20 Arsenal games bookable with Emirates Skywards miles or Amex Membership Rewards

Slightly later than usual, Emirates Skywards loaded the full 2018/9 schedule of Arsenal FC tickets onto its website on Wednesday morning.

You can redeem via the Skywards website here.

They also have tickets for AC Milan, SL Benfica, Real Madrid, Hamburger and Paris Saint-Germain, but this article focuses on Arsenal.

Emirates Stadium games have basically been split into three categories (pricing is per seat):

Europa League – 10,500 miles for the Emirates VIP box or 5,000 miles for a standard seat

Normal league game – 20,000 miles for the Emirates VIP box or 10,000 miles for a standard seat

High profile league game – 40,000 miles for the Emirates VIP box or 20,000 miles for a standard seat

The highest profile games (Manchester City, Liverpool etc) are being auctioned.  This is a blind auction where you can’t see what other people are bidding.

Having done a lot of these redemptions, here are a few VERY important facts to note:

The Emirates box is THE best box in the stadium.  It is directly on the half way line.  You will never see a game of football from a better position.  And the seats are heated.

You get a high quality hot buffet and free drinks in the box.  It has a capacity of about 20 people, most of which are direct Emirates invites.  (I don’t know how the food and drink varies for evening games.)  Frankly, for the European matches at 10,500 miles per box seat it is a cheaper night out than going for a meal in a restaurant even if you don’t watch the game.

You can only book TWO seats per game per Emirates account.  More may be available but you cannot book more than two per game.  The system does not allow you to make multiple separate transactions – the only way to get more than two seats is to book from multiple Skywards accounts.

You do NOT get a refund if the match is changed due to TV schedules.  This is very important to understand.  TV games are only fixed a few weeks ahead.  Whilst you are booking for a Saturday, the game could be switched to Friday night, Saturday lunchtime, Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon or Monday evening.  There are no refunds if the game is changed and you cannot make it.

Photo ID is required when you collect the tickets on the day.  It is OK, when booking, to put your name down for both seats.  You will be emailed nearer the time and asked for the name of your guest.

How to use American Express Membership Rewards points

American Express Membership Rewards points transfer at 1:1 into Emirates Skywards.  Transfers are INSTANT if your accounts are already linked.

If they are not linked, it may take a day to complete.

I do not normally recommend making transfers from unlinked accounts to book tickets as they can easily sell out before your miles arrive.  However, with 20 potential games to book, I think it is a manageable risk if your Amex and Emirates accounts are not already linked.

This is what it’s like

Three years ago I took my father-in-law to watch Arsenal play Chelsea:

The food (buffet) and drink selection was excellent.  The 4pm kick-off meant that we had already eaten lunch so we only nibbled at the food.  It was done to a very high standard however.

The buffet was brought out again at half time with added snacks (chicken wings) and desserts.  Food is also available after the final whistle if you want to avoid the queue for the tube.

This is what I meant about the Emirates box being in the best position in the stadium:

The suite seats 24 people with 3 rows of 4 x 4 seating.  They are heated and well padded with substantial armrests – you will never sit in a comfier seat for a football match!  By law, you cannot take alcoholic drinks into the seats.  Soft drinks and tea / coffee are fine, however, as long as they are in plastic glasses.

If you are a big Arsenal fan, or are simply looking for an interesting way to use up your American Express Membership Rewards points or Emirates Skywards miles, I do recommend taking a look at these redemptions.

You can book your seats via this page of the Emirates website.

How to earn Emirates Skywards miles from UK credit cards (December 2021)

Emirates Skywards does not have a UK credit card.  However, you can earn Emirates Skywards miles by converting Membership Rewards points earned from selected UK American Express cards.  These are:

• American Express Preferred Rewards Gold (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 20,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 20,000 Emirates Skywards miles. This card is FREE for your first year and also comes with two free airport lounge passes.

• The Platinum Card from American Express (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 30,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 30,000 Emirates Skywards miles

• American Express Rewards credit card (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 5,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 5,000 Emirates Skywards miles. This card is FREE for life.

Membership Rewards points convert at 1:1 into Emirates Skywards miles which is an attractive rate.  The cards above all earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent on your card, which converts to 1 Emirates Skywards mile. The Gold card earns double points (2 per £1) on all flights you charge to it.