How to redeem your Emirates Skywards miles for partner-operated flights right now

If you've been building up a stash of Emirates Skywards miles for a long-haul flight to Dubai, you might be wondering what to do with them right now.

With the U.S. Department of State issuing a Level 3 "Reconsider Travel" advisory for the United Arab Emirates due to the current conflict in Iran, Emirates is operating a severely reduced schedule. As a result, airspace across the Middle East is intermittently restricted, and booking an Emirates flight to or through Dubai International Airport (DXB) isn't a realistic option for most travelers at the moment.

But you don't need to fly Emirates or travel to or through the Middle East to get great value from those Skywards miles. Emirates has partnerships with more than a dozen individual airlines and just overhauled its partner award chart, slashing the cost of some partner redemptions.

Here's everything you need to know and what you can book now.

Related: What to do if your flight from — or through — the Middle East is affected

Which airlines can you redeem Skywards miles on?

Emirates is not a member of any of the three major airline alliances and instead maintains individual partnerships with a carefully curated (and admittedly eclectic) roster of airlines.

As of March, the following partner airlines are using Emirates' new distance-based award chart:

• Aegean Airlines
• Air Mauritius
• Azul Brazilian Airlines
• Bangkok Airways
• Condor
• Copa Airlines
• Garuda Indonesia
• Gol Airlines
• Korean Air
• Malaysia Airlines
• Olympic Air
• South African Airways
• TAP Air Portugal

Related: TAP Air Portugal unveils a 'neighbor-free seat' booking option in economy

Several other partners have not yet transitioned to the new chart and still price awards using the older (and generally more expensive) rates:

• Air Canada
• Japan Airlines
• Jetstar Airways
• United Airlines

Meanwhile, Qantas has its own dedicated Skywards award chart, which also received a significant overhaul on the same date.

You can view any of these award charts by selecting the individual partner airline here, scrolling down to select "important information" and then looking beneath the displayed earning chart(s).

Additional airline partners EasyJet and Jet2.com don't use a fixed award chart; instead, you can usually obtain around 0.6 to 0.7 cents per Skywards mile off the cost of cash fares on these airlines.

Skywards doesn't publish an awards chart for flights operated by FlyDubai, but these start from 5,000 Skywards miles for a short hop like DXB to Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha.

The best partner sweet spots with Emirates Skywards miles

The new partner award chart is distance-based, so your mileage cost depends on how far you fly, not which route you take. Short-haul flights under 300 miles are just 3,000 Skywards miles each way in economy or 7,500 miles in business class, making them some of the cheapest award flights in any loyalty program.

Here are some great options to consider:

• Greek island hops from just 3,000 miles: Some of the best Greek islands are the lesser-known ones that only receive domestic flights (try Paros or Naxos). Many interisland flights in Greece fall under the 300-mile threshold, costing just 3,000 Skywards miles each way in economy.
• Fly within South Korea on Korean Air: Seoul's Gimpo International Airport (GMP) to Jeju International Airport (CJU) costs just 3,000 Skywards miles in economy one-way or 7,500 miles in business class each way, down from 25,000 miles in business on the old chart.
• Lie-flat business class to Portugal from 67,500 miles: Flights from the East Coast to Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) or Porto's Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) require 67,500 miles each way; similar flights from the West Coast rise to 94,000 miles each way. The real value is in short European hops, with mainland Portugal-to-Madeira runs costing just 6,000 miles in economy or 15,000 miles in business class.
• Unlock Latin America from 4,500 miles: Miami International Airport (MIA) to Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama City costs 11,000 miles in economy one-way or 27,500 miles in business class each way. Panama City is a great place for a stopover, and Copa's extensive network for onward connections to Central American destinations under the 500-mile band is a great deal, as you can often find seats in economy class for just 4,500 miles.
• Fly Gol Airlines within Brazil: Domestic Brazilian flights under 500 miles cost as little as 4,500 miles in economy, which is a terrific value in a country where domestic fares can be surprisingly steep.
• Johannesburg to Cape Town from 8,000 miles: These awards saw some of the biggest drops, as Emirates previously used a pricier dedicated chart. The popular route from O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg to Cape Town International Airport (CPT) costs 8,000 miles in economy one-way or 20,000 miles in business class each way.
• Nonstop to Germany on Condor: Seasonal flights from several airports in the Northeast to Frankfurt Airport (FRA) cost 27,000 Skywards miles in economy or 67,500 miles in business class. One caveat: Condor is the only partner that saw some economy awards increase in price — by as much as 38% for longer routes — under the new chart.

Related: Why this airline you might not have heard of yet could be your best ticket to Europe

What about using Skywards miles on Qantas?

Qantas has its own dedicated Skywards award chart that was also recently overhauled. The revised rates are significantly better than the old chart. For example, Qantas business class from Sydney Airport (SYD) to Perth Airport (PER) in Australia dropped from a pricey 95,000 miles to 44,000 miles each way.

However, those Qantas-specific rates are still generally more expensive than booking the same flights through other programs. That same Sydney-to-Perth business-class seat costs 43,600 Qantas Frequent Flyer points when booked directly through Qantas or as few as 20,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles.

Where Qantas awards through Skywards might make sense is if you already have Skywards miles sitting in your account and can't access other programs, but they're rarely the cheapest way to book a Qantas flight.

How to transfer points and miles to Emirates Skywards

If you don't already have Skywards miles in your account or you want to top up your existing balance to make a savvy partner redemption, you can transfer points and miles from several major credit card programs.

Every major transferable currency except Chase Ultimate Rewards (which is no longer an Emirates partner) still offers transfers to Skywards, though many ratios have been reduced over the past year.

• Bilt: 1:1 (1,000 Bilt Points equal 1,000 Skywards miles)
• American Express Membership Rewards: 5:4 (1,000 Amex points equal 800 Skywards miles)
• Citi ThankYou Rewards: 1,000:800 for premium cardholders (1,000:560 for nonpremium cardholders)
• Capital One: 4:3 (1,000 Capital One miles equal 750 Skywards miles)
• Marriott Bonvoy: 3:1, with a 5,000-mile bonus per 60,000 points transferred (60,000 Marriott points equal 25,000 Skywards miles)

The golden rule of points and miles transfers still applies: Never transfer credit card points and miles to an airline program without a specific redemption in mind, as transfers cannot be reversed.

Skywards miles expire on a fixed schedule (generally three years after they're earned). Earning or transferring points or miles doesn't reset the clock, so confirm award space before you make a transfer.

Bottom line

It would be easy to write off the Emirates Skywards loyalty program right now, especially if you have already transferred points or miles from partner programs to book a luxurious ride in Emirates' Airbus A380 first class. But with the recently overhauled partner award chart reducing redemption rates, there is still good value in this program for anyone willing to look beyond Emirates' own flights.

If you have some "orphaned" Skywards miles with no immediate use, now could be the time to consider a partner redemption instead.