Discover Africa with Emirates and flydubai: Premium Economy Rewards for Tourists

Published on September 16, 2025

Emirates and its low-cost subsidiary, flydubai, have integrated Premium Economy fare options into their Skywards frequent-flyer program. The move targets the surge in demand for premium travel routes across the African continent, now granting Skywards members the ability to use accrued miles for the Emirates Premium Economy cabin. The initiative promises to enrich the travel experience for African tourists and business executives, offering the dual advantages of enhanced comfort and improved value.

Under the updated program, members can upgrade from Economy to Premium Economy by redeeming a minimum of 7,020 Skywards Miles on Emirates flights. Alternatively, for travellers purchasing a Premium Economy fare at the outset, the earn-to-redemption ratio begins at 15,000 miles for a one-way ticket. These enhancements open accessible travel routes to major global hubs—including London, Paris, New York, and Bangkok—while simultaneously offering more spacious cabin options for intra-African flights, whether the purpose is leisure or corporate.

Stimulating Tourist Arrivals in African Markets

The introduction of Premium Economy award space has significantly enlarged the attractiveness of long-haul flights to and from the African continent. This cabin class occupies the niche between standard Economy and full Business, drawing leisure and business travellers who seek enhanced comfort at a reduced price point. Premium Economy delivers a compelling value proposition, characterised by wider seats, prioritised boarding, and enhanced in-flight catering at a fraction of Business Class fare.

Established hubs such as Cape Town, Nairobi, and Marrakech figure prominently in the Premium Economy offering, thereby directing increased passenger feed to these strategically vital gateways. For the visitor, the Premium Economy itinerary consolidates the journey by pairing moderate pricing with tangible comfort: dedicated check-in facilities, ancillary baggage allowances, and amenity kits elevate the boarding and cabin experience. The cumulative effect is a shortened perceived distance and a softened arrival experience, a decisive advantage for first-time African travellers.

Seamless Doha Route and Strategic Connectivity

At the epicentre of connectivity, Dubai remains the world’s premier transient gateway. Emirates and flydubai operate a comprehensive African and intercontinental timetable that coordinates to maximise passenger convenience. The introduction of extended Skywards redemption and earning opportunities magnifies the allure of a Dubai transit. Travellers can align African itineraries with destinations in Europe, Asia or the Americas, enjoying a less arduous itinerary characterised by controlled transit times, mileage upgrades, and the capacity to apply frequent-flyer earnings to either ticket reductions or cabin enhancements.

Dubai functions as a pivotal international gateway, welcoming millions annually because its distinctive synthesis of innovative skyline, historical attractions, extravagant shopping, and culinary variety suits travellers en route to multiple global points. The enlargement of the Skywards loyalty structure thus effectively streamlines onward connection for those transiting through the Emirate, linking African passport holders with principal global and regional markets in a single, value-enhancing step.

For passengers departing from the African continent and bound for international points, Emirates’ Premium Economy compartment embodies a well-considered synthesis of efficiency and comfort. Seating throughout the cabin offers a 40-inch pitch, integrated calf and foot rests, and a width exceeding that of comparable Economy configurations, ensuring an elevated posture. Curated menus deliver oversized culinary servings accompanied by selected premium vintages, whereas a 13.3-inch personal monitor catalogues over 6,500 hours of varied programming designed to engage and occupy the guest throughout an extended segment across continents and time zones.

Emirates’ ongoing modernisation of its fleet serves as a pillar of the airline’s commitment to elevating the passenger journey. The $5 billion retrofit program, which encompasses the deployment of Premium Economy cabins on 67 aircraft, guarantees that travellers on long-haul routes originating in Africa are afforded superior comfort and attentive service. The deployment of Airbus A380S, Boeing 777s, and the newest Airbus A350S within Emirates’ fleet ensures that Premium Economy seating is widely accessible across almost all long-haul sectors, successfully responding to increas­ingly prevalent demand for an accessible, upscale travel environment.

Enhancing Travel Value through Loyalty Programs for African Travellers

The integration of Premium Economy redemptions within the Skywards loyalty framework is particularly relevant to African travellers, who often seek flexibility alongside choice in the booking process. As sector-wide surveys reveal a surging appetite for elevated travel within the continent, multiple carriers are revising their loyalty currencies to meet the preferences of frequent flyer cohorts specifically. The option to convert accrued miles into Premium Economy seats enables professionals and leisure travellers moving across Africa to secure an elevated travel experience without the elevated costs traditionally associated with Business Class.

Analysis of Skywards activity reveals that large-volume redemptions for Classic Rewards, Cash+Miles, and Upgrade Rewards surged during the peak summer period. Customers value the newly integrated flydubai inventory, which, in conjunction with Emirates routes, enhances accessibility to critical global markets. Special attention should be paid to travel patterns originating from the African continent, where the trajectory of demand to Europe, Asia, and the Middle East continues to strengthen. Skywards’ dual-carrier access effectively captures that momentum by providing the necessary itinerary flexibility.

Emerging Corridor Developments in Africa

Intensifying competitive forces in Africa are compelling operators to upgrade loyalty architecture, and we see that trend replicating across the continent. The newly launched Premium Economy award class abroad Skywards is not an outlier, but an indicator of industry-wide movement toward seat-bin segmentation that accommodates aspirational premium demand. Moreover, the mechanism of Premium Economy should be interpreted as a calibrated entry-point, straddling cost containment for the issuer and distinguished value for the customer.

When analysing the domestic African stage, the Skywards extension of flydubai’s inventory is a critical leverage point. The Qatari carrier’s recent outpost of routes to Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, and Khartoum is diluting the earlier inertia embedded in conventional legacy schedules, providing a compelling gateway for international travellers to transfer seamlessly onto regional markets. This, in combination with competitive mileage accrual that mirrors Emirates’ legacy reporting, reinforces the loyalty ripple effect that carriers can cultivate by inter-operational cooperation.

The recent enlargement of the Skywards program illustrates the strategic role that air mobility plays in furthering tourism to the African continent and in deepening its integrated linkages with global hubs. By presenting travellers with an array of enhanced comfort and convenience, the regional aviation sector is being scaffolded for expansion, thereby reinforcing Africa’s stature as a competitively compelling destination on the international traveller’s itinerary.