These loyalty programs could soon lose some of their appeal amongst Australian-based frequent flyers.
Members of four credit card loyalty programs will lose the ability to transfer points to Emirates Skywards on 31 January.
Customers who hold credit cards attached to Citi Rewards, Diners Club Rewards, Suncorp Credit Card Rewards and Card Services Rewards have until the end of the month to complete points transfers to Emirates Skywards.
Australia’s only Emirates co-brand credit card, the Emirates Citi World Mastercard, will also be grandfathered, meaning it will be unavailable for new applicants.
Each falling under Citigroup, the respective programs will soon be affected by the sale of Citigroup’s Australian operations to NAB. Seeing as NAB Rewards is not currently a Skywards partner, many cardholders will lose transfer benefits with Emirates.
Worried about your points? Here’s what to know.
Can I still convert my loyalty points to Skywards?
Yes, but not for much longer. Those who have a stash of Citi, Diners Club, Suncorp or Card Services points must work quickly to convert their points before transfers become unavailable from 31 January.
We suggest completing the transfers 2-3 business days before the end of the month to allow for a safe buffer.
The table below outlines the Emirates Skywards conversion rate across the different programs.
| Credit card program | Skywards conversion rate |
|---|---|
| Citi Rewards | 3:1 |
| Citi Rewards (Premier and Prestige) | 2.5:1 |
| Diners Club Rewards | 2.5:1 |
| Suncorp Credit Card Rewards | 3:1 |
| Card Services Rewards | 3:1 |
Which Australian programs still allow transfers?
While these changes will make it more difficult to earn Emirates Skywards miles in Australia, it’s not all bad news for Australian-based Skywards members.
Credit card reward programs are an effective way to top up your frequent flyer balance with everyday spend, and it’s still possible to amass a stash of Emirates Skywards miles in Australia. Here’s how:
American Express Membership Rewards
Eligible Amex Membership Rewards members can transfer Membership Rewards points to Skywards miles at a 2:1 rate, meaning that 1,000 Membership Rewards points would convert to 500 miles.
The following American Express cards are amongst those that offer transfers to Emirates Skywards:
Marriott Bonvoy
Emirates partners with popular hotel program of choice, Marriott Bonvoy. The ‘Your World Rewards’ partnership offers members the unique opportunity to earn Skywards miles from stays at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties.
Marriott Bonvoy is another good option, with a 3:1 transfer rate, meaning the minimum 3,000 Marriot Bonvoy points will convert to 1,000 Skywards miles.
This would make sense for those who earn Marriott points easily.
Other bank programs
CommBank Awards also offers points transfers to Emirates Skywards, albeit at a less favourable conversion rate of 4:1.
CommBank Awards members who hold Ultimate Awards, Diamond Awards, Platinum awards, as well as any entry-level points-earning credit cards can still transfer to the Skywards program.
Final thoughts
It’s entirely possible that Citi, Diners Club, Suncorp or Card Services may lose their appeal to some members after transfers to Skywards end soon.
Airline partners are a key highlight to many reward programs, with the flexibility of different transfer options favourable amongst a large group of credit card holders.
Although these programs will soon become less versatile, there are still ways to earn Emirates Skywards points on the ground in Australia – with American Express Membership Rewards being the prime example.
Don’t forget to transfer your points before the end of the month!
How do you earn Emirates Skywards miles?
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