Emirates Skywards

Emirates Skywards as a frequent flyer program for Switzerland, Germany and Austria

From Switzerland, Emirates serves Dubai from Zürich (ZRH) and Geneva (GVA). From Germany the airports are Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), Düsseldorf (DUS) and Hamburg (HAM). From Austria, Emirates flies from Vienna (VIE).

How a frequent flyer program works at Emirates Skywards

At Skywards, what a flight earns depends on route, fare type and class of travel. The calculation takes the fare type and the distance flown into account. Members with a tier get a tier bonus on top of the base miles on Emirates flights: 30 percent for Silver, 75 percent for Gold and 100 percent for Platinum.

A move up a tier does not depend on the miles in your account but on Tier Miles. These are the miles that decide your status. The next section says how many you need.

Tiers Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum

The tiers are Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The Tier Miles of the last 12 months count toward a move up. Blue is the entry tier, and we have no sourced qualification rule for it.

Silver needs 25,000 Tier Miles. Alternatively, at least 25 qualifying flights are enough, and flights bought with Cash+Miles or booked as reward tickets do not count. One of the two conditions is sufficient.

Gold takes 50,000 Tier Miles. At least 50 qualifying flights also count toward it, with the same exclusions; we have not sourced whether one of the two conditions alone is enough. Platinum asks for 150,000 Tier Miles, and at least one of the qualifying flights must be in First or Business.

A tier you have reached lasts twelve months. If you miss the requirements in your tier period, you are downgraded to the previous tier. Tier Miles or flights above the requirement are not carried into the next period.

Benefits by tier

Benefits grow with the tier, and Blue offers little that we can source. Blue members pay to choose a seat before online check-in opens, except in the Economy Flex and Flex+ fares.

Silver

• 30 percent bonus miles on Emirates and flydubai flights and access to the Emirates Business Class lounge in Dubai, without a guest.
• Outside Dubai, the Emirates lounges offer Silver members paid access only.
• On weight-concept routes, 12 kg of additional baggage allowance.
• Outside Dubai, check-in at the Business Class counter with up to 4 guests, whatever the class of travel, and priority boarding on all Emirates-operated flights.
• You reserve your own seat in advance at no charge, while companions pay depending on the fare.

Gold

• 75 percent bonus miles and free Economy seat selection for everyone on the booking.
• In Dubai the Business Class lounge, with one adult or child. Outside Dubai, access to the Emirates lounges with one guest.
• Guests only come in if they travel on the same flight with an EK flight code.
• On weight-concept routes, 16 kg of additional baggage allowance. Where the piece concept applies, one additional piece, 23 kg in Economy and Premium Economy, 32 kg in Business and First.
• Outside Dubai, the Business Class counter as for Silver, priority boarding and, on full flights, booking priority in Economy in the highest Flex Plus fare.
• You and everyone on the same booking choose seats in advance at no charge.

Platinum

• 100 percent bonus miles, access with guests to all Emirates First and Business Class lounges and a Gold tier for a spouse, partner or friend.
• In the lounges, one adult and two children under 17 may come along.
• On weight-concept routes, 20 kg of additional baggage allowance; where the piece concept applies, the same rule as for Gold.
• Check-in at the First Class counter with up to 4 guests, priority boarding and booking priority as for Gold.
• Those who fly more can activate further privileges, including Tier Miles rollover as well as discounted and complimentary upgrades.
• You and everyone on the same booking choose seats in advance at no charge.

Mile expiry and extension at Skywards

Each Skywards Mile stays valid for three years, counted from the flight or partner transaction that earned it. Emirates gives the same duration on its program page. Expiry then falls on the last day of the first birthday month after those three years end.

For Platinum members the miles do not expire while they keep the tier. Everyone else can pay to extend miles that expire within the next 3 months by 12 months.

Redeeming Emirates Skywards miles

The Emirates miles calculator shows what a reward flight costs in miles on a given route. Classic Rewards must lead from one zone to another, and travel within the same zone is not allowed. According to Emirates, Classic Saver Rewards usually offer the best value, but on some routes and at some times Cash+Miles can cost fewer miles.

Surcharges stay with you: you pay taxes, duties and carrier charges before the ticket is issued. The carrier charges can also be paid with Skywards Miles.

Emirates states its fees in USD, not in CHF or EUR. For Classic Saver Rewards, one date change is free and each further one costs USD 25; for Classic Flex Plus, changes are free. A refund before travel costs USD 75 for Classic Saver and nothing for Classic Flex Plus.

If you are short of miles, you can buy some: Blue and Silver members can buy up to 100,000 Skywards Miles per calendar year. Whether that pays off depends on the price of the reward. We give no value per mile.

Earning miles in Switzerland, Germany and Austria

In all three countries, two routes run through partners that Emirates lists on the page of each country. In Switzerland, American Express Membership Rewards points can be converted into Skywards Miles, and with Revolut 2 RevPoints give 1 Skywards Mile. The German page lists the same two partners, and so does the Austrian one.

We have not sourced a credit card program with its own earning rate for any of the three countries. The main route remains flights from the airports in the first section.

Miles & More alternatives and the question of the best miles program

Which miles program is the best depends on your home airport and on the airlines you actually fly. Emirates Skywards fits if your trips run through Dubai. If you prefer other networks, you find more programs in the program overview and the alliances compared.