Air Canada Aeroplan is restricting first class award redemptions on Emirates to align with Emirates’ own policy for Skywards members while also adding the option of redeeming for premium economy awards.
Aeroplan Restricts First Class Awards On Emirates To Mirror Skywards
Already in place without notice, Aeroplan has added two restrictions to first class awards on Emirates “consistent with Emirates’ Skywards program rules.” Those include both an elite status requirement and an age restriction:
- First Class cabin rewards will only be available to members with Aeroplan 35K status or higher at the time of redemption
- All travellers booked in First Class must also be at least 9 years of age
(It’s not clear me to me whether the First Class age policy run afoul of Canadian law, but that’s not my concern today.)
It seems clear to me this was a change that Emirates insisted upon, though it’s not a huge loss for flyers considering the outrageous rates Aeroplan charged for Emirates First Class…a special pricing chart that discerning travelers would be wise to avoid in all but the rarest of circumstances.
> Read More: Emirates Bans Young Kids From First Class…But Only When Redeeming Miles
> Read More: Qantas Makes Emirates First Class Awards Harder And More Expensive
Aeroplan Adds Premium Economy Redemptions On Emirates
Beginning on July 21, Aeroplan Members will be able to redeem points for travel in Emirates Premium Economy.
With this addition, Emirates will become the first Aeroplan partner to offer flight rewards in all four cabins: First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy…hopefully something that will come to more carriers.
The award chart has not been published yet, though I would not except cheap prices for anything on Emirates.
Emirates premium economy cabin looks wonderful…something I would absolutely consider, especially for a daytime flight.
CONCLUSION
Aeroplan is restricting Emirates First Class awards to its elite members and also banning children under nine from first class bookings, consistent with Emirates’ own program restrictions (which only apply to mileage redemptions, not revenue tickets). Starting next week, Aeroplan will also allow members to redeem miles for travel in Emirates Premium Economy cabin.
The best way to score Emirates First Class is still to book business class (with miles or money) and then upgrade using Skywards Miles on the day of travel (a first-come, first-served race to the airport check-in counter). That “loophole” may be the next to go, but it makes a lot more sense than burning an outrageous amount of miles with Aeroplan.
Did you take advantage of first class awards on Emriates using your Air Canada Aeroplan miles?
*sigh* add it to the pile (of devaluations)
Looking at the pic, did Jerry Hall replace Jennifer Anniston as the ‘celebrity spokesmodel’ for Emirates ?
… lol
Isn’t that pose a little too ‘Wester-casual’ for a Middle Eastern airline ?
Wonder what Nicole Kidman at Etihad would think ?
… ‘Asking for a friend’ with an ‘inquiring mind’ ….
The entire idea of EK F is dead for me. I realize they may believe that within their structure they have demand and ability to justify all the changes over the past two years but it’s becoming curious to say the least. I actually got an EK Barclays card two years ago to keep the redemption and earning aspect alive for F bookings. But have just canceled it and moved on. Add to that the complexity and whims of dealing with their call center, the inflated pricing and surcharges, the service that is hit or miss…it’s over for me. It was fun while it lasted and I had some cool flights over the years but enough.
As to those who will inevitably come here and tell me, “Stop complaining if you are too poor to just pay for F” I will respond proactively that while that may hold some truth for a truly exclusive product like AF, it does not with EK. 90% of the F flights I have taken have often been less than half full…many I was the only passenger. Further, with no alliance in which to credit to another airline my many paid flights I see no reason to ever give them any sort of loyalty. The J product (which I pay for) is nothing unusual, the lounges are lackluster, and Dubai as a layover is way over rated. Overall, QR and EY are much better airlines overall and worthy of actual paid flights and any “loyalty.”
At some point the chickens are coming home to roost for EK when they realize that they are removing the halo effect of their F to the point that it’s not about exclusivity – it’s about no one even caring anymore and cabins flying empty.
Dom Perignon (yawn), caviar, and other fancy soft-product trimmings don’t compensate for the geriatric hard product on the vast majority of their fleet. The halo has long been tarnished in that regard.
You’re right about J and their lounges; I’d go further on Dubai as being a literal potential war-zone, so maybe scaling back on EK is a good choice, altogether, for now. Like, don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for the experiences with them, and enjoyed the shower on the a380, but honestly, it’s a gimmick, once is enough for me, and I’m taking a break from them for a while, especially when transfers and redemptions get worse.