Emirates Change Flight (Guide)

How to make flight changes free of charge

The revised Emirates change flight policy has extended the validity of flight tickets affected by COVID-19. If your flight was cancelled by Emirates, or if entry bans or quarantine restrictions at your city of origin or destination prevented your from travelling during the dates below, you can either cancel your ticket for a refund (without penalty) or use the same ticket to travel later within the next 24 or 36 months without paying any flight change fee, as explained below.

What is Emirates Flight Change Policy?

• The Emirates change flight policy allows you to make free changes to the following flight bookings or cancel and refund them without any penalty:
  
  Under the Emirates flight change policy for COVID in the following scenarios:

• For tickets with a travel completion date on/before August 31, 2022, that were issued between April 1, 2021, and October 11, 2021:
  • You can keep the ticket booked by you and use it anytime within the next 24 months from the original date of booking. 
  • The validity of your ticket will be extended automatically if you booked directly through Emirates—just call Emirates with your dates when you’re ready to travel.
  • If you booked your ticket through a travel agent, contact them before your ticket expires to extend its validity. 
  • You can use your ticket to travel to the same destination or another destination within the same region* in the same travel class for no additional fee during this period. However, if your original flight’s itinerary did not include Dubai, your rebooked flight’s itinerary should also not include Dubai.
  • You can cancel your ticket and request a refund (without penalty). 

• For tickets with a travel completion date on/before August 31, 2022, that were issued between October 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021:
  • You can keep the ticket booked by you and use it anytime within the next 36 months from the original date of booking. 
  • The validity of your ticket will be extended automatically if you booked directly through Emirates—just call Emirates with your dates when you’re ready to travel.
  • If you booked your ticket through a travel agent, contact them before your ticket expires to extend its validity.
  • You can use your ticket to travel to the same destination or another destination within the same region* in the same travel class for no additional fee during this period. For example, if your original itinerary was for London in Economy Class, you can rebook your flight for Amsterdam in the same travel class at no additional charge. However, if your original flight’s itinerary did not include Dubai, your rebooked flight’s itinerary should also not include Dubai.
  • You can cancel your ticket and request a refund (without penalty).
    
• For tickets with a travel completion date on/before August 31, 2022, that were issued on/before September 30, 2020:
  • You can keep the ticket booked by you and use it anytime within the next 36 months from the original date of booking. 
  • The validity of your ticket will be extended automatically if you booked directly through Emirates—just call Emirates with your dates when you’re ready to travel.
  • If you booked your ticket through a travel agent, contact them before your ticket expires to extend its validity and reschedule for a later date.
  • You can use your ticket to travel to the same destination or within the same region* in any travel class without being charged a change fee during this period, but you must pay the applicable difference in fares and taxes if you’re changing the date or destination. For example, if your original itinerary was for London in Economy Class, you can rebook your flight for Amsterdam in for no additional charge. However, if your original flight’s itinerary did not include Dubai, your rebooked flight’s itinerary should also not include Dubai.
  • You can cancel your ticket and request a refund (without penalty). 

Note

• To qualify for the above waivers, the change flight policy requires you to produce valid documentary evidence proving your inability to travel.
• If you want to make changes to a flight that doesn’t fall under the relaxed policies listed above, you must pay the applicable change fee and the difference between the old and new fares.
• If you want to cancel and refund a flight not covered under the relaxed policies above, you will be charged a cancellation fee depending on the fare rules of your ticket.

• If your flight fails to operate per schedule, stop at your destination/stopover, causes you to miss a connecting flight (Emirates/another airline) on which you hold a confirmed reservation (subject to sufficient connection time after your flight’s scheduled arrival time), you have the option to: 
  • Ask Emirates to rebook you on a convenient flight operated by Emirates or another airline at no additional charge 
  • Get rebooked on the next available flight and extend the validity of your ticket, if required, at no additional charge
  • Cancel and refund your flight at no additional charge

Emirates Ticket Change Rules for Flight Bookings Affected by COVID

What are Emirates change flight policy rules for COVID affected situations?

• If you rebook your flight within the extended validity period of your Emirates ticket (as indicated above), you will not be charged a change fee.
• You can make flight changes and rebook online via Manage Your Booking or by phone (++1-844-933-2065).
• If your itinerary doesn’t fall under the COVID-19 relaxed policies above: 
  • You will be charged a change fee for making any flight changes, subject to the fare rules of your ticket. 
  • You will be charged a cancellation fee for refunding your ticket, subject to the fare rules of your ticket.
• Travel vouchers are no longer in use, but if you’re holding one:
  • You can use it up to its full value during its 2-year validity period.  
  • If you do not use your travel voucher during its validity period, you can ask for a refund online via the refund page. 

