Emirates Launches Its First US Cobranded Credit Card in Partnership with Barclays

NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Emirates Skywards, the award-winning loyalty program of Emirates and flydubai, has partnered with Barclays to launch the Emirates Skywards Mastercard® – its first cobranded credit card suite in the U.S. Customers can now earn Skywards Miles quickly through everyday spend, including travel and lifestyle purchases, as well as enjoy immediate Silver or Gold tier membership status during the first year, and earn up to 40,000 bonus Skywards Miles and many more privileges.

"We're excited to introduce our first-ever cobranded credit card in the U.S. to help travelers accumulate even more Skywards Miles on their everyday spend and travel purchases," said Dr. Nejib Ben Khedher, divisional senior vice president, Emirates Skywards. "The Emirates Skywards Mastercard offers a fantastic opportunity to accelerate Skywards Miles earnings for spend on future flight rewards with Emirates and our partner airlines, jetBlue and Alaska Airlines. This is a unique opportunity allowing our more than 2.5 million U.S. members to boost their Skywards Miles to use as a payment option with cash+Miles, and for flight upgrades while traveling from cities across the U.S., including New York, Houston and Los Angeles."

The credit card launch is in line with Emirates Skywards' strategy of offering its members more opportunities to earn Miles on the ground. This also complements the recently launched Skywards Miles @mall in the U.S., giving members over 1,000 ways to earn Miles while shopping online and instore with popular brands such as Apple, Macy's and ASOS.

"We're proud to be the issuer of the first Emirates Skywards credit card in the U.S.," said Bob Highland, head of U.S. cards and partnerships, Barclays. "From Economy to First Class, Emirates is a distinctive experience and the airline of choice for many world travelers. Our partnership with Emirates Skywards is focused on growing loyalty with U.S.-based customers by helping them earn more Emirates Skywards privileges through their everyday spend."

Two versions of the credit card are available: Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard®, which offers Silver tier membership status and has as an annual fee of $99, and Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard®, which offers Gold tier membership status and has an annual fee of $499. Both cards earn 3 Skywards Miles for every $1 spent on eligible Emirates purchases; 2 Skywards Miles on eligible travel purchases; and 1 Skywards Mile on all other purchases.

Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard
Emirates Skywards Rewards Mastercard offers immediate Silver tier membership status during the first year of enrollment, which includes the following benefits:

• Complimentary access to Emirates Business Class lounges in Dubai
• 25% bonus Skywards Miles on Emirates flights
• Free Economy Class seat selection
• Priority check-in and boarding

Cardmembers will receive a range of other benefits including:

• Earn 3 Skywards Miles for every $1 spent on eligible Emirates purchases
• Earn 2 Skywards Miles for every $1 spent on eligible travel purchases, including airfare, hotel stays and car rentals
• Earn 1 Skywards Mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases, including groceries, retail stores and entertainment
• Earn 30,000 bonus Skywards Miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days
• Retain Silver tier status by spending $20,000 on purchases each cardmembership year
• No limit to the number of Skywards Miles you can earn; Skywards Miles accumulated will not expire as long as the account remains open and active
• No foreign transaction fees on international purchases

Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard
Emirates Skywards Premium Mastercard offers immediate Gold tier membership status during the first year of enrollment, which includes the following benefits:

• Complimentary access to Emirates Business Class lounges worldwide for the cardmember and a guest
• 50% bonus Skywards Miles on Emirates flights
• Priority baggage delivery

Cardmembers will receive a range of other benefits including:

• Earn 3 Skywards Miles for every $1 spent on eligible Emirates purchases
• Earn 2 Skywards Miles for every $1 spent on eligible travel purchases, including airfare, hotel stays and car rentals
• Earn 1 Skywards Mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases, including groceries, retail stores and entertainment
• Earn 40,000 bonus Skywards Miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days
• Retain Gold tier status by spending $40,000 on purchases each cardmembership year
• Earn 10,000 anniversary bonus Skywards Miles after spending $30,000 on purchases each cardmembership year
• Enjoy unlimited access to more than 1,200 lounges worldwide for the cardmember and a guest with Priority Pass™ Select
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit every five years (up to $100)
• No limit to the number of Skywards Miles you can earn; Skywards Miles accumulated will not expire as long as the account remains open and active
• No foreign transaction fees on international purchases

Emirates Skywards boasts over 27 million members worldwide, with its second largest membership base in the U.S., at 2.6 million members. Members can earn and spend Miles for an extensive range of rewards, including flight tickets on partner airlines, flight upgrades, hotel stays, tickets, hospitality at sporting and cultural events, tours and money-can't-buy experiences.

To apply or learn more about the Emirates Skywards Mastercard, visit www.emirates.com/us/english/destinations_offers/barclays-partnership 

About Barclays US Consumer Bank
Barclays US Consumer Bank is one of the fastest-growing top 10 credit card issuers in the United States. The bank creates customized, cobranded credit card programs for some of the country's most successful travel, entertainment, retail and affinity institutions, and offers online savings accounts and CDs. For more information, visit www.BarclaysUS.com.

About Emirates Skywards
Emirates Skywards, the award-winning loyalty program of Emirates and flydubai, has more than 27 million members. The program offers four tiers of membership: Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum, with each tier earning exclusive privileges. Emirates Skywards members earn Skywards Miles with partners ranging from airlines, hotels and car rentals to financial, leisure and lifestyle brands. Skywards Miles can be spent on an extensive range of rewards, including flight tickets on partner airlines, flight upgrades, hotel stays, tickets, hospitality at sporting and cultural events, tours and one-of-a-kind experiences. For more information, visit www.emirates.com/skywards.

SOURCE Barclays