How I Beat the AMEX Portal and Flew Emirates First For a Fraction of the Points

‍Your Seat

Calling it a “seat” doesn’t do it justice. It’s a fully enclosed private suite, complete with 3 windows, sliding doors, ambient lighting, a vanity mirror, and touchscreen controls for everything. You get a lie-flat bed at the push of a button, your own mini bar, and enough personal space to stretch out, work, dine, or just soak it all in.

Food & Beverage

The onboard dining rivals high-end restaurants. Within minutes of takeoff, I was sipping chilled Dom Perignon and being served caviar with all the traditional garnishes. You can order anything from the a la carte menu at any time — from lamb biryani to lobster tail. It’s white-glove service, on demand, whenever you're hungry.

The Sky Bar

Midway through the flight, I wandered to the iconic onboard lounge — yes, an actual cocktail bar in the sky. The bartender made me a fresh espresso martini, and we chatted while cruising over the Middle East. Whether you want to mingle, stretch your legs, or enjoy another glass of something bubbly, this space is pure magic.

Shower & SPA

There’s a literal spa on board. I reserved a 30-minute slot and took a hot shower mid-flight — complete with heated floors, luxury toiletries, and fluffy towels. It’s surreal washing your hair while flying over the desert. You get up to 5 minutes of hot shower which is plenty. Honestly, it might be the most refreshed I’ve ever felt before landing.

Sleep + Pajamas

After dinner and drinks, I returned to find my suite transformed — bed made, lights dimmed, and Emirates pajamas waiting. Slipping into them felt like checking into a high-end hotel room. I laid back under a plush duvet, watched a movie, and fell asleep to the gentle hum of the engines. First Class sleep hits different.

Option 1: Booking Directly With the Airline ❌

Booking directly with Emirates would’ve cost $5,560.

Option 2: Booking Through the AMEX Travel Portal ❌

Booking through the AMEX travel portal would’ve cost 479,400 points.

Option 3: Booking With a Transfer to a Partner Airline ✅

Booking with a transfer from AMEX to a partner airline: 89,900 points + $531.20.

How To Collect Points

I had American Express (AMEX) Membership Rewards points saved up from signup bonuses and regular spending against categories with high multipliers. I mostly use these three AMEX cards against specific categories to maximize points stacking:

AMEX Platinum: Flights & Hotels (5X points)

AMEX Business Gold: Restaurants & Facebook Ads (4X points)

AMEX Blue Cash Everyday: Gas & Groceries (3% and 6% cash back)

Use those cards wisely. A classic example of what NOT to do is paying the restaurant tab with your AMEX platinum. Always use your gold.

If the bill is $500, you only get 500 points with the platinum vs 2,000 points by using the gold.

Once you've earned your first signup bonus and collected points wisely with daily purchases, it's time to put them to good use!

Booking Breakdown

• Step 1: Used Roame Travel to find a low-point First Class seat on the Paris - Dubai route.
  
• Step 2: Transferred 89,900 Amex points to Qantas Frequent Flyer (the transfer was instant).
  
• Step 3: Booked the Emirates flight directly via the Qantas’s website (partner airline).
  

The whole process took less than 30 minutes once I spotted availability.

In summary, here's what I paid:

• Points: 89,900 Amex points (transferred directly to Qantas)
  
• Taxes/fees: $531.20
  
• Savings: Roughly $5,000, or over 6 cents per point in value (instead of the 1 cent from the AMEX portal)
  ‍

How You Can Do It Too

Here’s the exact playbook:

• Earn Amex Membership Rewards points via signup bonuses and everyday spend. (Or Chase Ultimate Rewards points, they’re just as valuable).
  
• Use Roame Travel to find award availability on your desired route.
  
• Transfer Amex points to the partner airline once you confirm the seat is available.
  
• Book directly through the airline website—don’t use the Amex portal unless it’s a last resort.
• Act fast. Availability can disappear quickly, especially on a good deal and a premium route like CDG → DXB.

‍

Keep Your Multipliers in Mind

Always pay attention to your multiplier, and never book directly on the AMEX portal.

A general rule of thumb is to get at least 4x the value on your points. To calculate that multiplier, divide the cash price by the number of points required. AMEX standard redemption on their portal is a 1x multiplier (you get $0.01 per point).

Example:

A $5,000 flight will generally cost 500,000 points on the AMEX portal (1X multiplier, or $0.01 per point)

A $5,000 flight booked by transferring points to a partner airline can be as low as 80,000 points, for a whopping 6.25X multiplier (or $0.06 per point instead of $0.01!)

(P.S: I avoid using points to travel within the United States because I find it’s rarely worth using my points. Most redemptions are within 1 to 2x multiplier. Overseas flights are usually where the crazy deals are!)

‍

Was It Worth It?

No question: absolutely.

I got over 6 cents of value per point, which is insane compared to the average 1 cent per point you’d get by redeeming directly on your Credit Card portal.

This flight gave me more joy, memories, and Instagram content than 5 roundtrips in coach ever could. I even got to film a couple ads to promote my newsletter.

‍

Final Thoughts

If you’re sitting on a pile of credit card points, don’t waste them on flights that feel just “meh.” Go big. Points are a tool to unlock unforgettable experiences! And if you’re still using debit cards for your daily purchases, today is the day you throw them in the trash.

You can earn up to 80,000 points with the American Express Platinum signup bonus, and 60,000 with the American Express Gold.

Want more travel hacking tips like this?
Subscribe to The Modern Freelancer and I’ll show you how to fly like a baller, even on a freelancer budget.