Emirates Status Match: Silver Status for $395 USD

Yes, you can get Emirates Skywards Silver through a status match: the request costs $395 USD and goes through StatusMatch.com. You need active elite status with another airline. Emirates has the final say on every request, and the fee for this offer is not refunded if your request is denied.

Silver is the first elite tier of Emirates Skywards. It opens First Class Classic Rewards to you, along with free access to the Emirates Business Class lounge in Dubai. If you fly out of Montreal or Toronto and connect through Dubai, one question matters: how often will you use it in 12 months?

How the Emirates status match works

You submit the request on StatusMatch.com, which forwards it to Emirates. First, you link at least one elite status you hold with another airline to your StatusMatch account; the platform accepts Aeroplan and WestJet Rewards status, among others. Emirates then shows up in the list of programs you can apply to.

The form asks for your Emirates Skywards membership number, your primary country of residence, whether you have asked Emirates for a status match in the last 12 months, the loyalty account or accounts you want to use, and proof of your current status.

Emirates can also grant you temporary status with a qualification challenge, and StatusMatch counts that as a successful match. You get an answer within 7 working days at most, and status granted lasts 12 months.

Emirates Skywards status match: key figures
Item	Detail
Tier offered	Silver only
Application fee	$395 USD
Refund if denied	None
Response time	Up to 7 working days
Length of status granted	12 months
Usual Silver threshold	25,000 Tier Miles
Application platform	StatusMatch.com

What Silver status gets you

Reaching Silver the usual way takes 25,000 Tier Miles on Emirates or flydubai flights. These are the perks that matter most for a Canadian traveller:

Bonus miles: 30% more Skywards Miles on Emirates and flydubai flights
First Class awards: access to Emirates First Class Classic Rewards, limited to Silver, Gold and Platinum members
Airport lounge: free access to the Emirates Business Class lounge in Dubai, no guest
Check-in: priority counters at Terminal 3 in Dubai and across the network
Baggage: 12 kg of extra allowance
Boarding: priority boarding and free seat selection
Hotels: once you link your accounts, you earn Skywards Miles on top of your Marriott Bonvoy points during your stays

The Dubai lounge is the easiest perk to put a number on. Without status, entry to the Business Class lounge in Dubai costs $150 USD per visit for a Skywards member, before taxes. For more on the airline's lounges, read our piece on next-generation Emirates lounges.

Requirements to check

Before paying, make sure your file ticks these boxes.

An active elite status with another airline, linked to your StatusMatch.com account and verifiable
An Emirates Skywards account in your name, with its membership number
No status match request sent to Emirates in the last 12 months, or an honest answer on the form if you did
Ideally, a paid Business or First Class flight with Emirates already booked in your Skywards account: recommended to improve your odds, not mandatory
$395 USD paid when you apply, with no refund if denied

Is it worth $395 USD for a Canadian traveller?

The math fits on one line: at $150 USD per visit, the Dubai lounge alone covers the fee after 3 visits. A Montreal to Dubai round trip with a connection to Asia or Africa already gives you 2 lounge visits.

Emirates Business Class seat in quilted beige leather, with a personal screen, minibar and wood-framed windows — Emirates Business Class: a paid ticket in this cabin strengthens your status match request.

The other gain is access to First Class awards with Skywards Miles, as long as you have enough of them to book. In Canada, the most direct source is Marriott Bonvoy: according to Marriott, you transfer your points to Skywards at a 3:1 ratio, with 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points. That means 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points become 25,000 Skywards Miles. For comparison, see how to book Emirates First Class with Aeroplan points.

Compare

Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card

American Express Marriott Bonvoy

Annual fee: $120
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$700Total$700Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $700
Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months: Up to 70,000 points

Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.

New Cardmembers can earn up to 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points with the current offer:

Earn up to 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership.
Plus, earn 10,000 points after you spend $500 on your Card in your 13th month of Cardmembership.

The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.

Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.

To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.

The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.

You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 70,000 point welcome offer is worth about $630, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.

Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.

You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.

The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.

Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.

Legal

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.

Annual fee

Primary card$120

Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0

Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

5xMarriott Bonvoy hotels
2xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,210

2nd Year Value$312

Travel insurance

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $500

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Your Silver perks follow you on Emirates, on flydubai and on Qantas flights booked under an Emirates (EK) flight number. Emirates is not part of any of the three major alliances (Star Alliance, oneworld, SkyTeam), though, so Silver gets you no recognition elsewhere. Even with Air Canada, its Canadian partner, lounge access is limited to Gold and Platinum members. If you have no Emirates flight planned this year, the match has little value.

Comparing before you pay? Two other paid matches have their own article on our site: the Kenya Airways status match and the Flying Blue status match, now closed to Canadian residents.

Bottom Line

We recommend applying for the Emirates match only if you have a paid Emirates flight in the next 12 months, ideally in Business or First, and a strong elite status to put forward. Budget $395 USD with no guaranteed result. To hear about the next status match offers, create your free member account and pick your newsletters from your profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the Emirates Skywards status match cost?

The request costs $395 USD, paid to StatusMatch.com, which bills in US dollars. For this offer, the fee is not refunded, even if Emirates denies your request or only grants temporary status with a challenge.

Can I use Aeroplan or WestJet status?

Yes, StatusMatch accepts Aeroplan and WestJet Rewards status among the programs you can link to your account. The final decision still rests with Emirates, which reviews each file individually.

Which Emirates tier can I get through a status match?

Only Silver, the first elite tier of Emirates Skywards. By flying, you would need 25,000 Tier Miles to reach it.

How long does matched Silver status last?

Status granted lasts 12 months. Emirates Skywards counts your membership year from the date you receive the status, not from the calendar year.

How long does it take to get an answer?

You get an answer within 7 working days at most after submitting a complete request. StatusMatch first verifies your current status, then forwards your file to Emirates.

Do I need an Emirates flight booked to apply?

It is not mandatory, but it is recommended: a paid Business or First Class Emirates ticket already in your Skywards account improves your chances of approval.

Does Silver get me into the Emirates lounge in Dubai?

Yes. You get free access to the Emirates Business Class lounge in Dubai, with no guest. Without status, the same entry costs a Skywards member $150 USD per visit, before taxes.

How can I earn Skywards Miles from Canada?

The most direct route is Marriott Bonvoy: you transfer your points at a 3:1 ratio, with 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points. The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card earns you those points on everyday purchases.