Can You Earn Avios With Emirates?

Everyone wants to boost their Avios earning potential. And while the strict answer when researching whether you can earn Avios with Emirates is no, that doesn’t mean we don’t have a trick up our sleeves…

And the trick is, you can actually still earn Avios when you use codeshares to fly with Emirates. I was researching flights back to the UK from Australia when I first noticed codeshares — the secret trick behind better Avios collection.

Qantas and Emirates’ special agreement is the backbone of this less orthodox points collection. But we’ll get into all that in just a minute.

For now, all you need to know is that this guide will show you how you can still earn Avios with Emirates. It will require you to book a specific flight, so just hold fire on booking any flights just yet. I’ll get you totting up your Avios in no time. 

Does Emirates Use Avios? 

No, Emirates does not use Avios. They are not part of the Oneworld Alliance (more on that below), and operate with their own points and rewards system called Skywards Miles rather than Avios.

Before we rush off to look at earning Avios, it’s worth seeing what Emirates offers in its own right.

Skywards Miles works in exactly the same way as Avios. You collect them each time you fly, and you can calculate how much you’ll collect on their Skywards Miles calculator tool. The more you clock up, the better you can redeem them.

There are non-flying collection options, too, which are handy for more optimal collection potential. You can collect Skywards Miles through hotel stays, car rentals, shopping, and banking. 

Tier Miles

Another aspect of the Skywards program is Tier Miles. Tier Miles are the Emirates equivalent of Status Points. You collect Tier Miles to rise through Blue, Silver, Gold, and Platinum membership levels.

Here are the different privileges you can expect for each status level:

Blue

Blue is the entry-level membership in the Skyward program. It includes free unlimited messaging onboard and complimentary Wi-Fi. Other benefits include waitlist priority and instant upgrades at check-in.

Basically, Blue is a good status level to show that you are a loyal Emirates flier, and you’ll receive friendly appreciation for it.

Silver

Silver is the first real rung on the ladder. If you climb up to this status level, you bag Business Lounge access and complimentary seat selection before your flights. You’ve got to earn 25,000 Tier Miles to reach this level.

The good news is you get a complimentary 14 months to enjoy Silver status after your annual review, even if you don’t reach the right miles. This 14-month buffer makes a year of collecting more serious points worthwhile.

Gold 

Gold is the status level you reach after 50,000 Tier Miles. You get all the lower benefits, like Business Lounge access and complimentary seat selection.

However, you also get access to extra lounges around the world, invites to exclusive Emirates events, and priority baggage delivery.

Gold just gives you that extra level of comfort.

Platinum 

Platinum is reached after 150,000 Tier Miles. You get access to First and Business Class lounges worldwide, and you get to bring a guest.

As an extra marker of generosity, you can also gift a Gold membership to a friend, partner, or family.

As you can see, Emirates definitely has its own thing going on. It’s also worth noting that the higher your status level, the more Skywards Miles you’ll earn. There’s a 30% bonus for Silver, a 75% bonus for Gold, and a 100% bonus for Platinum. 

Emirates & The Oneworld Alliance 

As we know, Emirates is not part of the Oneworld Alliance. This means you cannot earn Avios with Emirates in the typical way. 

The Oneworld Alliance was launched by five founding members: Qantas, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Canadian International (which is no longer active). Nowadays, it has 13 full members and shares membership bonuses like Avios collecting abilities. 

The reason you can collect Avios when flying with Emirates is because Qantas and Emirates began a codesharing agreement in 2012-13.

This agreement means that both parties can sell the other’s charters as their own. You still get the Emirates experience, but you can book through Qantas and receive a Qantas flight code. 

Because of the agreement between Qantas and Emirates, you can piggyback Oneworld Alliance benefits without Emirates being a member. This is totally allowed by the Alliance, too, so you aren’t doing anything sneaky; you’re just savvy.

For instance, British Airways states you can earn Avios and Tier Points on any flights operated by Qantas under a third-party codeshare agreement. 

In summary, Emirates is on the outskirts of the Oneworld Alliance. However, its relationship with Qantas means you can fly with Emirates and still snag some of the Alliance benefits.

What Are Codeshare Agreements? 

Before we discuss the practical steps to earning Avios with Emirates, let’s define codeshare agreements. The best way to explain them is that airlines use codeshares to split marketing responsibilities. 

Every airline has its own code. These are the two or three letters you see at the beginning of a flight code. For instance, QF8413 would signal that you are flying with Qantas (known as QF). 

Codeshare agreements mean that different airlines can use their flight code on charters that don’t belong to them. For example, Qantas could sell you an Economy ticket on an Emirates flight, and then your ticket would have QF8413 rather than EK8413.

This splits marketing responsibilities for airlines, allowing them to work together to sell and publish routes and tickets. 

How To Earn Avios With Emirates: 3 Simple Steps 

So, how do you actually do it? What are the steps to earn Avios with Emirates? I’ll give you the three simple steps you need to bag Avios flying with this non-alliance airline.

1. Set Up a Qantas Frequent Flyer Membership

Your first task is to set up a Qantas Frequent Flyer membership. You can sign up for free, add your details, and be up and ready to go in less than 5 minutes. It’s a really minimal-hassle way to become eligible for Avios via Emirates. 

