The incentives from the Emirates Skywards credit cards won’t be enough to pay for a one-way vacation in one of the airline’s coveted first-class suites, but they’ll at least get you halfway there. Also, you’ll receive Emirates elite status for the first year, which you may keep provided you meet a minimum spending requirement each year.
Both cards provide useful advantages to devoted Emirates travelers, but the premium card comes with added bonuses.
If you are an Emirates customer, the co-branded credit cards from Barclays may be a method for you to accrue points more quickly. The Emirates Skywards credit cards are covered by the following five points.
1. Two Emirates credit cards are available.
You can choose between two Emirates cards based on the benefits you need and your willingness to spend a high annual fee.
The $99 annual charge for the Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card comes with the following sign-up bonus: After making $3,000 in purchases within the first 90 days, earn 50,000 bonus Skywards Miles.
The sign-up bonus for the $499 annual fee Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card is as follows: After making $3,000 in purchases within the first 90 days, earn 60,000 bonus Skywards Miles.
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2. They both receive the same ongoing rewards.
You can earn the following using both Emirates credit cards:
On qualified Emirates purchases, such as those made at the Emirates sales office or on emirates.com, customers receive 3 Skywards Miles for every $1 spent.
For each $1 spent on travel, lodging, and rentals, 2 Skywards Miles are earned.
For each $1 spent on all other purchases, one Skywards Mile is earned.
Each Emirates Skywards Mile is worth one cent, according to NerdWallet. This value is not maximized; it is a baseline value derived from actual data. To put it another way, you should strive to redeem your Emirates Skywards Miles for awards that are worth at least $1.
3. You’ll get status right away, but maintaining it long-term is expensive.
- The level of elite status that comes with each card differs.
- Mastercard® Credit with Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite
New cardholders receive a year of Emirates Silver tier membership with the Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card. Your rights as a member at this level are:
- choice of seats is free.
- an excess luggage allowance of 26.5 pounds.
- boarding and check-in with priority.
a 25% increase in bonus miles for flights on Emirates or Flydubai. You must use $20,000 of the card each year following the initial year for membership in the Emirates Silver tier to remain active.
Credit Card for Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite
For the first year, the Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card includes membership in the Emirates Gold tier. It has the same characteristics as Silver but adds:
- An increased overage luggage allowance (35 pounds).
- Customer service and delivery of luggage are prioritized.
- Even on packed flights, economy-class seats are guaranteed.
- You and a companion will get free access to all Emirates Business Class lounges, both in Dubai and elsewhere in the airline’s network.
- a 50% increase in bonus miles for flights on Emirates or Flydubai.
- Complimentary entry to Dubai’s Emirates Business Class lounges.
Spending $40,000 on the card per year is required if you want to keep your Emirates Gold tier membership beyond the first year.
4. The premium card provides extra benefits.
The Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card offers a few more features in comparison to its less generous version, as befits its much higher annual fee:
10,000 Skywards Miles as an anniversary incentive for every $30,000 spent.
a $100 credit per five years for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
access to the lounges of Priority Pass.
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5. Most people should use a general travel rewards card.
Unless you’re an ardent fan of Emirates and wish to frequent the Emirates Business Class lounges in Dubai, a generic travel credit card would likely be better appropriate for your requirements. For instance, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers rewards like an annual hotel credit and anniversary points along with earning rates of 5x points for travel booked directly through Chase, 3x points for dining, 3x points for streaming services, and 3x points for online grocery purchases. Although the Chase Ultimate Rewards® points you earn from the card can be converted to Emirates Skywards 1:1, they also have a variety of other uses, so you aren’t tied to just one airline.
You can transfer points from other credit cards, such as American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points, Capital One Miles, and others, to Emirates Skywards in addition to Chase to book tickets.
