Emirates has quietly introduced a ban on children in first class, but only when redeeming miles.

Emirates Bans Children 8 And Under From First Class When Redeeming Miles

One Mile At A Time notes that Emirates Skywards recently (and without notice) updated its terms & conditions, adding a new restriction against children in first class:

Please note that passengers aged 8 years old and below are ineligible for First Class Emirates Classic Rewards and Upgrade Rewards.

This new rule went into effect on August 15, 2025 and bans children under eight from first class cabins when redeeming miles to either book the flight or to upgrade from business class. This ban does not apply to children on revenue (“paid”) tickets.

That’s quite a curious distinction considering the high fees on Emirates awards…which can run over $2,000 on an intercontinental round trip.

At least for now, it appears that Emirates may not be enforcing this ban, as the website still allows first class award redemptions and upgrades, when available, for children eight and under.

I’d imagine that Emirates would not retroactively cancel any tickets booked before the policy goes into effect (or is enforced), but if you are considering an infant first class redemption on Emirates, it is best to book now.

My Issue With This Policy

I do understand that some will rejoice over this policy. Of course, it is aggravating when a child cries when you are in first class…and of course, there’s a certain degree of understandable entitlement that part of your consideration for booking a first class ticket is to be able to sleep well and enjoy the amenities in peace.

As the father of two young children, one of whom is five years old and the other who is eight (so both are currently banned from Emirates First Class when using miles), I may not be in favor of this policy, but I acknowledge that not every five-year-old is as well-traveled and well-behaved as my daughter. Just because she didn’t make a peep during our 11-hour journey to San Francisco a couple of weeks ago does not mean that other young children can keep quiet on a longhaul flight.

Just as pilots are forced to retire at 65 regardless of their individual circumstances, I can understand that a generally applicable rule is far easier to administer than handling every issue on a case-by-case basis.

So I guess I’m saying, fundamentally, I get the rationale of the ban.

But what I don’t understand is why Emirates is discriminating against those who use their miles…as if they are freeloaders. Have you seen the price of an Emirates First Class award? And the surcharges on top of it? I’d argue in many cases, it makes a lot more sense simply to pay cash for the tickets and save the miles, since you’ll be paying a tremendous amount out of pocket anyway.

I’m not going to use apartheid language…but I’m also not certain (though this is certainly not my area of legal expertise) whether this policy runs afoul of European age discrimination laws, but I think the answer is no because the age discrimination rules in the EU apply mostly to employment. In fact, Emirates might even be able to argue that polices requiring young children to be within reach of adults might prohibit children between the ages of two and eight from occupying their own seats.

Will Other Airlines Follow?

I have to imagine carriers like Air France, Lufthansa, and SWISS will watch how this develops closely. It isn’t clear to me how prevalent a “problem” children in first class are. I’ve flown first class many, many times over the years and the only flight I can recall with a bad child in first class was that Lufthansa First Class flight where I was sitting between Jane Fonda and Amanda Seyfried.

> Read More: Flying Lufthansa First Class with Hollywood Stars, Oligarchs, and Executives

It would not surprise me to see other airlines follow if Emirates gets away with this, but I’m also not expecting any one to match anytime soon.

CONCLUSION

As of August 15, 2025, Emirates has banned children eight years of age and under from traveling in first class, but only when using miles. I don’t think the discrimination based upon payment type makes sense, but even as the father of two well-traveled children who would be impacted by the ban, I cannot honestly say I am outraged by it.

How about you?

image: Emirates