Love it or hate it, Emirates just made a major change that could affect traveling families – “bougie” traveling families, that is.
As first noted by One Mile at a Time, the Dubai-based airline quietly added terms and conditions in mid-August banning children age eight and younger from flying first class when redeeming Skywards miles or using miles to upgrade. The update appears in the Skywards program rules and had gone largely unnoticed until now.
In a section covering “Skywards Skysurfers” – Emirates’ name for minor Skywards members – the policy is even clearer: “Please note that passengers aged 8 years old and below are ineligible for First Class Emirates Classic Rewards and Upgrade Rewards.”
To be clear, this ban applies only to award tickets and mileage upgrades. If you’re paying cash for a first class seat, Emirates will still allow young children up front. Families with means are apparently less disruptive!
As of publication, it’s unclear how this rule affects first class awards booked through partners such as Air Canada Aeroplan or Qantas Frequent Flyer. You can still technically book first class awards for children eight and under on Emirates’ website, but it remains to be seen whether those seats will be honored at the gate.
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So what should we make of this? Whether kids belong in premium cabins has long been a divisive topic.
Travelers spending thousands for a quiet, restful flight – often on business – understandably want a relaxing experience. On the other hand, this move feels punitive because it doesn’t ban kids outright, only those using miles. As a family traveler myself, I hate to see rules that make trips harder or less enjoyable for families.
Practically speaking, though, with first class awards to Dubai often running close to 200,000 Skywards miles plus nearly $1,000 in taxes and fees, most families weren’t booking these seats anyway.
Check out our full review of Emirates first class from Milan to New York!
The broader concern is precedent. With Emirates implementing this new rule, will other airlines soon follow? It's impossible to say, but this is just Emirates' latest step in limiting access to first class awards.
In May, the airline began requiring at least Silver status to book first class awards, blocking everyday Skywards members. More recently, Chase announced its dropping Emirates as a transfer partner, while Citi – and soon American Express – reduced transfer ratios.
It certainly looks like Emirates is trying its best to keep the “riffraff” out of first class.
Bottom Line
Emirates quietly updated its Skywards rules to ban children eight and under from first class when booking or upgrading with miles – making mileage redemptions even tougher for families.
This is just the latest move Emirates has made to limit access to first class awards after introducing a new minimum status level and reducing bank transfer options already this year.
