Emirates Platinum - Ultimate Thread (2024)
 

### Emirates Platinum Frequent Flyer Status – Program Guide and Discussion Thread

Welcome to the Emirates Platinum Status discussion thread! This thread is dedicated to sharing insights, navigating the latest program rules, and maximizing the benefits for Emirates Skywards Platinum members. Whether you're a long-time Platinum member or newly upgraded, this thread aims to clarify the perks, discuss program updates, and offer tips for making the most of your status.

Let's make this thread a go-to resource for Emirates Platinum status holders, with updated information, tips, and support from our community. I love EK but also struggle with some of their quirks and IT being somewhere between great and terrible depending on the time of the day...

Some things that are pretty clear and valuable about EK Platinum (not helpful that the employee benefits card has the same name btw):
- F Lounge access at DXB plus 1 adult guest and two kids - Really great perk given the selection of wines at EK F Lounges (if you are expecting First champagne in these lounges you will be disappointed)
- Last seat award seats in Y and J
- Gold partner nomination
- Extra KG luggage
- Home check-in of bags in Dubai (probably one of the few cities in the world where it doesn't make a big difference as there's always someone who can carry your bag and even a check-in facility in DIFC). So I don't see much value in this perk.
- 100% bonus skywards on flights (given the much higher requirements to hit Plat compared to Gold the 25pp increase is not a great perk)

Less clear and confusing are the following benefits that don't automatically come with PLAT but targeted spend requirements (EK website not doing a great job explaining this):
- up to 50k rollover tier miles (for me only after 35k USD extra spend)
- two complimentary upgrades (gets only published once you hit the spending target for tier miles)
- two discounted upgrades (gets only published once you hit both spend targets above)


Fun perks at the Dubai Mall:
- Lounge access
- VIP parking
- Free transfers within Dubai Mall on these luxury golf carts

Not really sure on the point of this as everything listed is on the Ek website but I’ll add “Perks” that may be attributable to being Plat.

More points compensation when I’m removed from my connecting flight.

More points compensation when CD companies turn up late because they don’t have enough drivers.

A glass of F wine when in J.

F slippers in J.

Having food order taken and receiving food first in J (sometimes).

Guesting into F lounge when on separate flights (been allowed twice).

Op-ups without having to purchase a Flex+ ticket.

Get told you are the only Plat on the whole flight by the purser to make you feel special only to never see them again for the entirety of the flight (not necessarily a bad thing).

Oh yes and more points when your luggage doesn’t arrive at your end destination at the same time.

Very insightful - thanks! Is the F wine proactively offered to you in J or do you ask for it?

Exactly - I have never ever been offered F wines in J, and am guessing one would have to ask. I do not mind doing it once in a while but it would be really embarassing if refused.

Meanwhile, while I would be making Plat for 2025, I do not feel it is really worth it given the 3x requirement over Gold and the recent earning devaluation in Y. Op-ups have not been that frequent this year likely due to full premium cabins so that no longer feels like a perk. So the only real benefit of Plat for me is F lounge access at DXB.

Now, EK Y fares are fairly reasonable as compared to the J/F fares they are able to charge on some routes to North America - So I feel that if one is ok flying Y, it makes a lot of sense to purchase the cheapest Y fares (I hate the new PE seats and seat configuration anyway) and pay for F lounge access. Besides, you can likely sample most of their premium wines there instead of paying through your nose to do that by flying F.

The purser sets the tone with their first interaction. Some treat you as a VIP for being a Plat whilst others are robotic and go through the mandatory welcomes. I don't drink much on flights so I only ask when I get a sense that the purser wants to go above and beyond and if I have seen something I haven't tried.

As for the PE seats I agree, I would rather sit in 68A/K than PE.

I think you missed what is surely the biggest perk of them all.

15% off the Spa.

followed closely by, if you have a decent purser, first dibs at the (F first) chocolate tray.

jackiedada I think has the right perspective - it’s not really about Plat, it’s about the incremental benefits above Gold, especially as the major benefit, F lounge access, can simply be bought with 105 USD (assuming Gold/J).

I think I will drop Platinum this year and just do Gold as my flying programme for the year on EK will not naturally requalify, and additional spend on flights is more expensive than dozens of F lounge visits. An additional 5KG of baggage, while it’s useful to me as I do check baggage sometimes and sometimes to the max, again, I could just buy Skywards+. It’s unlike other airlines with significant additional baggage for a top tier flyer on own metal.

Is the Gold call center the same as Platinum now?

Another “perk” is that Plats are given first preference (after iO of course) for shower timing on A380 F

*subject to the mood(s) of the purser / crew 😂.

Another “perk” I was offered by the purser when she by came to say hello: a block of four seats a row behind me in Y, so I could stretch out. And the crew policed it for me when I wasn’t stretched out and someone tried to sit. Wasn’t offered to the friends I was travelling with, so assume it was a Plat thing.

In general though, I wouldn’t pursue Plat as a goal. If travel patterns mean it happens organically, then so be it, but on its own probably not worth three times Gold tier miles. But also unclear if EK ever really wanted a Plat tier, as they only introduced it to align with QF. Always felt half-hearted.

Would love it if they introduced lifetime Plat status.

life time gold please will do

I bet lifetime isn't happening any time soon, not while Sir Tim is in charge anyway.

Only downsides to a lifetime tier from the POV of an airline that has strong load factor and pricing power in premium cabins...

Not sure what I did (fly from LHR?) but I certainly didn’t get a $35K Tier Miles rollover target…

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...879d11ca82.png

The target spends for such paltry benefits are ridiculously high, not even worth considering.

If someone always travels in paid F, where is the incentive? 150k tier miles are not hard to reach and discounted upgrades are completely irrelevant!

*not hard if you don’t live in dxb.

Just been added when you log into the Skywards section:

Now you can use WhatsApp to contact us, a service exclusively for Platinum members. If you have a question about your travel, bookings or Emirates Skywards account simply send us a free text message.

Has anyone had luck getting EK to release a mileage upgrade seat when not available as a Plat? Here's the situation:
Myself (platinum) and family member (also platinum) are booked in paid F on a longhaul segment next month. Another family member (gold) is booked in J on that same flight. F load is quite light at the moment.
I contacted EK to ask for supervisor approval to open up a mileage upgrade seat in F due to the above circumstances (2 Plats already booked in paid F) so we can use miles and upgrade our other family member to travel in F with us. I know I've read this was possible in the past. Unfortunately they basically told me to kick rocks and use the auto upgrade feature instead :rolleyes:

Any recommendations on what else to try to accomplish this? Or are we SOL?
I honestly don't think this is an unreasonable request. But happy to be told otherwise!