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There are few more glamorous ways to fly than in Emirates business or first class. But, unfortunately for points and miles travelers, Emirates rarely makes business or first class awards available to partner airlines. Travelers need to either redeem Emirates Skywards miles or pay cash to directly book these seats.
But, there's another, arguably better, way to score a first or business class seat — by upgrading your booking from a lower class of service.
That may mean booking Emirates economy with cash and taking advantage of an upgrade offer. Or you could redeem Emirates Skywards miles for a business class award, and then use more miles to upgrade to first class.
Here's what you need to know about how to upgrade to business or first class on Emirates.
On this page
Emirates business class upgrades
Emirates passengers can upgrade their economy or premium economy seat to business class in advance on Emirates' website, during check-in or even after boarding their flight.
Free upgrades
Emirates generally doesn't offer free upgrades, though Skywards Platinum members receive two complimentary upgrades from business class to first class upon reaching that status level, subject to availability.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
The only way to reliably get an upgrade on Emirates is by purchasing it with miles or cash. Business class upgrades with miles
Emirates Skywards members can use miles to upgrade an eligible economy ticket to business class, whether the original ticket was booked with cash or miles, though additional taxes or fees may apply. "Special" tickets aren't upgradable, but all other fare classes are.
The cost to upgrade with miles — and when you can confirm an upgrade — depends on which fare type you book. One way to estimate how many miles an upgrade will cost is by using Emirates’ Miles Calculator.
Enter your route, cabin class and Emirates Skywards elite status, then select “Calculate.” Once the results load, select the “Upgrade” tab to view the mileage required to upgrade from economy to business class for each eligible fare type.
For example, when searching for a one-way flight from New York-John F. Kennedy to Milan, the Miles Calculator shows the following upgrade costs from economy to business class:
- Saver fare: 82,000 miles one-way (only available after check-in opens).
- Flex fare: 50,700 miles one-way.
- Flex Plus fare: 39,000 miles one-way.
While the Miles Calculator is useful for estimating costs, upgrade pricing also appears directly during the booking process on Emirates’ website for eligible fares, making it easier to compare the cash price of an economy ticket with the mileage required to upgrade.
Booking economy with cash and upgrading with miles
In our flight search for the same New York-John F. Kennedy to Milan route, there were two economy fare classes offered: Flex ($657) and Flex Plus ($1,445), each displaying its corresponding mileage upgrade price during booking. An economy Saver fare wasn’t available, which is why an upgrade price for Saver fare isn’t shown.
Booking economy with miles and upgrading with miles
It’s also possible to book an economy award ticket and then upgrade using additional miles. While this can sometimes reduce the total miles required compared with booking business class outright, it isn’t always the better value.
In this example, booking an economy Saver award for the same flight for 17,500 miles plus $123 represents a strong redemption value compared with the lowest available cash price ($657), and exceeds NerdWallet’s valuation of Emirates miles of 1 cent per mile.
With that said, upgrading an economy award ticket to business class can quickly increase the total miles required. In this case, upgrading from a Saver award would bring the total cost (99,500 miles) well above the mileage required to book business class outright (87,000 miles).
Booking a higher-priced economy award, such as a Flex Plus fare, may improve upgrade odds and reduce the mileage gap, but upgrades aren’t guaranteed, so it’s worth comparing the total miles required for an upgrade versus booking business class directly.
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Beware: Upgrades aren't always an option
One benefit of searching for the upgrade price through the booking process is that Emirates will display whether or not an upgrade is available for your selected flight at that time.
In the example below, clicking on the "eligible" link on the "Upgrade to Business" line pops up an overlay that notes "there is currently no upgrade availability for this flight; there may be availability at a later stage."
If you’re counting on upgrading your flight, consider alternate dates or flights that have availability at the time of booking.
Business class upgrades using cash
If you don't have Emirates Skywards miles (or don't have enough points to transfer into Emirates Skywards) for an upgrade, the airline also offers the option to do so using cash.
Unlike upgrading with Skywards miles — which uses predictable pricing — the cost to upgrade with cash is more dynamic. For example, on the same New York-John F. Kennedy to Milan flight, the only cash upgrade offered at the time of booking was an upgrade from economy to premium economy for $859 one-way. There was no business class upgrade offered.
To see the exact cost for upgrading your flight, enter your booking details into the Emirates upgrade form.
