Starting late May 2025, Emirates Skywards will pause points transfers from several major loyalty programs, including Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, and Chase Ultimate Rewards. Each program has communicated slightly different blackout windows, with Bilt pausing transfers from May 27 to June 19, Chase from May 29 to June 30, and Amex implementing an indefinite suspension starting May 28. This move affects anyone looking to redeem Emirates Skywards points—especially for Emirates’ sought-after premium cabin awards—where the program continues to offer the most direct access, albeit at a premium cost.

The reason behind this temporary freeze stems from a technology upgrade within Emirates’ internal loyalty platform. As Emirates migrates its backend systems, the ability to process and track inbound transfers from partner programs is being temporarily disabled. While this isn’t tied to a devaluation or policy change, it does come on the heels of Citi ThankYou reducing its transfer ratio to Emirates from 1:1 to 5:4, effective July 27. Despite the timing, these are reportedly unrelated events.

Emirates Airlines flight attendant assisting passengers

Our Take

This suspension is frustrating but not catastrophic—provided you act fast. If you’re planning a Skywards redemption, transfer your points now before your preferred portal closes. Bilt Rewards users, in particular, should pay close attention since their window reopens sooner than others. In the long term, these kinds of infrastructure upgrades can actually lead to more stability and functionality across programs, but in the short term, they disrupt strategic award planning.

What matters most here is that Emirates remains one of the few programs where booking luxury cabins is still viable with transferable points—despite surcharges and the new elite-status requirement for First Class. If you’re targeting high-value Emirates redemptions, make sure your points are where they need to be before the cutoff. And if your go-to transfer partner hasn’t yet announced a pause (we’re looking at you, Capital One and Citi), don’t assume you’re safe—transfer proactively if you have a near-term redemption in mind.