If you have plans to book Emirates flights using points from these programs, now’s the time to strategize. Here’s what I’d recommend (and what I’m personally doing):

Transfer Now: If your travel plans are imminent, transfer your points before the suspension dates to ensure availability.

Don’t wait on Amex: their suspension is indefinite, and I don’t love that ambiguity.

Explore Alternatives: Keep an eye on Capital One and Marriott. They still offer transfers to Emirates, and as of now, there’s no news of them pausing. I wouldn’t be shocked if changes are coming, though.

Monitor Updates: Set alerts. Stay informed about any changes to transfer ratios or partner agreements that may affect your ability to book Emirates flights with points. I’m bookmarking Emirates threads on FlyerTalk, Reddit, and my own newsfeeds to catch any updates as they roll in.

The worst-case scenario is that these “upgrades” come with reduced transfer ratios and higher redemption costs, which, let’s be real, has been the trend lately.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Emirates Skywards, even though it’s not the most generous loyalty program out there. The ability to top up my account via Amex, Chase, or Bilt gave it flexibility, and that made it worth watching. And well their product, everyone knows how great it is.

Losing that flexibility, even temporarily, means less power to the consumer and more uncertainty. And if you’re someone who values choice (like I do), that’s a blow.

Plus, with Emirates now charging significantly higher amounts of miles for some routes (and fuel surcharges still being ridiculously high), this pause creates an added inconvenience for travelers. They have already restricted their first class to only elite Skywards members (with the exception of Qantas, for now), and this further restricts acess to remum redemptions on the carrier.

I hate seeing transfer suspensions like this, especially when there’s no transparency about what’s coming next. While I understand the need for backend upgrades, I worry this is setting the stage for less generous partnerships in the future.

Personally, I’ve paused all Emirates plans unless something truly compelling pops up. And if these suspensions turn into long-term changes, I may just start looking at other programs for my aspirational travel fix.

If you like programs with the same flexibility, I reccomend programs such as Air France, VIrgin Atlantic, or Air Canada.