Holiday devaluation: Emirates Skywards increases award prices with no notice

The award rates have been increased by the airline.

This isn't the only bad news that the airline has brought out this year. We've written stories about Skywards award pricing changes in the past.

Monkey Miles discovered that award rates went up on routes between Europe and the Middle East. The increases apply in many more markets.

flyers are directed to check a miles calculator if they don't have an award chart The old, lower prices on some searches may still be shown in the calculator.

There is an inside look at the program.

There are a few changes.

The cost of a one-way award between the two cities used to be 38,750 miles in economy class, 72,500 miles in business class and85,000 miles in first class. The economy-class rate is still the same. You have to redeem 87,000 miles in business class or 102,000 miles in first class. The cost of taxes and fees on this one-way award is more than four times the cost of a business class flight.

Routes between the U.S. and the Middle East are affected. It used to cost 136,250 miles in first class for a one-way award from New York to the Middle East. You have to redeem 163,500 miles to fly in first class.

The fifth-freedom route from New York to Milan isn't affected, and One Mile at a Time theorizes that awards to or from Dubai are the most affected. The cost of an award from New York to Milan has gone up to 168,750 miles in first class and 142,500 in business class.

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The news is better when I do an awards search. I can redeem 72,500 miles to fly one-way in business class or 85,000 miles to fly one-way in first class from New York to Milan.

If you want to book Skywards awards before rates go up, you can transfer from other programs.

You don't have to redeem miles for flights through the Skywards program. Aeroplan points can now be redeemed for flights from Air Canada to Emirates. First-class awards won't be bookable until early 2023 and flights won't be available at the same rate as other Aeroplan award flights.