Hello All,

I have been informed by a few sources (including emirates call centre) that if you buy a saver ticket from now on, you can no longer use points to upgrade until after you check in. Is this correct???

For the last few years the program has really deteriorated, but upon noticing this new change I think this will be my final time flying emirates.

Can someone please help tell me what reasoning there is to make it if you have a saver fare you can't upgrade using points early (when a seat becomes available for example)? You already have to spend a lot more with a saver fare upgrading to a higher class but why would emirates do this?

Does this not bother anyone else other than me? What's the point in having skywards points?

There are some fares which do not allow upgrades until check in; I didn't this that this applies to all saver fares though

I really hope you are right Dave, however that's what an EK representative told me today when I spoke to her only a few hours ago.

Either a case of a recent and stealthy "enhancement" to Skywards programme or an ill informed call centre representative.

Is there any way you can check this in the "Fare Conditions" just prior to booking. Wouldn't be of much use if one was informed of this after booking.

I tried a dummy BOM-JFK saver and found this in the fare conditions. Buy my guess is that this clause if for a 'paid upgrade' and not an upgrade with miles?

"AT ANYTIME WITHIN THE TICKET VALIDITY FARES CAN
BE UPGRADED TO ANY FARE IN A HIGHER CABIN"

I think that Dave is correct - I always check the fare conditions. For a Saver fare that you can't upgrade with miles until check in, it says at the bottom of the fare conditions "NON-END/SKYWARDS SAVER/ - AND - CHK-IN REWARD-UPGRADE", whereas for a saver fare that you can upgrade with miles at any time (subject to availability!), it just says "NON-END/SKYWARDS SAVER/".

Unfortunately, I think that they've introduced Non-upgradable Saver fares in combination with Flex fares, and since the most restrictive fare conditions apply to the whole journey, it's possible that the flex leg of the trip wouldn't be able to be upgraded prior to check in either... but I don't know.

I think that I will call emirates again and try and confirm this, however if anyone knows if there is a rule that says all saver fares are not available for miles upgrade prior to check in this would be handy

This is always clearly stated while booking, and it's hard (for me) to find any saver fare without this restriction.

This is really downgrade in the program...
but, this is also good for people who book flex tickets (more chances for upgrade), although better idea would be to allow people with flex (or gold/plat status) to upgrade always when places are available...well..dreaming

have this info since weeks...
try to book one way safer and upgrade using miles, got the info:
all savers are upgradable on check in only (if seats are available)

**UPDATE**
So I've just contacted Emirates again, and it is in fact correct that you can book some saver fares without the restriction of only upgrading at check in. This would require you to book through the phone however and the price difference between the less restricted saver fare and the flex fare is minimal at best - so it's almost worth spending a little bit extra and getting flex fares.

Thanks for posting, HB7. It seems that if you're thinking about upgrading, you pretty much have to buy flex now. Quite the downgrade.

Yeh Turicus - I agree - buy flex if you want a good shot at upgrading - unfortunately this program keeps getting worse.

It will be route dependant, but an example on a route I travel is approx. �550 GBP for restricted Saver, �730 for upgradeable Saver and �940 for Flex so perhaps not as clear cut a decision as they have intimated.

There's two ways of looking at this, depending on what ticket prices were before this change.

If the lowest price previously didn't exist, it's better than before, they just introduced a new non-upgradeable super-saver.

If the middle price didn't exist before the change, then the "old" saver became more expensive or lost upgrade value, depending on how you look at it.

Going on the prices I've seen so far, it seems the latter happened. What are others' experiences?

I would certainly agree based on the route/prices I mentioned.