Remember, you are signing up for Qantas to unlock the fruits of their codesharing agreement with Emirates. It’s basically like getting best-friend privileges. You use one to access the other’s benefits.

I personally really like the Qantas Frequent Flyer program as well. I found it more useful when living in Australia, as I find collecting points trickier in the Northern Hemisphere because so many of the partnered brands are Australian-owned.

However, as a general rule, this is a great (free) membership to have up your sleeve for moments like these.

Note that Qantas gifts its passengers with Qantas Points, so you’ll also need a British Airways Executive Club membership number to enter and trigger your reward in Avios instead.

2. Book a Codeshare Flight

Your next step is to book a codeshare flight. You can typically find these through third-party operators like Skyscanner and Expedia. However, if you get stuck, you can search via Qantas or get help from a travel agent. 

Codeshares are a little tricky to find but definitely worth chasing if you want to earn those precious Avios. You can spot them using their mismatched flight codes (remember that Qantas is QF and Emirates is EK). There should also be an ‘Operated by Qantas’ message on codeshare Emirates flights. 

Have your membership numbers handy, and just book as normal. If you want to maximize your points even further, you can also book the flights with an Avios-earning credit card, which I’ll cover more in a second.

3. Watch As Avios Come Rolling In

That’s it! You’ve finessed the points system and secured Avios while flying with Emirates. Congratulations on thinking outside of the box.

Your Avios will be credited to your account after you complete your flight. When you fly with British Airways, Avios usually appear in your account after three days. However, if you fly with a partner, this should be within seven days. 

Allow a week for your Avios to be granted. Then, just repeat the process for your next flight! 

The Bad News…

Unfortunately, I’ve also got to be a bearer of bad news: there are only codeshares on specific flight routes.

This isn’t a strategy that applies to every Emirates flight – it wouldn’t make sense for Emirates to let Qantas market and sell all their tickets and vice versa. Instead, you’ll have to spot the specific codeshare flights to bag the ability to collect Avios.

This reduces your ability to collect Avios widely through this strategy. It isn’t a case of every flight being eligible for Avios, but a case of someflights being eligible.

This also means that if you’ve already booked flights with Avios, the likelihood that you booked a codeshare flight is low. For those of you wondering whether your pre-existing Emirates booking is eligible for Avios collecting, it’s not looking good. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you while you rush off and check.

You’ve got to be really intentional in booking Emirates flights to collect Avios. That isn’t hard to do when you know the right way to go about things. However, it’s unlikely that you’ll earn Avios accidentally in this manner.

To confirm whether a flight is codeshared, look for a mismatched flight code and an ‘Operated by‘ note when booking. You can also contact airlines directly to enquire about their available codeshare services.

Maximizing Your Avios Earning With Emirates 

So, you’ve secured Avios on your codeshare Emirates flights. Fantastic. But how can you maximize your earnings even further?

When collecting points, you should always be looking to make your pound or dollar stretch that extra mile. You want to maximize the points you earn for as little amount of money as possible. There are a few ways you can do this:

1. Book With An Avios Earning Credit Card

Avios-earning credit cards are my personal favorite way to maximize your points. What even the lowest-earning card can do for your points-collecting journey is amazing. 

I can understand some people’s reservations about getting a credit card for this purpose. Having just got my first credit card finally approved the other year, it can be a bit of a hoop to jump through, especially as a young person. I’ve definitely noticed the benefits, though.

I use my British Airways Amex as an extra payment step, immediately transferring the funds from my other account rather than borrowing.

Doing this earns me an extra Avios per pound spent. So if I book a flight for £800, I’ll immediately get 800 Avios (it works the same for US dollars).

There are other card options you can use that earn you even more points. I suggest researching and sorting an Avios-earning card so you can earn extra points when booking flights. This way, you can still earn even if you don’t choose a codeshare Emirates charter.

2. Upgrade Your Ticket Class

Now, I’m not saying you need to upgrade from Economy to First Class on a Transatlantic flight; we all know that would be extortionate. However, if you can, upgrading to the flight class above can hugely increase your Avios earnings.

One of the biggest jumps is actually between the Economy and the Premium Economy classes. As a blanket rule, you should always aim to book Premium Economy to bolster your Avios earnings. This way, you can always upgrade a class with points, too, which you can only do from Premium Economy.

If you fly codeshare with Emirates, look at the Premium Economy cabin for better Avios earning capabilities. 

To Conclude: Earning Avios With Emirates 

In conclusion, it’s totally possible to earn Avios with Emirates. If you’re sitting here having already booked a flight, I’m afraid you probably can’t earn any Avios thistime. However, it’s a clever trick to remember when choosing your next flight.

It’s impressive what choosing a codeshare flight can do for your points collection. Codeshares are definitely something to keep in mind when booking trips and boosting your points collection. I’d always recommend shopping around and researching Avios rules before committing to a certain flight.

Of course, don’t forget about other Avios boosting methods. You can make slight adjustments like booking Premium Economy rather than Economy to bolster your Avios. And, of course, a real-life hack is to book everything on an Avios collecting credit card.

When you start researching ways to maximize your collection, you realize just how unlimited the potential is. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and this Emirates trick proves just that.