This is something I know a lot of you have been waiting for. Emirates Skywards has finally made rewards and miles upgrades available in Emirates’ popular Premium Economy cabin.
Having flown Emirates Premium Economy on multiple flights to Europe and stress-tested it on the 15 hours between Dubai and San Francisco with a little person in tow, I can confidently say that it is an excellent product.
Emirates has done a great job both with the hard product, the seat is comfortable and feels roomy, and the experience side with dedicated check-in on the ground and an improved food and beverage offering onboard.
How much do Premium Economy rewards cost?
Emirates says that one-way redemptions in Premium Economy will be available from 15,000 Skywards Miles one-way.
The amount required for one-way travel between Dubai (DXB) and some popular destinations is:
- Riyadh (RUH) 16,000 Skywards Miles
- Mumbai (BOM) 30,000 Skywards Miles
- London (LHR) 49,000 Skywards Miles
- Bangkok (BKK) 57,000 Skywards Miles
Use the Skywards calculator to check the cost for other destinations.
Upgrade to Premium Economy using Skywards Miles
It is now possible to use Skywards Miles to upgrade cash tickets from Economy to Premium Economy.
Emirates says one-way upgrades will be available from 7,000 Skywards Miles. In practice, expect to spend significantly more than that. The total amount required will depend on whether you are travelling on a Saver, Flex or Flex Plus ticket.
The amount of Skywards Miles required to upgrade a one-way flight between Dubai and some popular destinations is:
- Riyadh (RUH) 9,500 to 20,000 Skywards Miles
- Mumbai (BOM) 16,000 to 39,000 Skywards Miles
- London (LHR) 31,000 to 66,000 Skywards Miles
- Bangkok (BKK) 41,000 to 76,000 Skywards Miles
As with other Skywards upgrades, Economy to Premium Economy upgrades may be available to book online before departure and also at check-in, subject of course to availability.
Check the Skywards calculator to find upgrade pricing for other routes.
Is it worth upgrading to Premium Economy?
This depends. If you’re travelling on a Flex Plus ticket in particular it will often be much better value to aim for an upgrade to Business.
The amount of extra Skywards Miles required to upgrade from Economy to Business may be as little as 3,000 Skywards Miles on a Flex Plus ticket for some of the shorter routes.
Even between Dubai and London you will only need an extra 8,000 Skywards Miles to upgrade to Business compared to a Premium Economy upgrade. In that case, an extra 1,000 Skywards Miles per hour of flying to be in Business Class seems excellent value.
However, all of the above is contingent on Business class upgrades being available and having sufficent Skywards Mile to play with. For a family of four, 8,000 quickly becomes 32,000 Skywards Miles one-way and 64,000 for a return trip.
Where can you fly Emirates Premium Economy?
Emirates is currently in the process of refurbishing its fleet with new cabin interiors that include Premium Economy.
However, Premium Economy is currently only available on 76 aircraft (32 A380s, 35 Boeing 777s and 9 A350s). That means it is not available to all destinations and not necessarily on all flights to a particular destination.
For example, in October 2025 Premium Economy is available on four out of six daily flights between Dubai and London Heathrow and only one of five daily flights between Bangkok and Dubai.
However, the refurbishment programme is happening at pace with Emirates expecting to double the number of Premium Economy seats available during the course of 2026. By March 2026 Premium Economy will be available on flights to 68 cities.
Book your next trip in Emirates Premium Economy here.
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