Chase Adds Emirates Skywards as Airline Transfer Partner

Chase has landed another airline as a travel transfer partner.

As of Aug. 25, 2019, cardholders with eligible Chase credit cards have the option of transferring their Chase Ultimate Rewards® points into Emirates Skywards miles at a 1:1 ratio. Emirates Skywards is the loyalty program for Emirates and flydubai, two airlines based in Dubai.

The addition gives more choices to those with Chase cards that allow 1:1 point transfers to travel partners. Because Emirates is the only airline that offers direct flights from the U.S. to Dubai, according to the travel comparison site SkyScanner, this news could be especially good for folks interested in booking such an itinerary. It’s also a boon for those hoping to snag a spot in one of the airline’s famous first-class cabins, or travel to one of the 80-plus countries and territories it serves.

Here’s what you should know.

• Eligible Chase cardholders can make transfers in 1,000-point increments, at a 1:1 ratio. In other words, you can turn 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points into 50,000 Emirates Skywards miles. The points transfer instantly, Chase confirms.

• It’s possible to combine cash and miles on Emirates. If you don’t have enough Skywards miles for an award ticket, you can use a combination of cash and miles for the redemption. This can make it easier to cash in even small amounts of rewards.

• Enough miles can get you into Emirates’ first-class cabins. Emirates’ first-class cabins are luxurious, featuring fine dining, an onboard shower and seats that convert into beds. And with enough Skywards miles, you could pay for such a trip. A round-trip first-class flex fare from Los Angeles to Dubai costs 247,500 Skywards miles, as of this writing. When you consider that such an itinerary could otherwise cost upward of $10,000 in cash, that’s a pretty sweet deal.

• Emirates’ surcharges can be expensive. When flying on Emirates with miles, you’ll still have to pay taxes and fees, including the airline’s hefty carrier-imposed surcharges. Those can add up to hundreds of dollars even when flying economy, and can potentially devalue your miles. Before booking an award trip with the airline, make sure to budget for these expenses.

The addition of Emirates Skywards gives eligible Chase cardholders 13 potential travel transfer partners, across a variety of airline and hotel loyalty programs. Cards eligible for such point transfers include the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.