Emirates First Class Lockdown: What UK Points Collectors Need to Know About the May 12th Deadline

Urgent breaking news for points collectors! Emirates has announced that from Monday, May 12th, 2025 (literally tomorrow), First Class award tickets will be restricted exclusively to elite members of its Skywards program - specifically those with Platinum, Gold, or Silver status only.

This dramatic policy change, quietly revealed with minimal notice, closes the door on what has been one of the most aspirational redemptions for UK points collectors. What's worse, I've now read that this restriction will apply to ALL booking channels - meaning Qantas Frequent Flyer and Air Canada Aeroplan members will also be locked out regardless of their status in those programs.

In other words, from Monday, the only way to book Emirates First Class using points will be through Emirates Skywards itself, and only if you hold Silver status or higher.

Last-Minute Booking Window

With just hours remaining before this restriction takes effect, anyone sitting on points and hoping to experience Emirates First Class should take immediate action:

1. Check availability on Emirates' own website or through the Qantas Frequent Flyer platform

2. If you find space, transfer points immediately (remember American Express transfers to Emirates are currently suspended in some regions, so Qantas may be your only option)

3. Complete your booking before Sunday evening UK time, before it hits midnight in Dubai

For my recent booking, I secured a one-way First Class seat for 89,980 Qantas points plus £544 in taxes and fees from London to Dubai. This represents what has been a tremendous sweet spot in the Qantas award chart that will no longer be accessible after Sunday.

The Elimination of Alternative Booking Paths

This news is particularly significant because it eliminates what have been the two most accessible pathways for UK points collectors to book Emirates First Class:

1. Qantas Frequent Flyer: Previously a reliable option with better rates than Emirates itself on certain routes due to distance-based pricing. Qantas points are relatively accessible for UK collectors through American Express Membership Rewards.

2. Air Canada Aeroplan: While typically more expensive than other options, Aeroplan has been a fallback option for those with transferable points from credit card programs.

With both these options eliminated, the only remaining pathway – Emirates Skywards with Silver+ status – presents a major challenge for UK collectors who don't regularly fly with Emirates.

Limited Options After May 12th

For those who miss the booking window, your options will be severely limited:

1. Earn Skywards Status: The most straightforward but challenging approach is to actually earn Silver status with Emirates, which requires 25,000 Tier Miles (roughly equivalent to 4-5 return trips in Business Class between London and Dubai).

2. Status Match Opportunities: Emirates occasionally offers status match promotions, though these typically require qualifying flights to complete. Keep an eye on our Status Match category for updates.

3. Upgrade Path: While not confirmed, it appears that non-elite Skywards members may still be able to upgrade from Business to First Class with miles. This means booking Business (either with cash or miles) and then using additional miles to upgrade may remain a viable option.

4. US Credit Card Options: For those with access to US credit cards, the Emirates Skywards co-branded Barclays card offers Silver status in the first year and with annual spending requirements. Unfortunately, this isn't directly available to UK residents.

Alternative Premium Experiences to Consider

With Emirates First Class becoming largely unattainable for most points collectors, these premium alternatives deserve consideration:

• Qatar Airways Qsuites: Often rated as the world's best business class, bookable with Avios

• Gulf Air Falcon Gold: An underrated business class experience we recently reviewed

• Singapore Airlines First Class: Available through KrisFlyer, with transfer options from UK credit cards

• British Airways First Class: Readily available through Avios, though not as exclusive as other options

My Thoughts on This Restrictive Trend

This change follows an increasingly concerning pattern of airlines restricting their premium products.

What makes the Emirates move particularly frustrating is the extremely limited notice. While I understand airlines wanting to protect their most premium offerings for loyal customers, announcing a change of this magnitude just days before implementation feels like poor customer service.

For UK travellers who've been building transferable points balances with the specific goal of experiencing Emirates First Class, this is undoubtedly a severe blow. It also reinforces a critical lesson in the points game: aspirational redemptions can disappear overnight, so take advantage of opportunities when they arise rather than indefinitely saving for the future.

Final Thoughts

The Emirates First Class experience – with its private suites, onboard shower, and champagne service – has long been considered one of the ultimate aspirational redemptions in the points and miles world. From Monday, that dream will become vastly more difficult to achieve for the average points collector.

If experiencing Emirates First Class is on your travel bucket list and you have the necessary points, I cannot emphasise enough: book before Sunday evening. Even if your travel dates are far in the future, securing the reservation now will be your last opportunity before the door closes for non-elite members.

For those who miss this window, the broader lesson is clear – diversification in points programs and focusing on attainable sweet spots rather than the most exclusive redemptions is increasingly the prudent strategy in today's rapidly changing loyalty landscape.

Have you ever flown Emirates First Class, or were you planning to? Will you be making a last-minute booking before the deadline? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Happy point collecting (and last-minute booking!),

Jack

P.S. For those still determined to experience Emirates First Class in the future, our guide to airline status matching might help you find a pathway to Skywards Silver status without extensive flying on Emirates.