please note that Skywards Miles are non-refundable and must be purchased at least 48 hours before your booking. Tier Miles cannot be purchased.
Please print off and fill in an application form, which must be signed by a legal parent or guardian. This can then be sent to your nearest Emirates Contact Centre. Please visit the Skysurfers website for more details about the programme.
Your Skywards Miles are valid for three years from the date on which they are credited to your account. Miles due to expire will be removed from your account annually, at the end of the month in which you were born.
For example, if you earned Miles in June 2007 and your birthday was in August, these Miles expired on August 31, 2010.
You can set automated messages from your Manage Account pages to remind you when Skywards Miles are due to expire.
No, it is not possible to combine Miles from two separate accounts.
Skysurfers members can move to Silver and Gold tiers in exactly the same way as Emirates Skywards members. However, there is no equivalent Platinum tier for Skysurfers members.
Whilst Skywards Miles can be used to buy rewards, Tier Miles are collected to help you move up membership tiers, and are only earned when you fly with Emirates or a codeshare flight that carries an Emirates flight number (EK).
The number of Tier Miles that you earn during a qualification period determines the membership tier you belong to: Blue, Silver, Gold or Platinum.
Tier Miles are earned even on very short routes (starting at 1,000 for a return trip). This way, all our Emirates Skywards members have the opportunity to earn Tier Miles proportionately and build up their Miles faster, especially if they are frequent travellers.
Learn more about moving up to a higher tier.
Learn more about retaining your tier status.
Learn more about rolling tier qualification.
Yes – our Skywards Flex tickets always earn you more Tier Miles.
Yes, you can redeem your Skywards Miles for Emirates tickets for anyone.
Your origin is the airport where you start each leg of your journey, and your destination is the airport where you end each leg of your journey. So, if you’re flying a return trip from London to Auckland, your outbound flight has an origin of London and a destination of Auckland; on your return flight, the origin is Auckland and the destination is London. Stopovers are not counted as a destination.
To move up to the next tier you need to earn sufficient Tier Miles or take enough qualifying flights during the tier qualification period.
To reach Silver membership, you need to collect 25,000 Tier Miles (or take 25 qualifying flights).
To reach Gold membership, you need to collect 50,000 Tier Miles (or take 50 qualifying flights).
To reach Platinum membership, you need to collect 150,000 Tier Miles.
Please check your account dashboard for information about your tier status and key review dates.
Emirates flight rewards
There are two ways to spend Skysurfers Miles on Emirates flight rewards:
Please note that some rewards may also require a parent or guardian’s credit card number e.g. a flight reward will require a credit card number to pay the compulsory tax charged by airports for the journey.
Partner rewards
To redeem Skysurfer Miles with an Emirates Skywards partner, a parent or guardian should sign the relevant form and send it to an Emirates Contact Centre. Skysurfer Miles can be redeemed with the following partners:
Partner airlines
Alaska Airlines, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, JetBlue, Korean Air, Qantas, South African Airways, Skysurfers redemption request form
Hotels
Marriott, Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa Skysurfers redemption request form
Retail & Lifestyle
Yes, however, this online functionality is only available to parents/guardians who are Emirates Skywards members and have their child’s account linked to their account. Once you are logged in to your linked account on emirates.com, you can view a drop-down list that allows you to select from account numbers before making the reward booking.
Our online Business Rewards programme is the ideal way for your company to make the most out of corporate travel. Small or medium-sized businesses, charities or clubs with up to 80 business travellers, can earn rewards alongside the individuals who actually do the travelling. You can also use emirates.com to manage your travel simply and securely. Visit the Business Rewards site to learn more, join the programme or book rewards.
A ‘qualifying flight’ is a flight from origin to destination, either on Emirates or a code-share flight marketed by Emirates but operated by another airline.
Your origin is the airport where you start your journey, and your destination is the final airport where you complete your journey. So a qualifying flight could be a complete inbound or outbound journey, or a one-way flight. Stopovers are not counted as a destination.
Credit card information is required in order to cover the government taxes and airport charges levied on all ticket purchases, including those purchased with Skywards Miles.
You can only have one Emirates Skywards account at a time. However, you can be both an individual member in your own right and a Family Bonus member at the same time.
Please send a signed letter to your nearest Emirates Contact Centre, requesting that your Emirates Skywards account is linked to your child’s Skysurfers or Emirates Skywards minor account. Please ensure that all the relevant account information has been included in your letter.
Tier qualification happens when you have collected enough Tier Miles or you have flown enough qualifying flights to either keep your tier or move up to the next level.
