Final Chance! Book Emirates First Class Partner Awards ASAP!
If you’re dreaming of booking Emirates first class via partner awards, you need to do it soon. This is your friendly reminder that the ability to book first class partner awards is going away. Here’s what you need to know.
What’s Changing With Emirates Partner Awards
To be clear, this only affects first class awards on Emirates partner flights. And it only affects awards booked via partners. At present, you can book Emirates first class via several partners, including Alaska Airlines, Qantas & Japan Airlines (JAL).
Starting April 1, 2021, Emirates will no longer offer first class seats to partners for award bookings. You will need to book directly with Emirates after that.
This doesn’t affect economy, premium economy, or business class awards, to be clear. And it doesn’t affect award bookings made directly with Emirates, either.
A Caveat?
As of yet, Alaska Airlines is the only partner who has posted about this on their website. While Alaska claims this will apply to ALL partners (meaning Qantas & JAL also), a Qantas spokesperson says nothing is changing for them.
Emirates says that they’ll make first class partner award bookings only to airlines they see as mutually beneficial. So…maybe only Alaska’s MileagePlan is on the chopping block.
What Should You Do?
If you’re dreaming of Emirates first class partner awards, you should book today or tomorrow. Maybe it’s ONLY Alaska that’s losing access. Maybe it’s all of them. Wouldn’t you be bummed on April 1 to find out you waited, thinking Qantas / JAL wouldn’t be affected? And then they were included, so now you missed the chance? Given that many airlines are waiving fees right now, it’s worth booking just in case if you’re serious about these bookings.
Again, if you’re seriously considering booking Emirates with a partner, I think it’s better to regret a cancellation / change fee than to regret missing the chance to book.
Emirates First Class Partner Awards – Final Thoughts
It’s always disappointing to see partner access go away. What we know for sure is that Alaska Airlines is losing access to first class awards on Emirates as of April 1. If you’re sitting on Alaska miles, now is the time to book. If you’re hesitant about bookings, remember that Emirates will take care of you if you get COVID-19 during your trip.
Maybe Qantas & JAL will lose access, and maybe not. For those serious about booking, you should act now.
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