The Citibank Emirates Skywards Rewards Program is an innovative and state-of-the art frequent flyer program. It is a frequent flyer rewards program operated by Emirates Airline, one of the most respected new airline carriers in the industry. Skywards is the name of the brand chosen particularly for the reward program, and Citibank is a major partner. In the following sections we will discuss all the great features and benefits of the Citibank Emirates Skywards Rewards Program.

About Skywards

Skywards is a multiple award winning frequent flyer program offered by a leading carrier, Emirates Airline. The great dedication to customer service that is a hallmark of the airline is also evident in the construction of the Skywards program. Every innovative and class leading feature of the program is unparalleled by contemporary alternate offers, a fact demonstrated by the votes of many satisfied, loyal customers around the world.

As with most frequent flyer programs, members get access to flights and upgrades based on the number of reward points (known as Skywards Miles) accumulated. There are plenty of opportunities for earning Miles from the multitude of reward partners involved. Reward points can also be redeemed on the latest shopping destination on offer from Emirates, the Emirates High Street.

The Emirates High Street is an online shopping portal which offers great convenience and flexibility in redeeming reward points. Members can visit the page at www.theemirateshighstreet.com and go through the catalogue of products that can be purchased with any combination of Skywards Miles and cash. Your purchases are delivered to your home so there’s one extra level of comfort in shopping.

Apart from these great offerings, Skywards shows its innovativeness in the design of the Skysurfers program. The Skysurfers club caters to the younger travellers aged from two to sixteen years, providing them with fantastic travel opportunities in a similar package to adult members of the program. We discuss Skysurfers in greater detail in its own section.

The Accolades Received

Here are some of the awards won by the Skywards program since its inception:

  • Best Loyalty Program – Awarded by the Middle East Traveller Magazine.
  • Multiple top positions in the Annual Freddies Awards – Over the last four years Skywards has consistently secured top honours across multiple categories in the Freddies Awards. The Freddies are like the Oscar of Airline Awards, showering high praise on the recipient of the award.
  • Best Frequent Flyer Program award in 2007 – A Freddie award for the region Japan, Pacific, Asia and Australia.
  • Best Bonus in Frequent Flyer Program in 2007 – Two more Freddies for the region Japan, Pacific, Asia and Australia and for the region Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
  • Best Member Communications, Best Customer Service and Best Award Redemption – Freddie Awards prior to the year 2007.
  • Best Web Site – Received twice.
  • Programme of the Year – The highest title achievable in Airline Awards.

Program Structure

The Skywards program has a tiered membership structure, with higher tiers offering greater benefits:

  1. Blue – The starting level of membership. Members do not have to pass any qualifying criteria for the blue tier, and there are no membership fees either.
  2. Silver – Members gain the next level of status by accumulating tier Miles. These are reward points offered only when flying with Emirates Airline, and they cannot be redeemed for normal awards. To progress to the Silver level a member has to gather 25,000 tier Miles in one calendar year (between the fist of January and thirty-first of December), or fly at least 20 sectors in the same period.
  3. Gold – The ultimate membership level requires 50,000 tier Miles or at least 40 sectors to be flown with Emirates in one year.

How to earn Reward Points

To get the most out of the Skywards program, members need to gather as many Skywards Miles as they can. The reward points for flying different classes are as such:

  • Every mile flown in an Economy class flight will provide one Skywards Mile.
  • Every mile flown in a Business class flight will provide 1.5 Skywards Miles.
  • Every mile flown in a First class flight will provide 2 Skywards Miles.

Silver and Gold members earn more points for every category of flight above. Silver members get 25% more points, while Gold members get 50% extra Miles for the same travel class and the same number of miles flown by a Blue member.

If you are a little short on the required number of Skywards Miles, then you can top up your account before booking a reward flight. This can only be done in conjunction with a reward flight booking, and for a minimum of 2,000 Miles. Miles are purchased at the rate of 2.5 cents per Skywards Miles.

Membership Benefits

The following table illustrates the different features and privileges that are provided to each level of membership – Skywards (Blue), Skywards Silver, and Skywards Gold.

