While Emirates is known for having a very good product across most of its fleet and cabin classes, it’s also known for imposing painful carrier-imposed surcharges as well, which can top $800 one-way.
Emirates’ “fifth freedom” flights, which don’t transit through Dubai, have been a blessed exception to those surcharges. From the US, Emirates flies from JFK to Milan, Newark to Athens, and Miami to Bogota, and all three of those routes have been an excellent value as award tickets.
Until now.
Emirates has just raised its surcharges on US fifth freedom routes, approximately quadrupling them for business class awards and doubling them for award tickets in economy. (h/t: @travelmugpoints)
The News
- Emirates has drastically increased its carrier-imposed surcharges on all three of fifth freedom routes from the US. Business class examples include:
- JFK to Milan: Previously ~$105, now $433
- Newark – Athens: Previously ~$105, now $433
- Miami – Bogota: Previously ~$63, now $267
Quick Thoughts
Yuck, that’s my quick thought. These fifth freedom routes were one of, or perhaps THE, best remaining use for Skywards Miles. Not so much anymore. Even in economy class, the Emirates round-trip price of 35,000 miles looks a lot less tempting now that you have to pony up almost $300 in fees, as opposed to the $140 that you used to pay. $900 round-trip for business class is insane.
One possible way to work around the high business class surcharges is to upgrade from an economy ticket and then use miles to upgrade to business class. Greg did this from business to first class earlier this year, but the same thing is possible from economy to business.
Emirates Classic Rewards can only be upgraded at check-in and require you to pay 82,000 miles one-way to upgrade between the US and Europe. However, if you get a more expensive Flex Plus fare, the upgrade charge is a much lower 39,000 miles one-way and is eligible for upgrade anytime after booking:
Sometimes, Emirates will even tell you before booking if an upgrade is available:
In this case, rather than spending 87K miles and $433 miles to book into business, you could just buy the Flex Plus ticket for 30K+$122, then pay another 39K after booking to upgrade to business, for a total of 69K and $122. Note that I haven’t done this or heard of anyone else doing it since these surcharges were raised, so my assumption is that there’s still no cash co-pay on an upgrade…but that’s an assumption on my part.
However, this is still much more of a pain with much less immediate availability. I much preferred being able to book directly into business with reasonable fees.
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Plus the mileage conversion deval with Citi and Amex. I’m sure Chase and cap one are next
The country’s name is Colombia,not Columbia. One would imagine that you would do little research before posting incorrect names online
Would do little research? I assume you meant you would do a little research. I guess anyone can make a mistake.
Outrageous…glad I took my last ATH-EWR with them in May and closed my account.
British Airways: “Hold my beer…”
Wasn’t aware Emirates flew to CAE … I thought they flew to ColOmbia 😉
As a fellow Colombian its disrespectful so glad it was changed, if it was with “u” previously so thank you.
Similar to United Estates of Amerika not cutting it.
Or its instead of it’s.