✈ Upgrading to Emirates First Class With Miles, Choice Raises Award Night Cap Above 35K Points & More Daily News From TPG ✈

Plus, deal alert: Fly to Sydney from $833 round-trip June 21, 2024 [THE POINTS GUY]( [View in browser]( [TPG Daily NEWSLETTER]( [THE POINTS GUY]( Upgrading to Emirates first class at the airport by Nick Ewen, Senior Editorial Director [TPG | Hero Image] Few things in life excite me more than using points and miles to make memories with my wife and 9-year-old daughter. On a recent flight home from Europe, I did just that. I upgraded all three of us to [Emirates first class]( — as we stood at the airport check-in counter. We were flying the carrier’s [fifth-freedom route]( from Athens International Airport (ATH) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), and we had used miles to book business class. But I knew that Emirates typically opens up mileage upgrades at the airport — and with seven of the eight seats on the Boeing 777-300ER still open when we left our hotel, I had high hopes. And I was right. Once the agent confirmed availability, I logged in to my [Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card]( account and [transferred 117,000 miles]( — 39,000 per person — to Emirates Skywards (Chase, American Express and Citi are also 1:1 transfer partners). The miles arrived immediately, and a few minutes later, we had three first-class boarding passes in hand. I felt like a kid on Christmas as we boarded the plane, though my daughter may have been even more excited (it was her first time in [international first class]( and Emirates didn’t disappoint. Personal minibars. Caviar. Dom Perignon 2013. Pajamas. Sliding doors. It was [so over the top]( — and we loved every second of it. Sure, it was a splurge. Those miles could’ve been put toward a future trip. But seeing the pure delight on the faces of my family made it one of my best redemptions to date. Want to learn more? Read these stories: - [Getting my money's worth in Emirates first class: Bottomless Champagne and endless caviar]( - [Cashing in Capital One miles? How to get the maximum value when redeeming miles]( - [How (and why) you should earn transferable credit card points in 2024]( - [Check out the Capital One Venture X]( - [Best Capital One credit cards]( Happy travels, Nick Posts in this newsletter contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products, and this may impact how or where they appear. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, [visit this page](. Photo Credit: ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY. Stand with local businesses! The Credit Card Competition Act of 2023 could eviscerate rewards programs that drive billions of dollars to local businesses throughout the tourism economy. Tell Congress to support small businesses by leaving these programs alone. 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