Airline Services

Emirates Airline is well known for its level of customer service. The following list of services (offered to all passengers) demonstrate this fact:

  • You can call and get your seat pre-assigned
  • Passengers can request special meals to be served on-flight
  • If you are travelling with sports gear, you can choose to have them stowed in the dedicated sports equipment carriage
  • For J and F class passengers, there is also the option of a Chauffer driven ride
  • Fast track service
  • You can enjoy a stop-over
  • Passengers also get Dubai Visa service

In addition to the above, higher tier members of the Skywards program will also benefit from the following exclusive service offerings:

  • Skywards Alumnus – This is a business club for individuals looking to connect with a network of professionals with shared interests. Part of this online networking attraction is exclusive insights and news on the Middle East business world.
  • Skywards Opening Doors – Get a VIP service treatment and relax on any of the partner locations around the globe with access to a private club, resort or spa.

Account Management

With so many great reward options it becomes difficult to keep track of your Skywards Miles and rewards. Fortunately Emirates makes is very easy and convenient. Members can log on to www.skywards.com from anywhere and update their user preferences, check mileage balance, use the online calculator, and view the available offers at any time. They will also receive a quarterly statement detailing all the Miles they have earned and redeemed on the last quarter, which will allow member to see how close they are to achieving the next tier of membership or a particular reward. They can also choose to receive e-statements instead of paper statements, simply be selecting the appropriate option under the “My Statements” heading on the rewards website.

Skywards Reward Partners

The big range of reward partners is what makes the Skywards program so attractive. Members are not confined to a narrow range of flights and upgrades, but can choose from multiple options to redeem rewards. The following table lists some of the reward partners; the rewards website will also provide a more up-to-date list:

Airlines: Continental Airlines, Japan Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines, Korean Air, South African Airways, United Airlines.
Car Rental: Avis, Budget, Hertz, Sixt
Leisure and Lifestyle: Arabian Adventures, Danat Dubai Cruises, Damas, Dubai Autodrome, Emirates Holidays, Emirates Tours UK, Language Direct, Magrudy’s, Rivoli, Ski Dubai, Skywards Golf Fee Card, Wild Wadi Water Park
Financial Services: Ahli United Bank, Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait, Citibank, Emirates Bank International, StandardChartered Bank
Hotels: Emirates Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Coral International, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Family of Hotels, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, InterContinental Hotels Group, Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts, Marriott, Raffles International, Rotana Hotels, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Swissotel Hotel and Resorts, Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, Rezidor Hotel Group

Redeeming Awards

Members can redeem their Skywards Miles online, by booking a flight for themselves (or on behalf of others, up to a maximum of 9 passengers) using their Miles. The ‘earn and spend’ section of the rewards website has easy to follow, step-by-step instructions that guide customers through the whole process. Flight tickets, once booked, can also be delivered to the member’s home, which could be located in any of the over 50 locations where Emirates provides this service.

You don’t have to wait very long before you can start using your reward points. There are Emirates flights available that start from a price of just 10,000 Skywards Miles. You can even purchase a flight upgrade for 5,000 Skywards Miles and above. There are no restrictions (blackout days) on the redemption period of reward points, so you can use your collected Skywards Miles on any day of the year. Be advised however that peak travel seasons are booked out well in advance, so plan your trip accordingly.

Obviously the Economy flights costs less in rewards points, but their availability is also the lowest. Economy flights during peak times will also require more Skywards Miles to be redeemed than normal. Such Peak Economy seats are more expensive in terms of reward points, but they are usually more readily available for booking close to departure date.

Skysurfers

This is the innovative frequent flyer club for young flyers (children between the ages of 2 to 16) that offers similar benefits to the Skywards program. Members have their own membership card, log book, and even have a separate web site – www.skysurfers.com – where they can log in using their password credentials. Skysurfers need the approval of their parents or guardian in their application form. Once a member, they get to access all the travel and other rewards which cater specifically to the needs of a younger audience.

As you can see, the Citibank Emirates Skywards Rewards Program truly lives up to its name. If you are a frequent traveller with Emirates you would be remiss not to take advantage of this great rewards program.