Strategically buying miles & points can represent a great deal, especially for luxury travel. Emirates Skywards has just launched its latest sale on purchased miles. While this is one of the better offers we’ve seen from the program, unfortunately it probably doesn’t represent a good value for most. Still, let’s go over the details.
One other thing to be aware of is that you’re only eligible for Emirates Skywards promotions on purchased miles if you have at least some activity in your Skywards account.
Furthermore, it can take up to 48 hours for purchased miles to post to your account.
Which credit card should you buy Emirates Skywards miles with?
Emirates Skywards mileage purchases are processed by points.com, meaning they don’t count as an airfare purchase for the purposes of credit card spending. Therefore I’d recommend using a card on which you’re trying to reach a minimum spending requirement, or otherwise a credit card that maximizes your return on everyday spending.
In many situations booking through the Skywards program is the best value, though there are other options as well, like booking through Air Canada Aeroplan and Japan Airlines Mileage Bank.
Arguably the best kept secret of Emirates Skywards miles is the ability to redeem them for upgrades. On the day of departure you get last seat availability for upgrades (at the airport or onboard), and you can even upgrade award tickets with miles. This is an opportunity not offered by any other airline, and there’s no status requirement to take advantage of this.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on One Mile at a Time.