First class Emirates upgrades
Emirates restricts first class award bookings for non-elite Skywards members, meaning most travelers can’t book first class using Emirates miles. However, passengers can still redeem Skywards miles or pay cash for a business class ticket and upgrade to first class.
As an example of the mileage cost, let's consider the same Emirates flight from New York-JFK to Milan when booked in business class.
Again, the mileage cost for this upgrade will depend on which fare class you book:
- Saver fare: 50,700 miles one-way (only possible after check-in opens).
- Flex fare: 44,850 miles one-way.
- Flex Plus fare: 39,000 miles one-way.
If those upgrade rates sound reasonable, keep in mind that rates climb sharply from here, especially if you’re traveling longer distances. For example, it costs 106,470 Skywards miles to upgrade from a Saver business class fare to first class on a flight from Los Angeles to Dubai.
» Learn more: The best perks of Emirates Airlines first class
Last-minute Emirates upgrades
If you're looking to upgrade your Emirates flight at the last minute, you still have a chance. Emirates refers to these last-minute upgrades as “instant upgrades,” which can be requested at the airport check-in desk or, in some cases, onboard the aircraft.
Emirates only releases so many seats for awards and advance upgrades. If all of those slots are taken, your flight will show as not available for upgrade.
However, once at the airport, instant upgrades aren’t subject to the same capacity controls. If there's an available seat, it can be booked with miles. Although you can upgrade your seat once you're onboard, it's better to do so at the check-in counter so you can enjoy more perks of the upgrade. The cost to upgrade is the same as if you'd upgraded before boarding.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
If you upgrade at the last-minute — less than 48 hours before departure — you might not get an upgraded meal. Emirates only pledges to "do our best to accommodate you with a meal from the upgraded cabin class menu." Restrictions on Emirates upgrades
- Limited to one class of service. You're not going to be able to upgrade from economy all the way to first class. If you want to have a shot at flying first class, you'll need to book business class.
- Advance upgrade requests must be made at least six hours before departure.
- Partner award bookings aren't eligible for mileage upgrades.
- No mileage bonus on upgrades. Skywards members earn miles based on their original booking cabin. That means you won't earn bonus miles for upgrading to a higher cabin.
- Auto-upgrades require miles in your account. Emirates Skywards members can enable auto-upgrades, which are processed between 60 days and 48 hours before departure when upgrade space becomes available. To clear an auto-upgrade, you must have enough Skywards miles in your account at the time the upgrade is processed.
» Learn more: Excellent Emirates miles redemptions
How to earn Emirates Miles
As you can see above, Skywards miles are key to upgrading your Emirates flight. Thanks to Emirates' partnerships with several major transferable point partners, Skywards miles are pretty easy to accumulate.
You can transfer points to Emirates from the following points programs, though the transfer ratios vary by issuer:
- American Express Membership Rewards (1,000:800).
- Capital One Miles (2,000:1,500).
- Citi ThankYou Points (1,000:800 for most premium cards).
- Bilt Rewards (1,000:1,000).
Alternatively, you can earn Emirates Skywards miles directly by using an Emirates Skywards credit card. Getting one of these cards will also net you a large Skywards miles sign-up bonus to get you started.
Top cards for booking Emirates flights
Annual fee
$99.
$499.
$895.
$395.
Earnings rates
• 3 miles per $1 on eligible Emirates purchases, which includes purchases on emirates.com or at the Emirates sales office.
• 2 miles per $1 on airfare, hotels and rental cars.
• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
• 3 miles per $1 on eligible Emirates purchases, which includes purchases on emirates.com or at the Emirates sales office.
• 2 miles per $1 on airfare, hotels and rental cars.
• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
• 5 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express, on up to $500,000 spent per year.
• 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked through American Express.
• 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
• 10 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel.
• 5 miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals through Capital One Travel.
• 2 miles per $1 on everything else.
Still not sure?
» Learn more: The best airline credit cards
Final thoughts on Emirates upgrades
Emirates upgrades can take a bit of planning, but they can be a solid way to fly business or first class without paying full price. Once you understand how fare types, availability and timing work, it’s easy to compare your options and decide whether upgrading makes sense before you book.
And if Emirates first class is the goal, keep in mind that travelers without Skywards elite status generally can’t book it outright with miles. In that case, booking business class and upgrading is often the most practical path, especially since Emirates only allows single-cabin upgrades.
To view rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card®, see this page.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
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- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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