Emirates Chauffeur and Skywards Award Tickets: What Changed in March 2019

Here's the thing about the Emirates chauffeur service: most people assume it comes with the premium cabin ticket. For revenue passengers in first or business class, that's correct. For anyone booking on Skywards miles, it hasn't been the case since March 2019 — and a surprising number of people arranging premium travel on award tickets still don't know this.

What changed in March 2019?

Effective March 1, 2019, Emirates removed chauffeur drive from Skywards Classic Reward tickets in First and Business Class, and from Economy to Business Class Upgrade Rewards. This was confirmed directly by Emirates at the time and remains in force.

The announcement was brief: "After a careful review of customer take-up and operational considerations, Emirates First and Business Class Classic Reward tickets and Economy to Business Class Upgrade Rewards will no longer be eligible for complimentary chauffeur drive services."

Any chauffeur reservations completed before March 1, 2019 — even for flights after that date — were honoured. New reservations made after that date, regardless of when the flight operates, are not eligible.

Does this also apply to partner airline redemptions?

Yes. Chauffeur drive is not available on reward tickets booked through Emirates Skywards airline partners for travel on Emirates. This extended to Qantas Points bookings in mid-2019. If you're redeeming miles from any frequent flyer programme to fly Emirates in a premium cabin, the chauffeur is not included.

Who still gets the Emirates chauffeur?

Revenue passengers in First and Business Class. Chauffeur drive remains a standard inclusion for anyone paying cash or card for a premium Emirates ticket. The service operates in cities around the world, with mileage limits per city — passengers who travel beyond the limit pay for the excess mileage directly to the driver.

Why does this matter when booking?

Because the chauffeur is often a meaningful part of the Emirates premium travel pitch — particularly in cities like Dubai, London, and New York where the ground transfer to the airport has real value. If a principal is flying Emirates First Class on Skywards miles, the expectation of a chauffeur pickup needs to be managed before departure day. Finding out at check-in that it's not included is an avoidable problem.

The lounge access and baggage allowance based on cabin class do still apply to award tickets. The chauffeur specifically does not.

Is this the only Emirates chauffeur exclusion worth knowing?

The miles-based award exclusion is the most significant. It's also worth noting that Emirates has periodically adjusted chauffeur availability on certain business class fare types — checking the specific fare conditions at the time of booking is always advisable.

If you're arranging an Emirates First Class booking on award miles and want to understand the full picture of what's included and what isn't, we're glad to walk through it. Reach us at bookmefirstclass.com

Sources: Business Traveller · One Mile at a Time · Emirates official terms and conditions · Gulf News