New Skywards Cards and e-gate?
 

I just noticed that the new Skywards cards (or maybe just the Plat card) says: "supports Smartgate functionality at Dubai airports" rather than "e-gate functionality" as it did before.

Has anyone registered a new card for smartgate and does it still work on departure e-gate, or do the new cards only work on entry to Dubai/UAE?

I got sent the old card and it says egate. Need to go to dnata this week and do it as my gold card expired.

Marginally related: I don't qualify for e-gate in Dubai allegedly (South Africa passport) but in Abu Dhabi an immigration official pointed me to an automated emigration gate to scan my passport and exit the UAE. Do the Emirates have different immigration facilities or is this different to the Dubai e-gate?

No need - I use a two year old expired platinum card as my egate card and it still works fine. The egate expiry isn't linked to the skywards card validity.

I recently got mine and it says the latter - 'supports Smartgate functionality at Dubai airports' - I can confirm that it works on both arrival and departure gates (along with boarding card on departure in the scanner of course!)

Any card that is e-Gate enabled is also compatible with Smartgate.

Yes, but wasn't sure if the reverse was true considering you can't use a passport on exit in the egates!

The reverse is not true.

I know - I think we're talking at cross-purposes.

I was asking if the new wording on the new Skywards cards which were previously bona-fide e-gate cards have now been replaced with some sort of smartgate only card.

Given that there are only smartgates on arrival into the UAE (that also accept e-gate cards) and e-gate on departure, that would have meant that EK had given us an "enhancement".

But it seems like it's just a different wording on the cards, so all is well :)

+1

Noticed the wording had changed when I received my new card back in March, but the pack contained the same leaflet as last year stating that I could register the card for e-Gate functionality. Registered new card at the Dnata office on SZR and have since used it at the e-Gates on arrival and departure without issue.

As of 08/2016, only Terminal 3 (Emirates flights) arrivals and departures has the passport scan enabled smart gates installed (similar to the UK smart gates).

The departure part is tricky as the gates installed on the right side (only one gate), as you go towards immigration, are enabled with passport scan departure.

I've activated my skywards blue card last week but I have not had a chance to use it. As of now, terminal 1 (all other airlines) and terminal 2 (fly Dubai) have only egate (smart card) facilities for arrival and departure.

It's highly advisable to have both passport and skywards card registration because it literally takes 10 seconds to go through immigration.