At the time of your review, we count up how many Tier Miles you have accumulated or how many qualifying flights you have taken. If you have enough, we then promote you to the next status level or keep you in your current tier. If you haven’t qualified, you drop a tier level.
You will receive your membership pack once you have completed two return trips in Economy Class or one return trip in either First or Business Class on any Emirates flight or codeshare flight that carries an Emirates flight number (EK).
Please note that you will receive an email asking you to confirm your delivery address, which you need to do before we can send your pack. Once you have confirmed your address, delivery will take up to three weeks. In the meantime, you can print a paper copy of your card from your account dashboard to use as a reference.
Regardless of whether you drop a tier, keep your tier or move up a tier in your review, we don’t wait another year to reassess your Tier Miles balance, but instead we check it every month. That way, we keep giving you the chance to qualify or move up a tier by ‘rolling over’ your tier qualification period. So, at the end of each month we count up your Tier Miles or qualifying flights over the previous 12 months to reassess your status. This rolling assessment gives you 12 opportunities during every year to move up a tier, instead of just one.
Please call your nearest Emirates Contact Centre immediately. If you are a resident of the UAE, and your card has e-gate functionality, you should also report this to the police as soon as possible.
If you received a temporary membership card at check-in or from promotional material, please log in to go to our easy online activation page and get started. When you join online, your account is activated automatically as soon as you complete the enrolment process.
Regardless of how many Tier Miles you have earned or flights you have flown, your card validity and benefits are extended beyond the tier review date by an extra two months, even if you have not qualified to stay in your tier.
For example, if you achieve Silver membership on 17th October 2014, your tier review date will be at the end of October 2015, but you can still use your Silver card to enjoy extended benefits until the end of December 2015, even if you do not retain your tier.
Tier reviews always take place at the end of a month.
Yes, you can progress to a new tier based either on the number of Tier Miles you collect or the number of qualifying flights you take.
The thresholds for each tier are as follows:
Silver: 25,000 Tier Miles or 25 qualifying flights
Gold: 50,000 Tier Miles or 50 qualifying flights
Platinum: 150,000 Tier Miles only
You can choose to redeem your Miles for a Skywards Flex reward flight. These cost more Miles than a standard Saver reward, but allow for a wider range of travel dates.
Tier status can only be earned by accumulating Tier Miles when you fly with Emirates or on an EK codeshare flight.
There is no Miles extension option available. You may, however, top up your account by purchasing additional Miles in order to claim a reward before your Miles expire.
Class bonuses when flying Emirates are 75% for Business Class and 150% for First Class, and this applies to both Tier Miles and Skywards Miles. The percentage is calculated from the base Miles earned on the ticket you have purchased.
Your Skywards Miles are valid for three years from the date on which they are credited to your account. Miles due to expire will be removed from your account once each calendar year, at the end of the month in which you were born.
For example, if you earned Miles in June 2007 and your birthday is in August, these Miles will expire on 31st August 2010.
A one-way Flex reward fare is available if you wish to take a journey from one flight zone to another. You are allowed one stopover on your journey with a Flex reward ticket but your journey must take place in one continuous direction.
One-way Flex rewards are offered in all classes of travel, but please note that one-way rewards are not available for travel within a single zone.
You can purchase a one-way Flex reward for 50% of the Miles price of a return Flex reward between the same airports.
You do not earn additional Tier Miles for being a Silver, Gold or Platinum member. However, you can earn extra Tier Miles by travelling Business or First Class or choosing a Flex fare.
You can use the Plan and Book facility to spend your Skywards Miles on Emirates flight rewards. You can also use your Skywards Miles to easily upgrade any existing Emirates flight booking, including those of friends and family, by going to Manage a Booking.
If you book a round-trip Skywards Flex or Skywards Saver reward flight online at emirates.com, we will give you back 5% of the stated Miles needed to buy the flight.
If you would like to spend your Miles on a reward with our other airline, car hire, hotel and retail partners just fill in the relevant online reward form. When you have submitted the form, your nearest Emirates Contact Centre will get in touch with you to confirm the details. Please allow a maximum of seven working days for the request to be processed, although we will do our best to get back to you within 24 hours.
If you would like to spend your Skywards Miles on a reward with easyJet, please visit the dedicated booking site.
In order to upgrade a flight online:
If you upgrade online using the Manage a Booking facility, then all passengers on the booking will automatically be upgraded if you have the available Miles.
If you do not wish the upgrade to apply to all passengers, please call an Emirates Contact Centre to arrange individual upgrades.
Some countries levy additional taxes or charges when you travel in a higher class. You will be informed of any additional charges when upgrading your booking.
