Emirates Rewards Program
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If you would like access to exclusive benefits and privileges to enhance your travel by making it more enjoyable and rewarding then you need an Emirates Skywards membership.
Skywards take the extra step beyond earning points for miles, it’s not just about only enjoying your travel but about experiencing real privileges from a rewards program designed to provide you with great rewards and benefits.
When you become a Skywards member you not only get to accumulate and spend Skywards miles with Emirates, but you also become associated with prestigious worldwide partners.
Emirates – the airline
Emirates can be considered a relative youngster in the airline industry when compared to some of their European and American competitors. The airline was founded in 1985 and is owned by the Dubai Government. Emirates have quickly established their good reputation in regard to outstanding service and a focus on quality over quantity. They are one of the fastest growing fleets in the world, with a fleet of more than 100 aircraft, which has caused much excitement amongst the airline industry since their inception.
Emirates have not been afraid to lead the way in following through with new technology to enhance and improve travel for their passengers. Their fleet consists of Boeings, Airbuses, all providing passengers with the latest state of the art aircraft exposure, and ultimately the best possible travel experience.
Emirates are currently servicing 60 countries around the world with 100 destinations; more than 700 flights leave from Dubai each week. Records show than in 2008 Emirates had flown over 21.2 million passengers.
Flying with Emirates
No matter where you want to go in the world it is likely that you will find an Emirates flight that can take you there. Their schedule covers virtually all of the major cities in Australasia, Africa, Central Europe, the Middle East, plus five cities in the United States and Canada being; New York, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Toronto.
If you are a regular passenger through or to Dubai, Beirut, Bahrain, Cairo, Tehran, Damascus or Muscat, then you will find Emirates well developed Middle East network very convenient and practical with many flights to these destinations available. In addition you will also be accumulating Skywards points which you will be able to use on flights or other merchandise and services.
Membership benefits
Being an Emirates Skywards member brings some very unique benefits to the table, which cannot be found elsewhere. How would having your very own personal travel coordinator sound? This is someone that you can elect to check your flight itineraries; redeem your rewards for you; keep you informed regarding your mileage points; arrange seating upgrades; and look after any special meal or drinks preferences. This is the perfect solution for the business traveller and relieves a lot of the stress in relying on staff members or secretaries.
In addition to the travel coordinator there are many other benefits to being a Skywards member, such as:
- Personal travel coordinator
- Online upgrades
- Online booking
- Wait list priorities
- Special offers
- Self-service check-in
- Pre-assigned seating
- Personal preference recording
- And much, much more
Emirates Citibank Credit Card
If you are looking to travel overseas soon, the Emirates Citibank Platinum Card is an excellent travelling companion for frequent flyers.
- $229 p.a. annual fee
- 20.99% p.a. on purchases
- 3.9% p.a. for 9 months on balance transfers
- Cash Advance Rate of 21.24% p.a.
- 55 days interest free
- Minimum Income Requirement of $35,000 p.a.
Read the Emirates Citibank Platinum Card terms and conditions.
Skywards Points value
Members can earn points with Emirates in two different ways dependant on the type of flight they purchase. There is a choice between Skywards Saver flights or Skywards Flex. The difference is that with the Skywards Flex option members will earn 100% of the base miles for their flight as opposed to the Skyward Saver who will only earn 50% of the base miles. When you are a frequent traveller utilising the Skywards Flex, whilst seeming more expensive initially, will actually benefit you more in the long run from the fast accumulation of points which can be redeemed for flights or other benefits.
If you only fly occasionally you are still able to earn points by using the Skywards Saver option. Extra points are accrued when you fly First Class which will earn you 150% of available bonus miles or Business Class will earn you 75% of the available bonus miles.
The membership is a tiered structure consisting of Blue, Silver and Gold. To change your status and move up is simply a matter of choosing to fly with Emirates and earning tier miles with each flight in addition to the Skywards Miles. Whilst the Blue rate of mile allocation is good, it follows that when you progress to a Silver or Gold membership you will receive a lot higher rate of mileage allocation.
Partner airlines:
You are not limited to just flying with Emirates to accrue your Skywards points, these can also be earned through flights with any of the Emirates partner airlines below:
- Japan Airlines
- South African Airways
- Jet Airways
- United Airlines
- Korean Air
- Kingfisher Airlines
Another way to increase your points is by signing up through the frequent flyer range of credit cards at Citibank for a Emirates Citibank credit card.
You can use your points for flights or upgrades on your Emirates flights or any of the partner airlines; use them for staying at international partner hotels, car rentals from Budget, and check out the Emirates High Street, an online portal offering a wide range of discounted products and specials.
Membership criteria
To apply for an Emirates Skywards membership you must be over 17. For those aged 2- 16 Emirates has developed the Skysurfers program, which is a replica of the Skywards program, but parental consent is required.
Read the Emirates Citibank Platinum Card terms and conditions.
| Minimum Income | $35,000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Age | 18 years of age | |
| Available to Temporary Residents | No | |
| Credit Rating Requirement | Good | |
| Min Credit Limit This is the lowest credit card limit that you can request. It is possible to apply for a higher credit card limit but not a lower one than this figure. | $6,000 | |
| Max Credit Limit | $100,000 |
| Annual Fee | $229 p.a. | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Repayment | 2% | |
| Late Payment Fee | $10 | |
| Over Limit Fee | $40 | |
| Overseas Emergency Replacement | $0 | |
| Overseas ATM Balance check | $0 | |
| Overseas ATM Withdrawal | $5 | |
| Gambling Transactions Allowed | No | |
| Additional Cardholder Fee | $90 | |
| Number of Additional Cardholders | 4 |
Pros
- This is an award winning card - awarded the 'Outstanding Value in the Big Spender' category by CANNEX.
- Citibank offers an authentically quality conversion rate on their Skywards rewards program, at an uncapped 1.50 Skywards Miles per $1 spent, with up to 55 days interest free on purchases.
- Access to a hoard of credit, with credit limits up to $100000 for those who need quick funding.
Cons
- This card is not for everyone. An annul fee of $229 means you will have to do some serious travelling in order to make this product cost effective.
- It is a Platinum status credit card, which typically requires good credit and a minimum annual earnings requirement for application approval. In this case, good credit and $35000 minimum annual earnings are required.
- While the rate of earning isn’t capped, the maximum amount of points you can earn per year is capped at 150000.
Read the Emirates Citibank Platinum Card terms and conditions.
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