Arsenal tickets bookable with Emirates or Amex points – but no VIP packages

Emirates has released another batch of Arsenal football tickets for Emirates Skywards members who have miles to redeem.  You can also use American Express Membership Rewards points via a transfer.

Oddly, only standard tickets have been released. There is nothing in the Emirates VIP box.

That said, given the ludicrous pricing which Emirates has been asking in recent months for the box – which appeared to leave most seats unsold – this isn’t necessarily surprising.

10,000 miles for standard admission is good value

Here are the five games for which standard admission tickets are currently available:

• 1st January – Manchester City – 12,000 miles per ticket

• 22nd January – Burnley – 10,000 miles per ticket

• 19th February – Brentford – 10,000 miles per ticket

• 26th February – Liverpool – 12,000 miles per ticket

• 12th March – Leicester City – 10,000 miles per ticket

I know someone who went to a game recently on a standard ticket. Whilst he initially thought the location in the ground wasn’t great, he admitted to me afterwards that it was actually an impressive spot.

How to book

Full details and booking is available on this page of the Emirates website.

You cannot get a refund if the time or date of the game is changed and you can no longer attend. However, covid issues aside, the TV schedules are normally fixed two months in advance. According to the comments below, the Liverpool game clashes with the League Cup final and so could be moved.

Tickets cannot be transferred, in theory.  However, whilst I haven’t been this season, I am told that you are now sent an e-ticket instead of collecting your ticket from the Arsenal offices in person. This should make it easier to let someone else attend using your miles. The website does not mention e-ticketing so don’t redeem if you are not prepared to go yourself. The worse case scenario is that you collect the tickets from the Arsenal offices using photo ID and then hand them to your guests outside.

Transfers from American Express Membership Rewards to Emirates Skywards are instantaneous if the accounts are already linked and should be pretty quick even if they are not. The transfer ratio is 1:1.

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How to earn Emirates Skywards miles from UK credit cards (December 2023)

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.

Cards earning Membership Rewards points include:

• 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 four 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 10,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 10,000 Emirates Skywards miles. This card is FREE for life.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 9th January 2024, you will receive 30,000 Membership Rewards points (convertible to 30,000 Avios) with American Express Preferred Rewards Gold. You receive 25,000 points if you spend £3,000 in three months and a further 5,000 points if you hold the card for 15 months. You can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 9th January 2024, you will receive a huge 100,000 Membership Rewards points (convertible to 100,000 Avios) with The Platinum Card. You receive 75,000 points if you spend £10,000 in six months and a further 25,000 points if you hold the card for 15 months. You can apply here.

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.