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Hello everyone, and welcome to Smart With Points. I'm Jack, and I'm here to help you travel smarter using miles and points. Today, we're diving into something genuinely unusual – Emirates is auctioning off twenty years of top-tier status for charity. Yes, you heard that right. Twenty years. No qualification flights required. But before you get too excited, you might need to sell a kidney. Just kidding – please don't do that. Let's get into it.
So here's the situation. Emirates is auctioning off seven rare Skywards Platinum memberships, and all proceeds are going directly to the Emirates Airline Foundation. The auction started on the seventeenth of December two thousand and twenty-five and runs through the seventeenth of January two thousand and twenty-six. That gives you about a month to decide whether securing up to two decades of top-tier airline status is worth opening your wallet for a good cause.
Now, what exactly is being auctioned? Emirates is offering seven special membership numbers – essentially vanity numbers that come with Platinum tier status attached. We're talking about numbers like two one one one one one one one one one, six billion and five, six billion nine hundred and ninety-nine million nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-six, seven billion exactly, seven billion and seventy, seven billion and seventy million, and seven billion seven hundred and seventy-seven million seven hundred and seventy-seven thousand seven hundred and seventy. Some lovely palindromes and repeated digits there for anyone who appreciates that sort of thing.
The clever bit is this: the validity period of your Platinum status depends on how much you bid. The higher your winning bid, the longer your status lasts, up to that twenty-year maximum. So if you're going to do this, you might as well go big.
But what does Skywards Platinum actually get you? Well, Platinum is the highest tier in the Emirates Skywards programme. Normally, you'd need to earn one hundred and fifty thousand Tier Miles plus at least one qualifying First or Business Class flight. That's a serious amount of flying. We're talking roughly twenty-five return flights from London to Dubai in Business Class, or significantly more in Economy. So it's not easy to earn through regular flying.
The benefits, though, are genuinely excellent. You get First Class and Business Class lounge access across Emirates' global network, and you can bring guests. You earn a one hundred percent bonus on Skywards Miles on every Emirates and flydubai flight, effectively doubling your earning rate. You get priority First Class check-in, even when flying Business or Economy, which is a nice touch.
In Dubai, you get complimentary Home Check-in, where Emirates staff actually come to your home, check you in, and take your bags. There are chauffeur-drive service enhancements and baggage delivery options. You can extend Gold status to a companion – your spouse, partner, or friend. Your excess Tier Miles carry forward to the next qualification period, and you get access to discounted and complimentary cabin upgrades.
So how do you actually participate? The auction is fully digital and open to participants worldwide through the Emirates Auction platform. Registration is free. Here's what you need to do. Visit emiratesauction.com/register or download the Emirates Auction mobile app. Complete the free registration – UAE residents can use UAE Pass for faster verification. Browse the seven membership numbers at emiratesauction.com/emirates-skywards. You'll need to pay a refundable security deposit to activate bidding privileges, then place your bids before the seventeenth of January two thousand and twenty-six.
Winners will be notified within twenty-four hours of the auction closing, with payment accepted via bank transfer or cheque. No credit cards for this one, I'm afraid.
Now, the important bit – where does the money go? This is genuinely a charitable auction. One hundred percent of the proceeds go to the Emirates Airline Foundation, which supports fourteen NGOs across nine countries. Their work includes housing initiatives, education, healthcare, and vocational training for vulnerable children.
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, noted: 'Every bid represents more than a Skywards Platinum membership; it's a contribution that creates pathways to lift children and their families out of poverty and create sustainable impact.' So you can feel good about your bid, even if you don't win.
So, my take – is this worth it? Let's be realistic here. This is a charity auction, which means bids will likely reach eye-watering levels. We're not talking about picking up Platinum status for a few hundred pounds. This is going to get expensive.
But consider the maths. If you won twenty years of Platinum status and value the lounge access, bonus miles, and upgrade opportunities at even two thousand to three thousand pounds per year – and that's conservative for frequent Emirates flyers – that's forty thousand to sixty thousand pounds in perceived value over twenty years. For serious Emirates loyalists who fly Business or First regularly, the benefits genuinely stack up.
The real appeal, though, is the combination of several factors: a unique, memorable membership number; status that doesn't require qualification flights; supporting a legitimate charitable cause; and, let's be honest, bragging rights. Imagine checking in with membership number seven billion exactly. That's got to be worth something in cool points alone.
For most of us points and miles enthusiasts, this is firmly in the 'interesting to watch' category rather than 'must bid' territory. But if you're a high-net-worth individual who frequently flies Emirates and wants to support children's charities while securing guaranteed status for potentially two decades? This is genuinely a unique opportunity.
Now, if this auction is out of reach – and no judgement, it's definitely out of my reach too – there are other paths to Emirates Skywards status worth considering. Emirates occasionally runs status match promotions, and we've covered these previously on the podcast and website. There's the traditional route of earning Tier Miles through Emirates and flydubai flights. And you can earn Tier Miles on Emirates partner airlines including Qantas, JetBlue, and more.
For those collecting Avios instead, remember that Emirates Skywards points can be transferred from various UK credit cards, though personally I tend to keep my Amex Membership Rewards flexible for British Airways and partner redemptions.
So, the bottom line? This is a genuinely novel approach to charitable fundraising, and I have to give Emirates credit for the creativity. Whether the final hammer prices justify the outlay will depend entirely on who's bidding and how deep their pockets are.
I'll be watching the auction with interest, and if any of you do decide to bid and win, please do drop me a message. I'd love to hear what the winning bids end up being. The auction closes on the seventeenth of January two thousand and twenty-six. You can view the available memberships at emiratesauction.com/emirates-skywards.
That's all for today's episode. Thanks so much for listening to Smart With Points. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast on all major platforms or visit our website at smartwithpoints.co.uk. We've got loads of great content there to help you travel smarter with miles and points.
Before you go, here's a quick message. Looking for the best award flights? Use AwardTravelFinder.com to search availability across Qatar Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and more. Try it for free with our link in the shownotes.
Thanks again for listening, and happy bidding, or watching from the sidelines like the rest of us. See you next time.