Emirates Skywards, the loyalty programme of Emirates and flydubai, has officially introduced flight rewards for Premium Economy travel. The move, announced this week, allows its 35 million members worldwide to redeem miles for both Classic Rewards and Upgrade Rewards on the airline’s newest cabin.
The change reflects growing demand from travellers for more flexible options beyond standard Economy and Business Class, particularly on long-haul routes such as London, Sydney, Melbourne, and New York.
Dr Nejib Ben Khedher, Divisional Senior Vice President of Emirates Skywards, said the decision followed sustained interest from members since the cabin was launched. “We’re thrilled to announce the introduction of flight rewards on Emirates’ highly coveted Premium Economy cabin,” he said. “This has been in development for some time and comes following the huge success, positive feedback, and strong demand by members to utilise Miles on Premium Economy. We are confident this enhancement will further enrich the travel experience, staying true to our brand promise of always flying customers better.”
Redeeming miles for Premium Economy
Under the new scheme, members can now book a one-way Premium Economy Classic Reward ticket starting from 15,000 Skywards Miles. Alternatively, Economy Class passengers can upgrade to Premium Economy from as little as 7,020 Miles, subject to seat availability. Upgrade requests can be made prior to travel or at Emirates’ airport check-in counters.
The loyalty programme has also expanded its redemption options across flydubai, with Classic Rewards now available on all flights starting from 5,000 Miles. Between June and August 2025, Emirates Skywards members redeemed close to 500,000 flight tickets using Classic Rewards, Cash+Miles, and Upgrade Rewards to destinations including London, Paris, New York, and Bangkok.
Premium Economy experience
Emirates is currently the only airline in the Middle East offering a full Premium Economy product, which has already won multiple awards including “Best Premium Economy” at the AirlineRatings.com Airline Excellence Awards 2024.
Travellers booking the cabin can expect wider cream leather seats with a pitch of up to 40 inches, footrests and calf rests, enhanced dining with a curated wine list, and larger inflight entertainment screens offering more than 6,500 channels. Dedicated airport check-in desks add further convenience.
Fleet upgrades and expansion
The loyalty development comes as Emirates advances its US$5 billion retrofit programme. The airline has so far refurbished 67 aircraft, including 32 Airbus A380s and 35 Boeing 777s, each fitted with Premium Economy cabins. It has also introduced nine new Airbus A350s, with 56 more due to join the fleet.
By March 2026, Emirates aims to serve 68 cities with Premium Economy-equipped aircraft, offering close to two million seats annually. That capacity is expected to double to four million seats per year by the end of 2026.
Seat configurations vary across aircraft types, with the A380 offering 56 seats in a 2-4-2 layout, the Boeing 777 accommodating 24 seats in the same configuration, and the Airbus A350 providing 28 seats in a 2-3-2 layout.
