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The Emirates Skywards business model: what an airline can take and how to build it

Resources · Case study

Emirates Skywards has more than 38 million members and adds about 78,000 a week. Its model combines miles at local merchants, paying with miles plus cash, bank cards and a program shared with flydubai. This guide explains what an airline of any size can take and how to build it with Qurable.

Updated · 5 min read

See the model

Case study note based on public information. Emirates is not a Qurable client.

Public figures on Emirates Skywards

Emirates is not a Qurable client. These figures are public and each one carries its source.

  • 38M+members in fiscal 2025-26Khaleej Times
  • 78,000+new members a weekKhaleej Times
  • 3 yearsvalidity of miles earned from 6/1/2027Khaleej Times
  • ~200partnersEmirates, 2020

Airline and travel programs on Qurable

  • SKY Airline
  • CU Travel
Read the SKY Plus case

Key takeaways

  1. Emirates Skywards has more than 38 million members and adds about 78,000 a week.
  2. With Skywards Everyday, members link up to 5 cards and earn miles at UAE merchants.
  3. An airline can take miles at local merchants and points plus cash, with Qurable on top of its current program.

How it makes money

How Emirates Skywards makes money.

Three pieces explain the model. Every figure comes from a public source, listed under the table on this page.

  • Local merchants

    Miles in everyday life

    Skywards Everyday lets members link up to 5 payment cards and earn miles at UAE merchants, without an airline card.

    Public figure
    Up to 5 linked cards per member.

  • Cash+Miles

    Miles and cash in one payment

    Members pay part of the fare in miles and the rest in cash, so miles get used before a full award ticket is reached.

    Public figure
    Available on the Emirates site.

  • Cards and group

    Banks and a shared program

    Visa has been the exclusive network for the Gulf co-branded card since 2024 and HSBC issues cards in the UAE. The program is shared with flydubai.

    Public figure
    Miles earned from 6/1/2027 last 3 years.

What your airline can take

Three pieces that work for an airline of any size.

You don't need Emirates's size to use its model. These pieces are added on top of the program you already run.

  • Miles at merchants in your market

    With Qurable the benefit is decided inside the card authorization, in ~150 ms, at the POS, processor or checkout.

  • Points plus cash at checkout

    Authorize, capture and reverse miles when paying for tickets and ancillaries, with every movement in the ledger.

  • One program for several brands

    A single program with rules, currencies and liability by brand and country, for a group with more than one airline.

How to build it

What Emirates Skywards does and how you build it with Qurable.

Each row is a piece of the model and how it is solved on top of your core and your PSS. Sources are under the table.

The Emirates Skywards model and how to build it with Qurable
Emirates SkywardsWith Qurable
Local merchantsSkywards Everyday: up to 5 linked cards, UAE merchantsBenefit decided inside the card authorization, in ~150 ms
Paying with milesCash+Miles: part miles, part cashPoints plus cash at checkout: authorize, capture and reverse
Co-branded cardVisa in the Gulf since 2024; HSBC in the UAEA wallet and a card with your brand; Qurable handles issuance, processing and compliance
Several airlinesOne program shared with flydubaiOne program with rules, currencies and liability by brand and country
ExpiryMiles earned from 6/1/2027 last 3 yearsRule-based expiry in the ledger, with liability and expirations at 30, 60 and 90 days

Sources on Emirates Skywards: Khaleej Times, Skywards miles expiry · Visa, Emirates co-branded card (2024) · Gulf News, HSBC and Emirates Skywards · Emirates, Skywards Everyday (accessed 10/15/2026) · Emirates, Cash+Miles (accessed 10/15/2026) · Emirates, 20 years of Skywards (2020)

Emirates, Skywards, flydubai, Visa and HSBC are trademarks of their owners. Emirates is not a Qurable client. This page uses only public information available as of October 15, 2026. If you find anything outdated, write to us and we will fix it.

With Qurable

A layer on top of your program, no migration to start.

Qurable connects to your program core and your PSS with REST APIs, a sandbox and webhooks. You start with one front and add the rest in stages.

  • Points plus cash at checkout

    Authorize, capture and reverse miles for tickets and ancillaries, decided in ~150 ms.

    Loyalty at the POS and checkout

  • Partners through a single API

    Banks, hotels, car rentals and retailers award and redeem miles, with every transaction reconciled in the ledger.

    Loyalty coalition

  • Wallet and your own card

    A card with your brand: Qurable handles issuance, processing and compliance.

    Airline loyalty

Questions

What people ask about Emirates Skywards.

Short answers with public data, and what your airline can take.

More than 38 million in fiscal 2025-26, adding about 78,000 a week, according to Khaleej Times.

It is how members earn miles off the plane: they link up to 5 payment cards and earn miles at participating UAE merchants.

Miles at merchants in its market, points plus cash and one program for several brands. With Qurable they are added on top of the current program, in stages.

No. This page analyzes Skywards' public model. The airline program running on Qurable is SKY Plus, by SKY Airline.

Last reviewed

Further reading

The overview guide, other programs and the case of an airline on Qurable.

Bring the model to your airline.

In a 30-minute technical session we review your program and show you which pieces Qurable adds on top of your core and your PSS.

Read the documentation