I recently submitted my credit card application and thought I’d share my experience—it’s good news!
Why did you get a premium Emirates credit card?
I’ve always been a big fan of flying Emirates First Class, and they recently changed their policy for redeeming Skyward miles for first class trips. Now, you need to have Skywards Elite status for that.
Of course, there are some alternatives—you can upgrade from Business Class to First Class without having that status, and their partner program still allows access to first class award space.
Barclays offers two co-branded Emirates Skyward credit cards in the U.S., and I chose to go for the Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard, which has a $499 annual fee. I’m not exactly thrilled about adding another card with such a high fee, but here’s how I justified it:
- This card currently has a nice welcome bonus of 70,000 Skyward Miles if you meet the minimum spending requirement—pretty decent, right?
- You get Skywards Gold status in the first year, and afterward, you can still enjoy Skywards Silver without actually needing to spend anything, although if you want to keep Gold, you’ll need to spend $40,000 a year.
- There’s a benefit that often gets overlooked: if you’re an Emirates Elite member, you can earn miles for your Marriott stays—one mile for every mile spent. That’s something I find quite valuable.
- The card also offers other perks like preferred pass memberships for authorized users.
Now, I’m not entirely sure what my long-term plan is. I mean, you can continue paying the annual fee, downgrade to a basic card with a $99 fee, or cancel altogether. Personally, I value the ability to redeem for Emirates First Class, so for me, it feels worth it.
My Emirates Credit Card Approval Experience
It had been some time since I had applied for a Barclays card, so I went ahead and submitted my application this morning. It was straightforward, and I was pleasantly surprised when it got approved immediately. Plus, I could even receive a new card number right then.
I was curious whether my status would be upgraded before it was officially recognized. To my delight, my status changed within just a few hours, and my Skywards account already shows my Gold status—score!
For those looking into the eligibility rules for the welcome bonus, the application terms mention that if you currently have an account or have had one in the past, you might not qualify for the offer.
That’s a bit vague, honestly. Plus, Barclays tends to have some inconsistent policies regarding approvals. For example, they might have a 24-month rule—meaning if you’ve received a bonus on the card in the last 24 months, you won’t be eligible for another bonus now. I’m not sure if that applies in this situation, but if anyone knows, please share!
Conclusion
I decided to go for the Emirates premium credit card, and it got approved right away. Even better, my Emirates Elite status was upgraded within just hours of getting approved. I’m still figuring out my long-term strategy, but I’m excited about the 70,000 bonus miles and having Emirates Skyward Gold status for a year.
By the way, I’m noticing new restrictions on Emirates Awards Travel. The push to apply for the credit card definitely seems to help in boosting engagement!
Has anyone else recently applied for an Emirates credit card? I’d love to hear about your experience!
