Converting AMEX Membership Rewards points into Emirates Skywards miles

Converting your American Express Membership Rewards points into Emirates Skywards frequent flyer miles can help you unlock flights and upgrades with the Gulf airline to business class, or even first class.

It's quick and easy to move your points across: just head to this page on the American Express website and login to your AMEX account to make sure you're seeing the correct conversion rate.

Centurion and Platinum charge card holders can transfer their points on a 1:1 basis (1 MR point = 1 Skywards mile), while for David Jones cardholders the conversion rate is 2:1 (2 MR points = 1 Skywards mile).

Most other Membership Rewards-earning cards – including Platinum Edge and the Essential Card – instead adopt a 4:3 conversion ratio:

You'll need to convert at least 2,000 Membership Rewards points at a time, but you can transfer any amount above that which results in a whole number of Skywards miles.

For example, Platinum Edge cardholders could switch 2,500 MR points for 1,875 Skywards miles, or 2,504 MR points for 1,878 Skywards miles at the 4:3 rate (increments of four MR points) – but not any number between those, as this would result in a decimal.

There's no limit to the number of Membership Rewards points you can convert into Skywards miles, although you're limited to one points transfer from AMEX to Emirates per day.

Emirates also has a restriction that you can only transfer miles across from one Membership Rewards account, period, so if you have multiple AMEX Membership Rewards cards – such as a personal card and a corporate card – you'll need to choose which to use with Emirates.

Also read: The unofficial guide to Emirates' Skywards program

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Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.