How Anyone Can Save Up to 87% on Emirates’ First Class Suite

December 2014
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The Suite: Shoulder-high enclosed compartment with privacy sliding doors. Depending on the aircraft/route, the seat count ranges from 8 to 14, configured 1x2x1. Each has a 79-inch-long lie-flat seat, personal mini-bar, vanity table, mirror, wardrobe, and 27-inch-wide monitor.

Experience the Emirates suite in detail.

U.S. to/from the Middle East Routes with the First Class Suite

To/From Dubai: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC.

Easy Connections To/From: All over the U.S.

Flying From/To Beyond Dubai: Emirates’ destinations in Africa and Asia can be added for more miles; cost depends on the region. Find Emirates’ destinations.

[aside headline="How to Get the 87% Off Emirates Deal" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]That’s what you can save on Emirates First Class, through its Alaska Airlines partnership, by taking advantage of the latter carrier’s current 35% mileage purchase bonus (ends Dec. 20; sales come and go about every two to three months). This brings the cost of LAX-Dubai in First Class down to $3,991, for example, which is simply the cost to buy 180,000 miles—while the normal fare is $30,470. (Mileage availability in First Class when using Alaska miles when compared to Emirates own mileage space is occasionally the same.)[/aside]

Sky-High Fare Equals Great Mileage Opportunity

Baseline Fare: Up to $30,470 round-trip to Dubai from LAX, $18,459 from Chicago, and $25,599 from New York.

Baseline Award Cost: Emirates’ Skywards charges 217,500 miles to/from Boston, Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC; 247,500 miles to/from Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.

No Emirates Miles? No Problem.

Transfer Amex Rewards Points: To Emirates Skywards takes just one day.

Purchase Amex Rewards Points: The Buy Miles to Fly in Style strategy can net you up to 80% off, given that Amex Membership Rewards points cost 2.5¢ each. First Class ticket costs $5,450 to $6,200 round-trip—which otherwise goes for as much as $30,470.

Transfer Starwood Points to Emirates: 180,000 for Boston, Chicago, NYC, and Washington, DC or 200,000 for Dallas, Houston, LAX, SFO, and Seattle.

Even Better: Partner Award Opportunity

Book the Suite through Japan Airlines’ loyalty program— which is accessible to Starwood players—and you can save up to 25%. Availability through JAL is often very similar to Emirates’ inventory.

JAL Mileage Bank charges 135,000 miles to/from Boston and New York, and 155,000 miles to/from Chicago, Dallas, Houston, LAX, SFO, Seattle, and Washington, DC.

Transfer Starwood Points to JAL: 110,000 to/from Boston and New York—fewer miles than many airlines charge for Business Class— or 125,000 to/from Chicago, Dallas, Houston, LAX, SFO, Seattle, and Washington, DC.

Where the Sweet Redeems Are…

Survey of First Class Suite Award Availability on Emirates to Dubai

[table_opt style="double-blue-header" id="2273 " width="" alignment="center" responsive="all" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter"]

[["U.S. Departure City","Availability From U.S.","#colspan#","#colspan#","Availability To U.S.","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","Handful","Hopeful","Hooray","Handful","Hopeful","Hooray"],["Boston","May","","Jan. to April, July","Aug., Sept.","June","Dec., Feb. to May"],["Chicago","Dec.","","Jan. to July, Sept.","","",""],["Houston","","Dec., May","Jan. to April, June, July, Sept.","","","Dec. to Sept."],["Los Angeles","Dec., May, Sept., Oct.","Jan.","Feb. to April, July","Dec., Jan.","","Feb. to June, Sept."],["New York","Dec., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Jan., Feb.<\/strong><\/span>, June","Sept.","Jan. to May, <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>March, April<\/strong><\/span>, July","Jan., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>April<\/strong><\/span>, July, Oct.","May, June","Dec., Feb. to April, <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>March<\/strong><\/span>, Sept."],["San Francisco","","Feb., June","Jan., March to May, July, Sept.","Dec., Feb.","","April to Sept."],["Washington, DC","Dec., June","May","Jan. to April, July, Sept.","Jan., July, Aug.","Dec., Sept.","Feb. to June"]]
<small><span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Handful:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 4 to 8 days during the months indicated in the chart. Worth pursuing if you’re flexible. <span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Hopeful:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 9 to 12 days during the months indicated. <span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Hooray:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 13 days or more during the months indicated. <em>Based on at least one seat available. Months in black: at least one seat available: <span style="color: #6699cc;">in blue, at least <u>two</u> seats.</span></em></small>