Few companies excel at brand management like Emirates. Iâm talking about the clarity of their brand promise, the consistency of execution across touch points (advertising, digital, app, and in lounges and onboard), and continuous innovation. Plus, Emirates understands the importance of exclusivity.
This strategic discipline has paid off. The brand consistently ranks among the world’s most valuable airline brands, currently number 4 globally with a brand value of $7.4 billion, according to Brand Finance, and generated $33 billion in revenue in 2023-24, with premium cabins driving significant yield premiums.
And good brand strategy is knowing when to say no. So I wasn’t entirely surprised when I saw Emirates announce that its first-class product can now only be booked by Emirates Skywards members at the Silver, Gold, or Platinum tier. The collective gasp you heard on the internet this weekend was points bloggers, mileage runners, and YouTubers, disappointed by the change. I understand the negative reaction, but for the Emirates brand, it was strategically brilliant.
Protecting the First-Class Experience
For a long time, Emirates has benefitted from the halo of its first-class product: the Game Changer suites, the A380 showers ( highlighted by a memorable Jennifer Aniston spot), and the accoutrements like the if-you-know-you-know grey tote, Bvlgari products, and black notebook.
Emiratesâ first class has become a grail item for bloggers and other people who like to hack systems and broadcast their experiences. In fact, Emirates reviews are a surefire way to goose YouTube engagement.
The problem is for the core audience. These are people spending actual money to sit up front, or elite, regular customers of the airline, and this cabin is the last place you want to be annoyed by people broadcasting every molecular detail of their experience and asking for a third serving of caviar.
It diminished the cabin experience for other paying customers. And thatâs why Emiratesâ decision to restrict access is brand protection at its finest and why I’m all for it. Emirates calculated that it has already built up enough brand value from the social proliferation of the first-class product, and that it was time to assert its exclusivity.
The economics here are counterintuitive. Emirates has among the largest first-class cabins in the world, up to 14 suites on some A380s, and award redemptions aren’t cheap giveaways. With prices often exceeding 200,000 miles plus substantial taxes, Emirates likely makes money on these redemptions. This move isn’t about filling seats or protecting yield; it’s about deciding who fills them.
Emirates is borrowing from the luxury playbook here: Think Hermès limiting Birkin bag purchases or Rolex’s notorious waitlists. The psychology is identical: scarcity creates desire, and exclusivity protects brand equity. When everyone can access your premium product (and annoy other passengers as they document it), it ceases to be premium.
They are taking a cue from Air France, which has been arguably the best executor of luxury service with its La Première product. Air France makes it notoriously hard to book, and often limits it to the higher levels of its own loyalty program or other Skyteam members. It is hard to hack, and thus the allure, and privacy, is heightened for the people paying for the product.
These moves come as more airlines are deciding to double down on first-class products: British Airways is investing £400 million in its new first-class suite, Lufthansa is retrofitting its A350s with Allegris First, and Singapore Airlines continues to expand its suite-equipped fleet. But product innovation alone isn’t enough. As Emirates demonstrates, protecting the exclusivity of that product is equally crucial.
In an era where every experience is Instagrammed and TikToked, Emirates’ move is a reminder that there are still moves to ensure that luxury still values discretion over hyper disclosure.
Sometimes the best brand management decision is knowing when to say no.
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