Emirates introduced a major change to their first class cabin: No children when redeeming miles.
According to One Mile at a Time, the luxury airline quietly implemented the restriction as of August 15, 2025.
“With this, Emirates no longer allows children ages eight and under to fly first class, assuming they’re redeeming miles either for an outright award ticket, or for an upgrade,” the outlet reported. “To be clear, there are no restrictions on booking first class tickets for children with cash, but instead, this is just a limitation on accessing the cabin through miles.”
This is the latest update the airline has made to restrict access to its first-class award redemptions.
Earlier this year, Emirates began restricting first-class award redemptions to travelers holding Platinum, Gold and Silver status.
Another major change was announced for Emirates Business class travelers. Earlier this month, the Dubai-based carrier retired the 2-3-2 Business Class layout on its Boeing 777-300ERs, doing away with the dreaded middle seat.
In addition, the airline revealed, “Our First Class Suites on our new Boeing 777 will have the latest technology, game-changing zero gravity seats and floor-to-ceiling privacy doors. The middle suites will also feature our virtual windows so everyone can enjoy exterior views above the clouds.”
