Still Dreaming of Champagne and Caviar? Emirates First Class Is Still Bookable with Qantas Points

If you've been eyeing a seat in Emirates First Class—yes, the one with the private suite, shower at 40,000 feet, and bottomless Champagne—you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Despite some confusing signals over the weekend, Qantas Frequent Flyers can still book Emirates First Class using Qantas Points at Classic Reward rates.

Let me explain...

Emirates Drops a Curveball

On May 12, Emirates updated its website with a quiet but worrying change: starting immediately, First Class Classic Rewards are now only available to Emirates Skywards elite members (Platinum, Gold, and Silver). If you're a Skywards Blue member—or just booking through a partner airline like Qantas—it looked like the door to First was slamming shut.

Cue the panic.

A lot of us (myself included) assumed this meant the days of scoring Emirates First with Qantas Points were over.

Qantas: "Don't Worry, You're Still Good"

Thankfully, Qantas was quick to clarify: this change only affects Emirates Skywards members, not partners like Qantas.

Their official statement reads:

“Qantas Frequent Flyers continue to have access to First Class reward seats on Emirates... Emirates is one of over 45 partners in our program, and we saw the number of Classic Reward seats made available through our airline partners increase by nearly a third last year.”

Translation? If you’re using Qantas Points, Emirates First Class is still very much on the menu.

And thank goodness—because flying Emirates First is one of the best ways to burn Qantas Points.

Here's What You Can Book

Whether you're hopping the Tasman or heading all the way to Europe, Emirates First Class is an experience worth every point:

• Sydney to Christchurch – from 64,500 Qantas Points

• Sydney to London or Paris – around 250,000 Qantas Points

• Melbourne to Dubai on the new 'Game-Changer' 777 Suites – chef’s kiss

Emirates flies First Class from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, using a mix of their iconic Airbus A380s and long-range Boeing 777s. If you haven’t tried their latest suites out of Melbourne, you're missing one of the best hard products in the sky.

Why This Matters for Point Hackers

Emirates First has long been a bucket list redemption—and for good reason. It’s one of the few First Class experiences where the buzz lives up to the hype. Between the caviar, in-suite doors, and the shower spa (yes, it’s a real thing), it’s the kind of trip that makes you forget you used points instead of $10k.

And with Qantas confirming continued access, this is still one of the smartest ways to use your Qantas Points—especially with Emirates’ own program tightening the reins.

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Want more ways to fly First or Business Class without paying full price?
Check out our free guide on how to fly Business for less than Economy → https://shorturl.at/b2oAS