The Skywards program of Emirates Airlines has officially announced that its members can now redeem miles for travel in premium economy class tickets. This new initiative is available to over 35 million members worldwide and allows participants to exchange their miles for classic rewards or upgrade requests across all premium economy cabins on Emirates flights. This enhancement reflects the program’s commitment to redefining loyalty experiences and continually providing its members with added benefits and travel options.
Dr. Najeeb Al Awar, Senior Vice President of Skywards Emirates, expressed excitement about the introduction of premium economy travel rewards, which have garnered significant interest. He stated that this product had been in development for some time, aimed at addressing the growing demand and positive feedback from members eager to use their miles in this class, especially for popular long-haul destinations such as London, Sydney, Melbourne, and New York.
Initially, the offering will be exclusive to Skywards members but is expected to expand to include other airline partners in the future. Dr. Al Awar is confident that this addition will enrich the travel experience and fulfill the brand’s promise of delivering exceptional travel quality. The aim is for more members to enjoy the luxurious premium economy class, which offers a service level comparable to business class on many other airlines.
Members can now exchange miles for full tickets in premium economy starting from 15,000 miles for a one-way journey, and upgrades from economy to premium economy can be availed from 7,020 miles for a single trip. Upgrade requests can be made in advance or at the check-in counter, subject to seat availability.
Recently, the program also launched classic reward tickets for all Flydubai flights starting from 5,000 miles, along with updates to cash + miles pricing. During the summer months from June to August 2025, nearly half a million travel tickets were issued using miles, whether through classic rewards, cash + miles, or upgrade rewards, for major destinations like London, Paris, New York, and Bangkok.
Emirates Airlines is the only carrier in the region that provides a unique premium economy experience, which has received global recognition, including an award for Best Premium Economy Class at the 2024 Airline Ratings and 2024 Aviation Excellence Awards. Premium economy seats are available on flights to over 66 destinations worldwide.
Skywards members traveling in this cabin can expect a comprehensive experience that includes dedicated airport check-in counters; luxurious cream leather seats with a spacious 40-inch pitch, equipped with leg and foot rests; a selection of delectable meals; and the latest inflight entertainment system, ice, featuring a 13.3-inch screen, one of the largest in its class, offering more than 6,500 channels of movies, music, TV shows, and news.
As part of its plan to upgrade 219 aircraft within its fleet, Emirates has already completed the refurbishments of 67 aircraft, including 32 Airbus A380s and 35 Boeing 777s, by adding a premium economy cabin. Additionally, nine Airbus A350s equipped with this cabin have joined the fleet, with plans to receive 56 more of this model in the future.
By March 2026, Emirates will be serving 68 cities with aircraft equipped with premium economy, providing approximately two million seats annually in this class, with plans to double this number to four million seats a year by the end of 2026.
In the A380s, the premium economy cabin features 56 seats located at the front of the main deck arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration, while the Boeing 777s offer 24 seats in the same configuration. In the A350s, there are 28 seats at the front of the aircraft, arranged in a 2-3-2 layout.