Apr 5, 2014, 3:23 pm
Last edit by: eponymous_coward
Emirates award guide using Alaska Airlines miles
Routing Rules:
All trips must start or end in North America.
One open jaw and one stopover allowed on each one-way award.
No fees for changes/cancellations prior to 60 days from departure.
North American Gateway Cities:
West Coast
Seattle
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Central
Chicago
Dallas
Houston
East Coast
Boston
New York (JFK)
Orlando (Effective September 1, 2015)
Washington DC (IAD)
Canada
Toronto
Award Chart Links*:
Middle East & Africa
Asia
Europe
*If region is not listed on chart its not available.
Perks
Chauffeur Drive NOT Available
Car service is not available for all Business Class and First Class passengers on Alaska Airlines ticketed award tickets on Emirates flights (as of Jan 2015). The chauffeur will not confirm if you use the EK website for this, though the website makes it look you can make a reservation.
Lounges
Access is available for all passengers traveling in Business and First Class. Not all cities have lounges and many may be operated by a Partner. There have been some reports of people having an issue accessing the Dubai lounges as the tickets may appear in their system as non-revenue employee travel. This is not as much of a problem as it used to be but in case it comes up please advise the lounge attendant that you are on an Alaska Airlines award.
Dubai Connect
AS Awards on EK do not qualify for Dubai Connect, which is the service that offers the free hotel.
Tricks to find Transoceanic availability
Instead of performing a blanket, i.e. SEA-DXB search, perform: SEA-MED.
Madinah is a destination that is only served by EK. Consequently, if there is availability, only EK will show up in the calendar results.
Routing Rules:
All trips must start or end in North America.
One open jaw and one stopover allowed on each one-way award.
No fees for changes/cancellations prior to 60 days from departure.
North American Gateway Cities:
West Coast
Seattle
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Central
Chicago
Dallas
Houston
East Coast
Boston
New York (JFK)
Orlando (Effective September 1, 2015)
Washington DC (IAD)
Canada
Toronto
Award Chart Links*:
Middle East & Africa
Asia
Europe
*If region is not listed on chart its not available.
Perks
Chauffeur Drive NOT Available
Car service is not available for all Business Class and First Class passengers on Alaska Airlines ticketed award tickets on Emirates flights (as of Jan 2015). The chauffeur will not confirm if you use the EK website for this, though the website makes it look you can make a reservation.
Lounges
Access is available for all passengers traveling in Business and First Class. Not all cities have lounges and many may be operated by a Partner. There have been some reports of people having an issue accessing the Dubai lounges as the tickets may appear in their system as non-revenue employee travel. This is not as much of a problem as it used to be but in case it comes up please advise the lounge attendant that you are on an Alaska Airlines award.
Dubai Connect
AS Awards on EK do not qualify for Dubai Connect, which is the service that offers the free hotel.
Tricks to find Transoceanic availability
Instead of performing a blanket, i.e. SEA-DXB search, perform: SEA-MED.
Madinah is a destination that is only served by EK. Consequently, if there is availability, only EK will show up in the calendar results.
Consolidated Emirates (EK) awards availability/booking/routing thread
Nov 8, 2014, 8:47 am
#1141
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,578
Thanks for the details report!
I want to know - how much would I miss out on if I book just business class (as opposed to first) due to not having enough miles.
Would I still get access to limo during stopover?
Access to shower?
Access to lounges in Dubai?
Huge difference in seating? Aren't business class lie-flat too? Would first-class basically give me privacy or more?
Sevice, food, wine, entertainment etc I'm sure is topnotch in both, since even their economy which I've flown many times is impressive.
I want to know - how much would I miss out on if I book just business class (as opposed to first) due to not having enough miles.
Would I still get access to limo during stopover?
Access to shower?
Access to lounges in Dubai?
Huge difference in seating? Aren't business class lie-flat too? Would first-class basically give me privacy or more?
Sevice, food, wine, entertainment etc I'm sure is topnotch in both, since even their economy which I've flown many times is impressive.
No on the shower. For 1st class only and only on A380.
Yes on lounges but in DXB it will be the business class lounge only (the first class lounge was amazing and best one I have been to date).
Yes business is lie flat but if you are on the 777 or A340 you may not have direct aisle access. The privacy in 1st is incredible as is the service. A door closes for a private suite.
Food menu looks to be about the same in business as in first but you can dine on demand and a la carte in first.
Here is a good link to compare the services (this is for DXB-DFW on A380):
http://www.emirates.com/ae/english/f...b5cdcf77dc925c
Nov 8, 2014, 9:55 am
#1142
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
Thanks for the details report!
I want to know - how much would I miss out on if I book just business class (as opposed to first) due to not having enough miles.
Would I still get access to limo during stopover?
Access to shower?
Access to lounges in Dubai?
Huge difference in seating? Aren't business class lie-flat too? Would first-class basically give me privacy or more?
Sevice, food, wine, entertainment etc I'm sure is topnotch in both, since even their economy which I've flown many times is impressive.
I want to know - how much would I miss out on if I book just business class (as opposed to first) due to not having enough miles.
