Leading Middle Eastern airline Emirates has sparked debate with a new rule pertaining to its Skywards loyalty program. Introduced on August 15, the policy makes passengers aged eight and under ineligible for first-class Emirates classic rewards and upgrade rewards. The updated regulations caused heated discussion on social media, with some criticizing and others defending.
Children eight and under can still fly first class on Emirates
It’s important to note that the new policy only applies to children using miles to upgrade or purchase first-class seats. Children can still fly first class with tickets purchased via cash. Emirates Skywards rules now state: “Please note that passengers aged eight years old and below are ineligible for first class Emirates classic rewards and upgrade rewards.” The airline added: “Emirates classic rewards are not available to blue tier members or passengers aged eight years old and below in first class, and only members (aged nine-plus) whose membership tier is silver, gold, or platinum at the time of booking are permitted to redeem first class Emirates classic rewards.”
The policy change caused spirited conversation, good and bad, on social media. On an Instagram post by The Points Guy, one user said the rule was “family-unfriendly” while another commented, “My kids behave better than most adults on flights, so it really depends.”
Airlines take varying approaches to children’s seating, with Turkish-Dutch carrier Corendon Airlines utilizing an “Adult Only” section on its Airbus A350s during the 10-hour flight between the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao and Amsterdam. In 2019, Japan Airlines debuted a booking tool on its website, “baby map”, showing the location of passengers up to two years old.
