When you are in need of miles, purchasing airline miles with discounts or bonuses can greatly increase the quality of your travel experience. And as of today, Emirates has launched a promotion when buying miles.
Get A Discount When Purchasing Emirates Skywards Miles
Through November 18, 2022, the Emirates Skywards program is offering a 20% discount on purchased miles. Though this offer is less valuable compared to the promotions in the past, it is still a reasonable offer to get miles at a discounted price.
The 20% is applied when purchasing more than 8,000 miles up to 100,000 miles. Members are only able to buy a maximum of 100,000 miles per calendar year so I personally prefer the bonus miles promotion more than the discounts.
I have been notified that certain members’ accounts with different addresses other than the US are not getting the offer. For example members with Indonesian residential addresses are not getting the offer. I believe it is either targeted individually or by the country you live in. So check out your account if you received the offer.
How Much Does The Miles Cost With A Discount
Given that you can buy up to 100,000 miles, the cost will be US$2,400 instead of the usual US$3,000. That makes the value US$0.024 per mile. But this is more than the US$0.0195 per mile which was offered in May.
Redeeming Emirates Skywards Miles
Emirates Skywards miles are best when redeeming on the Emirates flight itself. I have redeemed quite a few Skywards miles on flights out of Seoul to Dubai and it had the following redemption rate:
- A round-trip from Seoul (ICN) – Dubai (DXB) costs 105,000 in business class.
- A one-way upgrade to first class from Seoul (ICN) – Dubai (DXB) costs 50,700 miles.
- A round-trip from Seoul (ICN) – Dubai (DXB) costs 197,500 in first class.
What I like about the Skywards program is the ability to upgrade using miles at the check-in counters and even on board and you can even use the miles to upgrade an award ticket! Sometimes Emirates offers great business class fares so, with US$2,400, you can get two upgrades to first class seats.
Emirates Skywards Fuel Surcharge
With the advantages, comes the disadvantage. As most of you know, Emirates has one of the most expensive fuel surcharges out there. The airline increased its fuel surcharges explosively on some routes originating from the US. So finding the right routing will save you a lot on Emirates fuel taxes.
Summary
Through November 18, 2022, Emirates Skywards launched a promotion on purchased miles. With this offer, members are able to purchase miles with a 20% discount though some accounts with a different country of residence do not offer the discount.
Skywards miles come in handy when redeeming or upgrading on Emirates flights but be aware of its high fuel surcharges on some routes.