How to Change an Emirates Flight Booking

You can make changes to your Emirates flight date, time, and/or destination: 

• By phone (call +1-844-933-2065 or the Emirates office/call center in your city)
• Online 
• Through the travel agent you purchased your ticket from 

To change your Emirates flight booking online:

A screenshot of the Manage your booking page to change flights online

1. Go to the Emirates Airlines official website: Emirates.com 
2. From the Manage tab’s dropdown, select Change your booking
3. Enter the following information: 
   1. Your last name 
   2. Your booking reference number
4. Click on the Retrieve Booking button
5. Select the flight booking you want to make changes to
6. Follow the on-screen prompts to:
   1. Change the date or time of your flight
   2. Change your destination or origin
   3. Add or remove stopovers
   4. Change your route (i.e., from one-way to from round trip)
   5. Change your cabin class (i.e., from Economy to Business or First Class)
   6. Cancel a part of your itinerary 

You will receive a confirmation mail after you finalize the changes.

Remember

• If you had purchased your ticket from a travel agent, you must ask them to change your ticket before it expires.
• If you can’t see the option to change your booking online, you may not be eligible to change your flight. For assistance or clarification, call Emirates or your travel agent. 
• When making changes online, you will be able to view the price difference before you confirm any changes.  
• Flight changes made online via Manage Your Booking will impact all passengers on your booking. If you want to change a single passenger’s booking, your will need to call Emirates or your travel agent. 
• To change an Emirates Skywards rewards booking,  use the Rewards change form.

Emirates Change Fee

What is the change flight fee at Emirates?

Emirates change fees are fare and route dependent. The airline does not display its change fee on its official site and asks you to refer to your ticket’s fare conditions. However, after doing some research, we found that the Emirates Airlines booking change fee ranges from: 

• ~USD 200 for Economy Special fares. 
• ~USD 400 for Business Special fares.
• ~USD 200 for Economy Saver fares.
• ~USD 400 for Business Saver fares.
• USD 0 for Economy, Business, and First Flex fares.
• USD 0 for Economy, Business, and First Flex Plus fares.

Exclusions/Waivers. No change fee will apply to tickets that fall under the prevailing travel waivers for: 

• Tickets issued between April 1, 2021—October 11, 2021, with a travel completion date on/before August 31, 2022, for which: 
  • The validity period has been automatically extended by 24 months from the original date of booking. 
  • The ticket can be used anytime during its extended validity period for travelling to the same destination or another destination within the same region for no additional charge.
    
• Tickets issued between October 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, with a travel completion date on/before August 31, 2022, for which:
  • The validity has been automatically extended by 36 months from the original booking date. 
  • The ticket can be used anytime during its extended validity period for travelling in the same travel class to the same destination or another destination within the same region for no extra charge.
    
• Tickets issued on or before September 30, 2020, with a travel completion date on or before August 31, 2022, for which:
  • The validity has been automatically extended by 36 months from the original booking date. 
  • The ticket can be used anytime during its extended validity period for travelling to the same destination or another destination within the same region in any travel class for no extra charges. However, difference in fares and taxes must be paid for changing date or destination. 

Emirates Flight Change Fee—Economy Special and Business Special Fares

Emirates’ Special fares for Economy and Business Class are normally the cheapest fares offered by the airline. If you’ve purchased a Special fare that doesn’t qualify under the relaxed COVID-19 policies as explained above on this page, you will be charged a flight change fee of ~USD 200 for making changes to an Economy Special fare and ~USD 400 for making changes to a Business Special fare.

Emirates Change Fee—Economy Saver and Business Saver Fares

Emirates’ Saver fares are costlier but can be changed for a fee. The change fee for Saver fares ranges from USD 200 – 400, depending on travel class. If you modify an Economy Saver fare, it will typically cost your ~USD 200, and if you modify a Business Saver fare, it will cost you ~400 per passenger. 

Emirates Change Fee—Economy Flex, Business Flex, First Class Flex Fares

Emirates’ Flex fares are costlier but can be changed without a fee. The change fee for making changes to Economy Flex, Business Flex, and First Flex fares is nil. 

Emirates Change Fee—Economy Flex Plus, Business Flex Plus, First Flex Plus FaresEmirates’ Flex Plus fares are costlier but the most flexible. You can make changes to your all Flex Plus tickets in any travel class free of charge.

Frequently Asked Questions on Emirates Change Flight Policy