Would I still get access to limo during stopover?
Access to shower?
Access to lounges in Dubai?
Huge difference in seating? Aren't business class lie-flat too? Would first-class basically give me privacy or more?
Sevice, food, wine, entertainment etc I'm sure is topnotch in both, since even their economy which I've flown many times is impressive.
shower no
business class lounge
Lie flat yes. but if not on A380 its 2-3-2 seating so you are guaranteed to be sitting pretty close to your neighbor or in the middle of a set of 3. A380 may be worth it since business is like a mini suite compared to the much more open 777 cabin
Its may not be worth it at all depending on where you are going as EK J costs more than a F award on some of the other partners. If you are talking about Asia, Cathay is 5K less miles in F than EK in J
Last edited by CDKing; Nov 8, 2014 at 10:38 am
Nov 8, 2014, 10:48 am
#1143
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,397
I like EK A380 J and the bar, but it would be hard for me to pay a premium on that over CX F.
Nov 8, 2014, 6:59 pm
#1144
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: VS Gold
Posts: 1,178
@maxmin, as one who's done meticulous research and spent lots of time looking for Z space for my upcoming trip, I obviously disagree--why not save someone else the time? As @thexfactor said, I've benefitted from the great advice and information on this thread and see no reason not to share what I learned. And of course it's subject to change at any time--EK may or may not continue this pattern. I thought that was the point of boards like this, to share tips and information? In any event, hope you get the seats you're stalking ;-).
Nov 13, 2014, 12:29 pm
#1145
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 21
Just returned from my award trip on Emirates SEA-DXB-NBO, return DAR-DXB-LAX-SEA, and it was really wonderful. It was my first time traveling in anything better than premium economy on an international route and I feel I'm forever spoiled by the great comfort and service! Loved the private suites in F on the 777-300ER and A380, and even the "old" style F seats on the legs to NBO and from DAR were very comfortable. The shower on the A380 was great, although having tried it once I'd book the nonstop home on the 777 rather than go through LAX again, given the hours it added to my trip home.
I wanted to report that I had absolutely no lounge access issues in any location--as someone else reported up-thread. Perhaps they've finally fixed that bug.
And maxmin, thanks for the apology, that was gracious of you.
I wanted to report that I had absolutely no lounge access issues in any location--as someone else reported up-thread. Perhaps they've finally fixed that bug.
And maxmin, thanks for the apology, that was gracious of you.
Nov 13, 2014, 12:51 pm
#1146
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YVR to SEA
Posts: 2,536
I don't have the points quite yet, but is there still an issue of phantom availability on AS's website?
Nov 13, 2014, 1:50 pm
#1147
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: ANC
Programs: AS; Hyatt; Bonvoy
Posts: 1,718
Just returned from my award trip on Emirates SEA-DXB-NBO, return DAR-DXB-LAX-SEA, and it was really wonderful. It was my first time traveling in anything better than premium economy on an international route and I feel I'm forever spoiled by the great comfort and service! Loved the private suites in F on the 777-300ER and A380, and even the "old" style F seats on the legs to NBO and from DAR were very comfortable. The shower on the A380 was great, although having tried it once I'd book the nonstop home on the 777 rather than go through LAX again, given the hours it added to my trip home.
I wanted to report that I had absolutely no lounge access issues in any location--as someone else reported up-thread. Perhaps they've finally fixed that bug.
And maxmin, thanks for the apology, that was gracious of you.
I wanted to report that I had absolutely no lounge access issues in any location--as someone else reported up-thread. Perhaps they've finally fixed that bug.
And maxmin, thanks for the apology, that was gracious of you.
In less than 2 weeks I'll finally get to try the A380 from LAX-DXB, then later DXB-HKG. This summer I had my first A380 flights - QF in F - but I know that is no comparison to EK! A lot of folks have strong opinions about what they do and don't like about EK B777 vs A380 -- but I'm looking forward to forming my own opinion.
Nov 13, 2014, 3:39 pm
#1148
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA LTPLT UA1P Hilton Dia Marriott Plat
Posts: 1,183
Just flew DFW DXB SIN!
We were the only two in F on the 380 to DXB. Needless to say that was fun. Business only had 26 and Y around 100. I spent several hours at the back bar drinking Dom with other passengers. The Captain even stopped by as we were playing blackjack for money.
Lounge access was no problem at DFW or DXB. In Dubai they did twice say "Alaska reward tickets when we checked in" Not that it mattered but they seemed to point this out. Car service was on-time in Dallas and Singapore. Black town car and Mercedes @ Changi.
Overall you simply can't beat EK F using AS miles.
We were the only two in F on the 380 to DXB. Needless to say that was fun. Business only had 26 and Y around 100. I spent several hours at the back bar drinking Dom with other passengers. The Captain even stopped by as we were playing blackjack for money.
Lounge access was no problem at DFW or DXB. In Dubai they did twice say "Alaska reward tickets when we checked in" Not that it mattered but they seemed to point this out. Car service was on-time in Dallas and Singapore. Black town car and Mercedes @ Changi.
Overall you simply can't beat EK F using AS miles.
