Can I Use Avios On Emirates Flights? | Points Power Play

Understanding Avios and Emirates: A Complex Relationship

Avios is a popular frequent flyer currency primarily associated with British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus. It’s earned through flights, credit card spending, and various partner promotions. Emirates, on the other hand, operates its own loyalty program called Emirates Skywards. At first glance, you might expect that you can use Avios to book Emirates flights easily, given the airline’s global presence and numerous partnerships. However, the reality is more nuanced.

Emirates is not a member of any major airline alliance like Oneworld or Star Alliance. British Airways is part of Oneworld and uses Avios as its reward currency. Since Emirates flies independently outside these alliances, direct redemption of Avios for Emirates flights is generally not possible. This disconnect often causes confusion among travelers hoping to leverage their Avios points for luxury travel on Emirates.

Still, there are avenues that savvy travelers can explore to maximize their Avios balance when considering Emirates flights. Understanding these options requires a deeper dive into airline partnerships and redemption rules.

Why Can’t You Book Emirates Flights Directly With Avios?

The key reason lies in the lack of a direct partnership between British Airways (and other Avios-earning airlines) and Emirates. Airline alliances typically enable reciprocal award redemptions among members. For example, you can use British Airways Avios to book American Airlines or Cathay Pacific flights because they share the Oneworld alliance.

Emirates operates outside these alliances by choice, maintaining its separate Skywards program. Without an alliance or a bilateral partnership allowing reciprocal award bookings, British Airways cannot offer its members the ability to redeem Avios for Emirates-operated flights directly.

Furthermore, even though British Airways and Emirates have a codeshare agreement on some routes—meaning they sell seats on each other’s flights—this does not translate into award ticket redemption rights on those flights using Avios.

This means if you want to use your hard-earned Avios for an Emirates flight, you’ll need to consider indirect methods or alternative strategies.

Indirect Ways To Use Avios For Emirates Travel

While direct booking isn’t possible, there are creative workarounds involving partner airlines or credit card transfer programs that might get you closer to flying Emirates with your Avios points:

1. Transfer Avios To Iberia Plus Or Aer Lingus AerClub

Both Iberia Plus and Aer Lingus AerClub programs use Avios as their currency and allow transfers between accounts within certain limits. Iberia Plus occasionally partners with Emirates on specific routes or codeshare flights in limited markets. In rare cases, Iberia Plus may offer award seats on some Emirates-operated segments.

However, availability is extremely limited and often restricted to specific destinations like Madrid-Dubai routes where both airlines cooperate closely. If you hold Iberia Plus accounts alongside your British Airways Executive Club account, transferring your points could open up some redemption windows for Emirates flights—but it’s no guarantee.

Aer Lingus currently does not provide any meaningful access to Emirates awards despite sharing the same currency.

2. Book Connecting Flights With Partner Airlines

Another strategy involves using your Avios to book segments operated by British Airways or other Oneworld partners that connect with an Emirates flight purchased separately. For example:

• Fly British Airways from London to a hub like Dubai using Avios.
• Purchase an onward ticket separately on Emirates from Dubai.

While this doesn’t allow you to pay for the entire journey with Avios alone, it helps reduce cash outlay on at least part of your trip while still experiencing Emirates’ renowned service beyond the connecting city.

3. Utilize Credit Card Transfer Partners

Some credit card rewards programs allow transfers into both British Airways Executive Club (Avios) and Emirates Skywards points but not vice versa. For example:

• American Express Membership Rewards lets you move points into both programs.
• Chase Ultimate Rewards also offers flexible transfer partners but excludes direct transfers to Skywards.

By strategically funneling credit card points toward Skywards instead of converting everything into Avios when planning an Emirates trip, you might maximize value by focusing on the correct loyalty currency from the start.

The Value Comparison: Using Avios vs Skywards For The Same Route

To understand why travelers seek ways around this limitation, consider how differently each program values awards on similar routes served by both airlines:

Route	Avios Redemption (British Airways)	Skywards Redemption (Emirates)
London Heathrow (LHR) – Dubai (DXB)	Starting at 26,000 Avios one-way in economy (plus taxes & fees)	Starts at 35,000 Skywards miles one-way in economy (lower taxes & fees)
New York JFK – Dubai (DXB)	N/A (No direct BA flight; would require connecting segments)	Starts at 45,000 Skywards miles one-way in economy (plus moderate taxes)
London Heathrow (LHR) – New York JFK	Starting at 13,000 Avios one-way in economy (plus taxes & fees)	N/A (No direct EK flight; would require connection)

This table highlights how each program targets different networks and pricing structures based on their operational reach and partnerships.

