Emirates Skywards – everything you need to know about the Emirates Airlines loyalty scheme

Flying with Emirates? Consider signing up to their reward scheme to enjoy extra benefits and travel treats

Airline loyalty schemes can have a lot to offer, and Emirates has one of the best. Emirates Skywards members will collect miles from flying with the airline and its partners, which they can redeem against future flights, seat upgrades, car rental and more.

Curious? You should be. Here’s everything you need to know about the Emirates Skywards loyalty scheme and answers to some of your most Frequently Asked Questions.

What is Emirates Skywards?

The Emirates Skywards scheme is the loyalty program of Emirates Airlines. These miles can be redeemed against a flight ticket with Emirates, an upgrade on a flight, or a hotel stay (as well as many, many other things).

There are two types of miles: Tier miles and regular Skywards miles. Tier miles are only earned when members fly on an Emirates or flydubai flight, and Skywards miles can be collected on flights with 18 of their partner airlines.

Earning miles when you fly with Emirates

There are four factors affecting the amount of miles you’ll earn when you fly with Emirates:

  • The route you’re flying The fare you’ve booked

  • The class you travel in: Economy, Premium Economy, Business or First

  • The Tier you’ve reached (Blue, Silver, Gold or Platinum)

An Emirates plane sitting on the tarmac at an airport
Top tip

Remember: Tier miles are only earned when you fly on an Emirates Airlines or flydubai flight (flight number starting with EK or FZ), not on other partner airlines.

What are the Emirates Skywards Tiers?

Emirates Skywards Blue

The scheme's entry-level Tier. You’ll earn miles when you fly with Emirates Airlines or one of the airline’s global partners (see below for the list of partners). You can use your miles to upgrade a flight online or at the airport. You will also receive free Wi-Fi if travelling in Emirates First or Business Class, and free messaging if travelling in Premium Economy or Economy.

Emirates Skywards Silver

Tier miles required: 25,000
As well as the benefits above, you get an extra 30% Skywards miles as a Silver Emirates Skywards member. Priority check-in and boarding is included in this tier, as well as access to the Emirates Business Class Lounge in Dubai. You’re also able to upgrade yourself using your miles once you’re on the plane; handy if you don’t like the look of your neighbors! You’re also entitled to an additional 12kg free checked baggage allowance.

Emirates Skywards Gold

Tier miles required: 50,000
As a Gold Skywards member you’ll earn an additional 75% Skywards miles on top of the standard reward when you fly with Emirates and flydubai. Priority baggage delivery and a guaranteed seat with Emirates, even on fully booked flights, is also offered, along with 16kg free checked baggage.

Emirates Skywards Platinum

Tier miles required: 150,000 plus one qualifying flight
As well extra baggage allowance, lounge access and the ability to nominate someone to automatically become a Gold member, you’ll earn an additional 100% bonus Skywards miles when you fly on Emirates and flydubai. Free 20kg of checked baggage allowance is also included, as well as a chauffeur service.

Dubai skyline from the harbour during the day

Emirates Skywards baggage allowances

The higher the Tier, the greater the benefits. In addition to your allocated baggage allowance with Emirates, as a Skywards member, you could be eligible for extra, complimentary baggage. As a Silver, Gold or Platinum member you get an extra allowance on top of what it says on your Emirates and flydubai ticket. The extra baggage Emirates Skywards allowances are:

  • 12kg for Silver members

  • 16kg for Gold members

  • 20kg for Platinum members

Emirates Skywards and lounge access

What’s the point of a loyalty program if it isn’t your ticket into a swish luxury airport lounge? Skywards Blue members can pay for access to the Emirates lounge at Dubai International Airport regardless of what class they’re flying in, although you might prefer to save your money and spend it in Dubai Duty Free instead.

Silver and Gold Skywards members can enjoy complimentary access to the Emirates Business Class Lounge in Dubai, while Gold members have free access to Emirates lounges worldwide. Very nice. Of course Platinum members get the real Golden ticket: free access to Dubai’s First Class Lounge at Terminal 3.

Other ways to earn Emirates Skywards miles

Flying with a partner airline of Emirates will boost your mile balance. If you sign up to partner loyalty programs you can convert the points into Skywards miles. The number of miles you can earn will depend on the route you’re traveling and the class you’re flying in.

You can also earn Emirates Skywards miles by booking certain hotel stays, shopping online with particular outlets and even holding certain bank accounts.

Below is a list of Emirates airilne partners.

Spending your Emirates Skywards miles

Emirates allows you to book flights using miles in 2 ways: Cash+Miles, where you choose how many miles you want to use and then pay for the rest of the fare; and Classic Rewards, where you pay for the full cost of the fare using Skywards miles. A ticket costs from 5,000 Skywards miles.

FAQs

The miles will be added to your account within 48 hours after taking your flights (or up to three weeks with Skywards partners). If you book a return ticket, the miles are credited in two stages – when you finish the first journey, and when you’ve completed the return journey.

It depends on your route, fare type, class and Tier. For example, a Blue Tier Skywards member taking a return flight from Dubai to London Heathrow in Economy can earn between 900 Skywards miles and 900 Tier miles (Economy Special fare), to 4,400 Skywards miles and 4,400 Tier miles (Economy Flex Plus fare).

The same route in Business Class will earn between 6,600 Skywards miles and 6,600 Tier miles (Special fare) and 11,400 Skywards miles and 11,400 Tier miles (Flex Plus fare).

Yes, you speculate to accumulate! If you’re flying in Emirates Business or First Class you can bag up to 175% bonus miles (Skyward miles and Tier miles). The more you fly in Business or First, the more miles you’ll get and the more likely you’ll be to reach and remain at Silver, Gold or Platinum status.

You can upgrade your flight online and it will cost you from around 7,020 Skywards miles depending on where you’re going or whether you’re upgrading from Economy to Business Class, or from Business to First Class. Some membership tiers allow for ‘instant upgrades’ at check-in or even on board the flight.

Yes, you still earn airmiles when you make your travel booking through Skyscanner. Cheap flights and boosting your mile balance? Win win!

Your miles will be valid for 3 years from the time you earn them so keep an eye on your account and make sure they don’t expire before you spend them.

*This article was updated in December 2025. Information correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change and/or availability.

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