Apr 2, 2016, 9:31 am
Last edit by: eponymous_coward
Emirates award guide using Alaska Airlines miles. Note that Alaska Airlines cannot book EK F any longer- it's just J or Y. F awards were ceased on 3/31/2021.
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.
Only AS and EK can be used for the award.
North American Gateway Cities:
West Coast
Seattle
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Central
Chicago
Dallas
Houston
East Coast
Boston
New York (JFK, EWR)
Washington DC (IAD)
Fort Lauderdale
Orlando
Canada
Toronto
Mexico
Mexico City (via Barcelona)
Award Chart Links*:
Middle East & Africa
Asia
Note: EK flies DXB-HKG-BKK but otherwise it is DXB-final stop
Europe
Note: EK flies JFK-MXP-DXB and EWR-ATH-DXB but otherwise routing will be via DXB
*If region is not listed on chart it's 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.
Only AS and EK can be used for the award.
North American Gateway Cities:
West Coast
Seattle
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Central
Chicago
Dallas
Houston
East Coast
Boston
New York (JFK, EWR)
Washington DC (IAD)
Fort Lauderdale
Orlando
Canada
Toronto
Mexico
Mexico City (via Barcelona)
Award Chart Links*:
Middle East & Africa
Asia
Note: EK flies DXB-HKG-BKK but otherwise it is DXB-final stop
Europe
Note: EK flies JFK-MXP-DXB and EWR-ATH-DXB but otherwise routing will be via DXB
*If region is not listed on chart it's 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 (2016 and Later)
Jul 26, 2016, 3:56 pm
#166
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: SFO
Posts: 218
Has anyone used their "one-time" award change to change their destination region? I'm wondering because I have an award from SFO-DXB-HKG, but wanted to see if it's possible to do SFO-DXB-JNB as the cost pre-devaluation was the same from North America to Asia/Africa. Any insights would be appreciated!
Jul 26, 2016, 4:07 pm
#167
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: 6km East of EPAYE
Programs: UA Silver, AA Platinum, AS & DL GM Marriott TE, Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,582
Has anyone used their "one-time" award change to change their destination region? I'm wondering because I have an award from SFO-DXB-HKG, but wanted to see if it's possible to do SFO-DXB-JNB as the cost pre-devaluation was the same from North America to Asia/Africa. Any insights would be appreciated!
Jul 28, 2016, 11:52 am
#168
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: Alaska MM, AA MM, BA Silver, Bonvoy Lifetime Gold
Posts: 321
Emirates App
For any of you that have combined Alaska/Emirates flights in a mileage award reservation, you may know that the Emirates App did not allow you to manage your Emirates flights. (You can on the website, however.) While it would load your reservation, when you clicked on it, your would get the following message "Sorry, we have a technical problem at the moment. Please try again later." I asked their IT department about the problem and they indicated that their app could not yet handle non-Emirates flights.
Well, Emirates pushed an App update yesterday and you now can manage your Emirates flight seat assignments and document/contact updates. Great to see!!
You still can not check in on-line using an Emirates confirmation code on their site/app if your first flight is not on Emirates. Hope this will change sometime soon.
Well, Emirates pushed an App update yesterday and you now can manage your Emirates flight seat assignments and document/contact updates. Great to see!!
You still can not check in on-line using an Emirates confirmation code on their site/app if your first flight is not on Emirates. Hope this will change sometime soon.
Jul 28, 2016, 1:11 pm
#169
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,991
For any of you that have combined Alaska/Emirates flights in a mileage award reservation, you may know that the Emirates App did not allow you to manage your Emirates flights. (You can on the website, however.) While it would load your reservation, when you clicked on it, your would get the following message "Sorry, we have a technical problem at the moment. Please try again later." I asked their IT department about the problem and they indicated that their app could not yet handle non-Emirates flights.
Well, Emirates pushed an App update yesterday and you now can manage your Emirates flight seat assignments and document/contact updates. Great to see!!
You still can not check in on-line using an Emirates confirmation code on their site/app if your first flight is not on Emirates. Hope this will change sometime soon.
Well, Emirates pushed an App update yesterday and you now can manage your Emirates flight seat assignments and document/contact updates. Great to see!!
You still can not check in on-line using an Emirates confirmation code on their site/app if your first flight is not on Emirates. Hope this will change sometime soon.
Jul 28, 2016, 3:25 pm
#170
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: Alaska MM, AA MM, BA Silver, Bonvoy Lifetime Gold
Posts: 321
I have an Emirates FF # as well. I guess I should have mentioned this update was for Ios and Emirates App version 4.0.0. If you have the same, it must have just been my 6s. :-)
Jul 28, 2016, 3:27 pm
#171
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,991
Aug 2, 2016, 10:36 am
#172
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SEA town
Programs: Alaska LTG, HHonors-Gld, IHG-Dia, LT MR Ti
Posts: 627
I know this has been asked before on DXB lounge access on award travel. Both flights have 15-19 hr lay-overs in Dubai.
LAX-DXB (FC)
DXB-JNB (Coach)
JNB-DXB (Biz)
DXB-LAX (FC)
What lounges should I expect to get into? The FC one in DXB is awesome.
LAX-DXB (FC)
DXB-JNB (Coach)
JNB-DXB (Biz)
DXB-LAX (FC)
What lounges should I expect to get into? The FC one in DXB is awesome.
Aug 2, 2016, 10:43 am
#173
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,991
All but DXB-JNB that flight is always full full and full! That's why their putting a 380 on one of the three daily flights. That should open biz up.
Aug 3, 2016, 9:22 am
#174
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: ANC
Programs: AS; Hyatt; Bonvoy
Posts: 1,718
Emirates bases lounge access on the class of service of the departing flight, not the arriving flight.
You should expect no lounge access in Dubai on your outbound flight (since you're departing DXB in coach), and access to the First Class lounge during your return layover.
Aug 3, 2016, 9:53 am
#175
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP , Delta Gold Medallion, "Credit Card" status for various hotels
Posts: 672
The 380 has opened up first class, as well on DXB-JNB. I just used my "one time change" to rebook from biz into first class on this route.
Aug 3, 2016, 10:07 am
#176
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,991
your lucky that route which I fly regularly both paid and award is heavy when I am going to Cape Town I pay with AMEX PLT 2 for one local currency charge I have also gotten Biz local currency 2300 USD after conversion !
Aug 5, 2016, 1:58 pm
#177
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SEA town
Programs: Alaska LTG, HHonors-Gld, IHG-Dia, LT MR Ti
Posts: 627
Emirates bases lounge access on the class of service of the departing flight, not the arriving flight.
You should expect no lounge access in Dubai on your outbound flight (since you're departing DXB in coach), and access to the First Class lounge during your return layover.
You should expect no lounge access in Dubai on your outbound flight (since you're departing DXB in coach), and access to the First Class lounge during your return layover.
Aug 5, 2016, 3:15 pm
#178
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: 6km East of EPAYE
Programs: UA Silver, AA Platinum, AS & DL GM Marriott TE, Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,582
+1. Really lucky.
Aug 5, 2016, 3:17 pm
#179
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,991
Aug 5, 2016, 4:50 pm
#180
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP , Delta Gold Medallion, "Credit Card" status for various hotels
Posts: 672
Thanks, I'm surprised I got it! The flight is in February 2017. I was expecting to have to wait until a week or two before the flight and then cross my fingers that it opens up, per the usual scenario.
For anyone with an award reservation to/from JNB after February 1st, it's worth checking F and J award inventory again!
For anyone with an award reservation to/from JNB after February 1st, it's worth checking F and J award inventory again!