One of the world’s most luxurious airlines is changing its rules for booking first-class tickets with children.
Dubai-based carrier Emirates recently updated its terms and conditions with new restrictions on redeeming frequent flier miles for first-class tickets with young children.
“Please note that passengers aged 8 years old and below are ineligible for First Class Emirates Classic Rewards and Upgrade Rewards,” says the airline’s new policy, which went into effect on August 15 and was first reported by aviation blog One Mile at a Time.
The change means that children 8 and under are no longer allowed to fly with their parents in the lavish cabin on Emirates Skywards Miles or when their family wants to use miles to upgrade to first class. However, children of all ages are still allowed to fly first class on fares booked with cash.
Whether children should fly in first class is one of the hottest debated etiquette topics in air travel. Proponents of banning kids in premium cabins argue that children detract from the luxury experience because they’re noisy, while many family travelers say they should be allowed to travel in whatever cabin they’d like.
“The thought of those people who desperately try to scrape together miles to be able to do something like this as a family, and now won't be able to, makes me sad,” said Australian travel journalist Kristine Tarbert in an online op-ed on the new policy.
In recent months, Emirates has been making subtle changes to its first class to make it even more luxe, including clamping down on who can book into the legendary cabin. In May, the carrier restricted Skywards Miles redemptions for first-class tickets to only fliers with elite status. The airline will also no longer be a transfer partner for Chase credit card points, starting in October 2025, which will make it more difficult for some travelers to earn enough miles to redeem a first-class ticket.
Emirates' first class is fodder for air travel fantasy, as it affords travelers access to opulent amenities like fully enclosed suites with a lie-flat bed and personal minibar, upscale dining, impeccable service, and even a shower suite on its Airbus A380 planes.
This year, Emirates has been rolling out new special touches to its first-class cabin, including the debut of white-glove meal service and the addition of a coveted vintage of Dom Perignon Rosé Champagne to its first-class wine list. With all of the new changes, it doesn’t seem like Emirates' first class is going to lose the exclusive mystique it holds with travelers any time soon.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