If you are upgrading online, the additional taxes and charges must be paid for by credit card during the upgrade process. If you do not have a credit card, please contact the Emirates Contact Centre to arrange for payment to be made at a local Emirates office or ticket desk.
When using Skywards Miles to upgrade your booking online, all passengers in your itinerary will be upgraded for the flight(s) you have selected.
If you do not wish the upgrade to apply to all passengers, simply contact your Emirates Contact Centre, who can arrange to upgrade only those passengers you choose.
All the benefits of the class of travel to which you have upgraded. These include extra baggage allowance, lounge access and Chauffeur-drive, where available (Chauffeur-drive service should be requested at least 48 hours before flight departure).
Please note that the fare conditions of your original ticket continue to apply at all times. For example, if there are any fees or charges applicable to your original ticket, these will continue to apply even after upgrading with Miles.
The Miles Accelerator offers you additional bonus Skywards Miles on a special selection of flights every month throughout the year, giving you the opportunity to earn more Skywards Miles and reach your rewards even faster.
Every month, selected flights are assigned bonus Skywards Miles. The Miles Accelerator allows you to search for flights that will maximise the number of Skywards Miles you can earn, whenever you are planning to travel.
To qualify for Miles Accelerator bonuses, you simply need to register online, or ‘opt in’, on the Miles Accelerator page and purchase a ticket within the same month. You can opt in after you buy your ticket, and also if you have bought your ticket from a travel agent. Please note that you have to opt in before you travel.
The Miles Accelerator offers a special selection of Emirates flight bonuses throughout the year, giving you the opportunity to earn more Miles and to reach your desired rewards even more quickly.
Every month, a list of flight-specific bonuses will be published on skywards.com, allowing you to search for and choose the flights that will maximise the number of Miles you will earn, whenever you are planning to travel.
To qualify for the Miles Accelerator bonuses, you simply need to ensure that you purchase a ticket and register online for that month’s bonus before the end of the month.
Whenever you fly Emirates First Class or Business Class, you will receive 150% and 75% bonus tier miles respectively. So flying in our premium cabins will help you reach the Gold or Silver tier sooner.
Skywards Miles can be transferred online to another Emirates Skywards account at a cost of USD 25 per multiple of 1,000 Miles. Miles can only be transferred if the receiving account has at least one earning activity.
When you move from Blue to Silver status, or from Silver to Gold, your status review date will be one year from the end of the month in which you achieved your new status.
In other words, you will have until the end of the same month the following year to earn the 25,000 tiers miles (Silver) or 50,000 tier miles (Gold) you require to retain your tier status.
Your membership card and status, and the benefits they afford you, extend two months beyond your review date. This gives you at least 14 months to enjoy your status, and ensures that we can deliver your new card to you before your old one expires.
For example, if you achieve Silver status on 17th March 2010, your Silver review date will be 31st March 2011. Your Silver status and membership card will therefore be valid until 31st May 2011. If you qualify and renew your Silver status on your review date, your next review date will be set for 31st March 2012, and your new Silver membership card will be valid until 31st May 2012.
It is not possible to combine Miles from two separate accounts; you can, however, transfer Miles between accounts or purchase Miles for yourself or for another member.
Skywards Miles can be transferred at a cost of USD 25 per 1,000 Miles to any Skywards account via skywards.com. Miles can only be transferred if the receiving account has at least one earning activity in the account.
No, it is not possible to combine Miles from two separate accounts but you may either purchase Miles or transfer existing Skywards miles to another Skywards account.
A Skywards Saver fare is an Emirates fare with any of the following conditions: (a) eligibility restrictions (such as fares for students, seniors, or companions) (b) a limited period in which you can purchase the ticket (c) limited seat availability and restrictive conditions (such as min/max stay; flight restrictions or advance purchase)
If you are taking a trip which is booked as a single journey but involves flying with different carriers that include Emirates, then Saver fare conditions will apply.
Saver fares earn 50% of base Miles – this applies to both Skywards Miles and Tier Miles.
A Skywards Flex fare does not include any eligibility or purchase restrictions. This type of fare also earns you more Miles than a Saver fare. Flex fares earn 100% of base Miles – this applies to both Skywards Miles and Tier Miles. In addition, if you want to upgrade to a higher class, Flex tickets can be upgraded for fewer Skywards Miles.
If you choose to buy a Skywards Flex fare, the ‘flexibility’ usually relates to eligibility and purchase restrictions, and how you earn Skywards and Tier Miles, and not to changing your fare conditions. As every ticket is unique, it’s best to check the fare rules when making your booking.
However, if you are buying a Flex reward flight with Skywards Miles then in this case ticket changes are usually free.
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