Nov 14, 2014, 9:41 am
#1149
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,578
Just flew 4 segments on Emirates DFW-DXB-BKK-DXB-DFW and the entire experience was top notch. Only one not in F was BKK-DXB and even then the service and food was excellent.
The bar and the shower on the A380 were a lot of fun.
Look forward to booking more in the future.
No issues at any of the lounges but be forewarned the DFW lounge is not all that great and doesn't even have liquor.
The bar and the shower on the A380 were a lot of fun.
Look forward to booking more in the future.
No issues at any of the lounges but be forewarned the DFW lounge is not all that great and doesn't even have liquor.
Nov 14, 2014, 2:37 pm
#1150
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: YVR
Programs: Marriott Gold
Posts: 952
Just flew 4 segments on Emirates DFW-DXB-BKK-DXB-DFW and the entire experience was top notch. Only one not in F was BKK-DXB and even then the service and food was excellent.
The bar and the shower on the A380 were a lot of fun.
Look forward to booking more in the future.
No issues at any of the lounges but be forewarned the DFW lounge is not all that great and doesn't even have liquor.
The bar and the shower on the A380 were a lot of fun.
Look forward to booking more in the future.
No issues at any of the lounges but be forewarned the DFW lounge is not all that great and doesn't even have liquor.
Nov 14, 2014, 11:41 pm
#1151
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 16
I finally was able to book my EK F JFK-DXB-SIN for next april. It took about 12 HUCA til I found an agent able to find some availability as the website doesn't show anything past 3/28/15. What worked for me was the line "an agent was able to find space the other day. She tried 'something different'." After that the agent was able to magically find all sorts of availabilities for 2 ppl.
Thanks everyone on here for the help.
Thanks everyone on here for the help.
Nov 14, 2014, 11:48 pm
#1152
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,603
I finally was able to book my EK F JFK-DXB-SIN for next april. It took about 12 HUCA til I found an agent able to find some availability as the website doesn't show anything past 3/28/15. What worked for me was the line "an agent was able to find space the other day. She tried 'something different'." After that the agent was able to magically find all sorts of availabilities for 2 ppl. Thanks everyone on here for the help.
I also booked April seats today... lots of A388 avails showing on EF but nothing on AS.com. Fortunately, the second agent was able to find what EF showed.
Nov 15, 2014, 12:39 pm
#1153
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: PDX/AVL
Programs: AS MVPG75K, HH Diamond
Posts: 307
The info I need is likely in the thread but I'm short on time here and would appreciate some help.
I'm Looking to book an my first F award in december: KIX-PDX.
Dates are flexible, would like to depart KIX on either december 16,17,18, stopover 2-3 days in DXB, then fly home to PDX on the A380.
I realize there is no F on the KIX-DXB route.
I see J availability KIX-DXB and F availability on for DXB-LAX as.com when searching separate, one-way segments, but when i try to plug in the entire itinerary with a stopover using the multi-city tool, I don't get the F options. Is this something I'll just have to call AS about?
I'm a first time MVPG (hit it this week!) , so I'm new to the ability to change flights at will. If i book this flight then decide to change my dates, do my original seats go back into inventory for other people to purchase? Can I book two award tickets on the same routing with different dates, and cancel one when my plans are final? I don't plan on doing that, just wondering if it's technically possible, and is a common practice or frowned upon.
Thanks!
I'm Looking to book an my first F award in december: KIX-PDX.
Dates are flexible, would like to depart KIX on either december 16,17,18, stopover 2-3 days in DXB, then fly home to PDX on the A380.
I realize there is no F on the KIX-DXB route.
I see J availability KIX-DXB and F availability on for DXB-LAX as.com when searching separate, one-way segments, but when i try to plug in the entire itinerary with a stopover using the multi-city tool, I don't get the F options. Is this something I'll just have to call AS about?
I'm a first time MVPG (hit it this week!) , so I'm new to the ability to change flights at will. If i book this flight then decide to change my dates, do my original seats go back into inventory for other people to purchase? Can I book two award tickets on the same routing with different dates, and cancel one when my plans are final? I don't plan on doing that, just wondering if it's technically possible, and is a common practice or frowned upon.
Thanks!
Nov 15, 2014, 2:07 pm
#1154
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 2,209
I see J availability KIX-DXB and F availability on for DXB-LAX as.com when searching separate, one-way segments, but when i try to plug in the entire itinerary with a stopover using the multi-city tool, I don't get the F options. Is this something I'll just have to call AS about?
But I tried plugging in ICN-DXB (stopover) DXB-LAX and that worked, showing F all the way. This is probably a case of married segments, and I'm not sure if calling AS would help at all. Either way, it might be worth it to pay for a cheap flight to ICN or a train to NRT just to have that flight in F. I'd do something like that just to hang out in South Korea for a few days.
Nov 15, 2014, 2:16 pm
#1155
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,603
I see J availability KIX-DXB and F availability on for DXB-LAX as.com when searching separate, one-way segments, but when i try to plug in the entire itinerary with a stopover using the multi-city tool, I don't get the F options. Is this something I'll just have to call AS about?