Transferring Skywards miles, is it worth it?
Apr 15, 2016 | 11:08 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: UK
Posts: 121
Transferring Skywards miles, is it worth it?
I have 36,000 miles and so does my husband. He is unlikely to use them before they expire but I may book a flight to Australia. I've looked at Emirates FAQs and it tells me that it costs 25 USD per 1000 miles if I transferred my husbands to my account. So, about $900. I would then have 72000 miles. What would I get towards a business flight? Would it be worth paying $900?
Apr 15, 2016 | 11:52 am
#2
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 19,810
36K would get you an upgrade on some fares. You can also buy some more miles.
Paying $900 to transfer miles seems ridiculous to me
Your husband could also use his miles to upgrade *you* on a flight.
Paying $900 to transfer miles seems ridiculous to me
Your husband could also use his miles to upgrade *you* on a flight.
Apr 15, 2016 | 9:10 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oxon, UK
Programs: Mucci des canapes, Skywards Silver, BAC Gold, IC Plat Amb, LH FTL
Posts: 2,056
My feeling is that transferring large amounts is poor value for money. Transferring four or five thousand to provide enough for an upgrade has worked for me although I do resent the high fee for moving miles that have already been 'earned' - given that the cost to EK of the transaction is effectively zero.
Apr 15, 2016 | 11:05 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,818
I have 36,000 miles and so does my husband. He is unlikely to use them before they expire but I may book a flight to Australia. I've looked at Emirates FAQs and it tells me that it costs 25 USD per 1000 miles if I transferred my husbands to my account. So, about $900. I would then have 72000 miles. What would I get towards a business flight? Would it be worth paying $900?
Plus, cost aside, it's not that simple anyway. Even if you did go through with this, I believe the maximum you can transfer in any one year is 25,000 miles, so you would have to do it in two stages (and there has to be an 'earning activity' by the receiving account in each year).
Wrt your potential business class flight from UK to Aus ....... A return in business class requires anything between 180,000 and 247,500 miles, depending on available reward inventory. Don't forget the several hundred pounds of quaintly-termed 'carrier-imposed charges' on top ........
Apr 15, 2016 | 11:05 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: UK
Posts: 121
Good point Pomkiwi, I thought exactly that when I read the FAQs. I wouldn't mind a one off $25 to transfer the lot, but it does seem unfair to charge so much for something that we have already earned, as you say.
Apr 16, 2016 | 12:04 am
#7
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 19,810
If you book economy, then you can upgrade the UK to DXB flights to business class for 39K points if you book a flex fare. So, you'd have to buy 4k of points.
Apr 16, 2016 | 12:57 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,791
Or if it's <$160 difference to buy Flex Plus (you'd have to buy it for the entire outbound to AUS) rather do that and upgrade for 30k miles (to buy 4k miles = $160). You'll earn more miles and have a handful left over for roughly the same cost in the end, but that such a long sector will be <$160 difference is unlikely.