American Express has announced a temporary suspension in its Membership Rewards program that will affect cardmembers looking to transfer points to Emirates Skywards, the frequent flyer program of Emirates Airlines. This pause, effective from May 28, 2025, comes as a result of scheduled system maintenance, according to an official communication sent to American Express cardholders in India. This should not be taken as a devaluation of AmEx Credit Cards, as it is a temporary measure.
The communication stated: “Please note that, due to system maintenance, the option to transfer Membership Rewards® points to Emirates will be unavailable, effective 28 May 2025. We apologise for the inconvenience.”
Bottom Line
Recently, there has been a lack of positive news from American Express. First, the company halted all new credit card applications. Then, there were unfavorable changes to the AmEx Platinum Travel Credit Card. Now, there’s a temporary suspension of Emirates Skywards as a Membership Rewards points transfer partner. None of these developments provide a positive outlook for the company’s future in the country.
While there is no official timeline for when the transfer from American Express Membership Rewards to Emirates Skywards Miles will resume, it is expected that cardmembers may have to wait until June or July at the earliest.
Those who wish to transfer their MR points should do so before 28th May 2025.