The Impact Of Taxes And Fees On Award Redemptions

One crucial factor deterring many from booking directly through British Airways Executive Club—even if the option existed—is the notoriously high fuel surcharges imposed by BA on award tickets departing from London Heathrow when flying with its partners.

Emirates generally imposes lower surcharges compared to BA-operated awards but since BA doesn’t allow direct redemptions on EK flights anyway, this point remains academic for now.

If you manage to find an Iberia Plus or Aer Lingus AerClub redemption option for an Emirate segment booked with transferred Avios points, expect somewhat lower fees than BA but still higher than booking directly through Skywards miles because of program differences in surcharge policies.

The Role Of Codeshares And Interline Agreements

Emirates and British Airways have maintained a close commercial relationship since 2010 under a joint business agreement covering transatlantic routes between Europe and North America via Dubai or London hubs. This partnership includes codeshare agreements allowing passengers to buy tickets marketed by either airline but operated by the other.

However:

• This cooperation doesn’t extend award ticket redemption rights.
• You cannot redeem BA Executive Club points for segments operated solely by EK through this agreement.
• You can earn frequent flyer miles/points when flying either airline under codeshare tickets depending on fare class.

These distinctions are critical because earning miles is separate from redeeming them—a nuance often overlooked by travelers hoping for seamless point usage across partners without alliance membership backing it up.

The Best Practices For Maximizing Your Travel Rewards With Both Programs

If you’re asking “Can I Use Avios On Emirates Flights?” hoping for a straightforward answer—unfortunately no—but here’s how you can still get excellent value from both loyalty currencies:

Create Accounts In Both Programs Early On

Sign up for both British Airways Executive Club and Emirates Skywards accounts well before planning travel so that you can accumulate miles/points in each independently based on your flight activity or credit card spending habits without losing out due to timing constraints.

Diversify Your Earning Strategies Across Cards And Partners

Use credit cards that earn transferable points convertible into either program depending on upcoming plans—for example:

• If targeting luxury travel via Dubai routes primarily flown by EK: focus transfers toward Skywards.
• If flying mostly within Europe or transatlantic routes served by BA: convert points into Avios.

This flexibility lets you pivot quickly based on seat availability or promotional offers without being locked into one currency that doesn’t fit all itineraries perfectly.

Award space fluctuates constantly due to demand shifts or operational changes—especially post-pandemic recovery periods affecting schedules worldwide—so keeping tabs daily helps snag rare sweet spots whenever they appear either within BA’s extensive network or EK’s premium cabins available via Skywards miles.

Since no single loyalty program covers every airline seamlessly anymore—especially outside alliances—it pays off long-term to maintain balances across multiple programs tailored toward different geographic regions or preferred carriers rather than chasing elusive cross-program redemptions that rarely materialize as hoped.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Avios On Emirates Flights Directly?

No, you cannot use Avios directly to book Emirates flights. Emirates operates its own loyalty program, Emirates Skywards, and is not part of any major airline alliance that includes British Airways or other Avios-earning airlines.

Why Is It Difficult To Use Avios On Emirates Flights?

The main reason is that Emirates is independent and not a member of alliances like Oneworld, which British Airways belongs to. Without a direct partnership or alliance, reciprocal redemption of Avios on Emirates flights isn’t allowed.

Are There Any Partnerships That Allow Using Avios For Emirates Travel?

While there is a codeshare agreement between British Airways and Emirates, it does not permit using Avios to book award seats on Emirates-operated flights. Indirect methods or alternative strategies are needed to leverage Avios for Emirates travel.

What Are Indirect Ways To Use Avios For Flying With Emirates?

You can consider booking British Airways flights that connect with Emirates or use Avios on partner airlines within the Oneworld alliance. These options require careful planning but can help maximize your Avios for travel involving Emirates routes.

Can I Transfer Avios To Emirates Skywards To Book Flights?

No, transferring Avios points directly to Emirates Skywards is not possible. Both programs operate independently, so you must earn and redeem points separately within each loyalty scheme.