A complete guide to Emirates Skywards business class upgrades

Business class travel has changed dramatically in recent years. No longer simply better seats and service, the cabin now delivers immersive sanctuaries behind sliding doors.

While Emirates has yet to add doors to its business class cabin (though watch this space), it still holds its own against rivals in many ways. And, aside from booking a seat outright, upgrades are a great way to experience it.

Emirates upgrades can be requested on many economy bookings, including award seats originally booked with Skywards Miles.

Which Emirates fares can be upgraded?

If buying a seat with cash, upgrades are possible on all fares bar Economy Special, which is the least expensive seat available. However, the number of miles needed to upgrade depends on whether you’ve purchased a Saver, Flex or Flex Plus fare.

Flying one-way between Sydney and Dubai, you’ll need 147,500 Skywards Miles to bump up from a Saver fare, 91,260 from Flex, or 70,200 from an Economy Flex Plus.

There’s no sugar coating it – that’s a lot of miles. And if you continue on to London, Paris or Frankfurt, you’ll be up for 82,000, 50,700 or 39,000 miles, depending on your fare type.

Once upgraded, you'll receive all the benefits of that class of travel (bar additional miles).

It’s worth noting, these above-mentioned figures only apply if you book sectors individually. If you’re travelling from Australia to Europe, you’d be wise to upgrade the full journey, as it’s definitely cheaper.

Upgrading from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Adelaide to Europe sets you back 197,500 for Economy Saver, 81,250 for Flex or 70,200 for Economy Flex Plus, saving up to 32,000 Skywards Miles versus upgrading sectors separately.

Perth is slightly cheaper again, at 172,500 for Economy Saver, 78,000 for Flex, or 62,400 for Economy Flex Plus to Europe, though the difference from individual sectors is minimal.

How to book Emirates business class upgrades

Emirates upgrades can be confirmed in advance and at the airport on the day of travel.

To get started, open up your reservation in the ‘manage booking’ section of the Emirates website and go from there.

The number of upgrades is limited on every flight, but if there's a seat free and your request is made at least 6 hours before take-off, it could be yours. But even if there’s no availability, you may still be in with a chance, as there could be a cancellation.

Emirates business class is a very fine way to travel.

To that end, Emirates offers an ‘auto upgrade’ waitlist feature, which allows you to put your name on the list between 90 days out and up to 72 hours before departure.

If a seat frees up and you have sufficient miles in your account, your upgrade will be automatically processed. It’s worth still keeping an eye on seats manually though.

In addition, Silver, Gold and Platinum Skywards members can also request an upgrade via the crew on-board, on all but the lowest Special tickets.

Eligible fares for Emirates upgrades

Most Emirates tickets can be upgraded as soon as your booking is finalised. An exception to the rule is Saver fares, which don’t allow this until check-in opens 24 hours before departure.

The airline makes it very clear which fares can be upgraded and when, with the below displayed when selecting your fare:

Given the above limitation, the best value is buying a Flex fare, and here’s why.

Paying a little extra for Flex over a Saver fare more than halves the number of Skywards miles needed to secure a confirmed upgrade to business class as soon as the ticket has been purchased.

It also more than doubles the number of Skywards miles you’ll rake in from the flight.

In some cases, government taxes and fees can differ between business class and economy – in which case you’ll also be asked for a credit card to cover the difference.

The pitfalls of Emirates upgrades

While an upgrade to Emirates business class is indeed wonderful, the number of Skywards miles and tier miles you’ll earn will be as per your original economy fare.

In addition, online upgrades aren’t available when travelling on Emirates flights sold by other airlines, including Qantas, even if an Emirates (EK) code appears on the booking.

That same applies to partner frequent flyer award tickets – so if you’ve used Qantas points to book an economy flight with Emirates, you can’t then use Skywards miles to upgrade.

Emirates business class upgrades: FAQs

Can I check if an Emirates business class upgrade award is available before purchasing my flight?

Yes, simply give Emirates Contact Centre a call on 1300 303 777 and they’ll let you know of any available upgrade reward.

Once upgraded to Emirates business class, will I get all the benefits of the upgraded fare?

Yes, once upgraded you’ll get to enjoy all the benefits of that class of travel, including lounge access, extra baggage allowance, and inflight meal service (subject to availability), though not the additional Skywards Miles or Tier Miles.

Can I use the miles earned on an Emirates flight booking towards an instant upgrade on that same flight?

No. Since Skywards miles are only credited to your account once the journey is over, you won't be able to count with these miles on the flight you are currently taking.

Can I upgrade an existing Emirates booking using Cash + Miles?

In short, no. Emirates’ Cash + Miles option is only available when booking a new flight. Save it for your next journey.