eternaltransit

Once you achieve Platinum, the rolling qualification period is disregarded and you get Platinum status for a minimum of 12 months. After 12 months, it will then check (once) to see whether you have earned 150k Tier miles in the previous 12 months. If you have, then you get another 12 months where the monthly check is disregarded. If you didn't get 150k in the previous 12 months of your review date the rolling qualification system starts again. You stay as Platinum for two more months then drop down to Gold. Any time the system checks whether you have 150k tier miles in the previous 12 months (i.e. whenever you earn tier miles), if you do, you go back to Platinum. Otherwise if you haven't earnt 50k miles by the next year, you go down to Silver.

I hope that makes sense, if it isn't completely clear!

eternaltransit

It's 85k Skywards miles to book using EK - however this doesn't include taxes and fuel surcharges which can be significant amounts of cash or additional miles.

You can transfer into Skywards using the usual suspects such as AMEX in certain countries, or having an EK credit card. Details are available on the website.

Using partners to book the flight such as AS will require different rates that you can find out from those partners, e.g. QF

I think the major difficulty will be finding availability on DXB-LHR F in a reward fare bucket!

jackiedada

Just a minor correction - once you drop down from Platinum to Gold, the rolling qualification method starts again, so the system will check back 13 months and not 12...

jackiedada

Its at most 13, never 14.

eternaltransit

Apologies, it is 13 months of course!

eternaltransit

I also forgot to mention that I think that bookings via partners are only allowed to come out of saver redemption availability, so it may be better to transfer miles into Skywards and book it that way.

skaya

Thanks. I see seats on Expertflyer, but AS cant see them (call center or online). May they be released later? As I understand I cant search for seats on EK site when I dont have (enough) miles? Anyone able to help me with a search?

Thanks.

midkemia

Have a family member doing a return flight on Emirates and wondering if I can put my Skywards number on the booking to claim the points? Cheers

Turicus

No, only the person flying can earn full miles. You can register them as family members and get 20% of their miles, but then they get nothing. Pretty bad deal or very situational.

eternaltransit

All one-way redemptions are classed by EK as flex redemptions, so AS will not be able to see availability unless they have some sort of special arrangement. I am not entirely familiar with the AS/EK agreement though, so perhaps someone has booked a one way redemption with AS before will come along and correct me!

skaya

One way redemptions using AS miles seems to be the norm. I could call EK and they let me know the availability using EK miles. One way was only flex, but when I added return it prices as saver, so my outbound must also be saver inventory. However agent claimed they only had one class for F seats, namely Z, contrary to two different classes for business (saver and flex, didnt get the letters).

tummytank

I am looking at booking a flex Y ticket to then upgrade to J for Dec. When I do a 'dummy' booking there is availability for upgrade, some flights say saver reward and some flex. Am I correct in thinking this indicates the amount of miles needed for redemption?
Also if I book 2 people under same booking we use our own miles?

thanks

ft101

Not quite.

You must look for a J Saver Reward to indicate an upgrade from Y to J is available.

When you book your Y ticket, if it's a Saver it will require more miles to upgrade than if it were a Flex ticket.

If you book together on one PNR in Y, and then you want to upgrade on line for both, then the miles must all be in one account. If they are in two accounts you will have to phone to do this.

Make sure you look for two Saver Rewards in J before you book the Y tickets.

tummytank

thanks ft 101^
I need to book flex as the saver fare states no upgrade before check-in. Don't want to risk it so will do the phone call (they never understand my Scottish accent though)

tummytank

Booked, upgraded, all sorted. Just need to get the recent involuntary downgraded problem of being ignored sorted! But that's on another thread