Traveling with family changes everything: packing, seating, timing and the little comforts that make or break a long journey. If you’re wondering whether Emirates one of the world’s largest international carriers offers anything special for families, the short answer is yes: not always obvious discounts, but a bundle of family-focused products, allowances and programmers that save money, time and stress when used together. Below I explain in detail what Emirates offers families today, how to unlock the best value, what to watch for, and practical tips to make family travel with Emirates smoother and less costly.
What “special deals” means with Emirates
Emirates doesn’t typically run a single labelled “family discount” across all routes the way some low-cost carriers sometimes do. Instead, the airline provides family-oriented benefits in several forms: loyalty programmer features that let families pool and spend miles together, fare rules for infants and children, family-friendly on-board services, seasonal family holiday packages through its tour/holiday arm, and occasional targeted promotions that may include family fares or savings. Knowing where to look and which combination to use is how families extract the best value.
Key family-friendly features and offers
1) Skywards “My Family” pool miles and redeem together
One of Emirates’ most useful family-focused advantages is the Skywards “My Family” feature. This allows a Skywards primary member to create a family account, invite up to seven additional members (including children), and pool miles into one central account. Families can contribute different percentages of their earned miles and then spend that combined pool on reward flights, upgrades and other redemptions. For families who fly together or whose members individually earn miles through partners, this accelerates the ability to redeem award flights for family travel. If you want to use miles for a family trip, setting up My Family early is one of the best ways to get value.
2) Infant and child fares and allowances
Emirates has explicit fare rules and allowances for infants (typically under 2 years) and children. Infants who do not occupy a seat are usually charged a percentage of the adult fare rather than a full fare Emirates published optional-services material shows infant discount fares (for infants without a seat) calculated as a percentage of the adult fare. Families should carefully check the fare rules for each booking because infant fares, whether they include a seat or not, differ from route to route and by travel class. Knowing the fare calculation for infants ahead of booking can produce meaningful savings.
3) Family-friendly onboard services and priority seating for parents with infants
Emirates offers several in-flight services designed for young children: bassinets for qualifying infants on long-haul flights, child meals and baby formula options, inflight entertainment content for children, and the ability for crew to warm baby food or bottles. The airline also outlines guidance on using car seats, bassinet eligibility, and where family seating is prioritized. These services reduce the hidden costs of bringing extras and make long-haul flights more comfortable for parents. While not an outright price discount, these services often save money and headache (for example, avoiding the need to buy formula inflight or to transport a paid extra seat).
4) Seasonal family holiday packages and Emirates Holidays / Vacations
Emirates’ holiday and vacation subsidiaries regularly promote family holiday packages: family-focused hotels, bundled air-plus-hotel offers, resort deals with kids’ clubs and activities, and early-booking savings for families. These packaged offers can be a better deal than booking separately, especially when they include extras like complimentary meals for kids, free transfers, or bundled activities. If you’re planning a full holiday rather than a one-way flight, Emirates Holidays or Emirates Vacations family packages deserve a look.
5) Targeted promotions and special offers
Emirates runs targeted special offers from time to time regional sales, cabin upgrades, or promotional discount codes. These promotions are not always labelled specifically “family deals,” but families can often take advantage of seasonal sales, off-peak fares and promotional bundles. The Special Offers page on the Emirates website lists current promotions; families should sign up for email alerts or check the page periodically to catch relevant deals.
Situations where Emirates gives clear monetary benefit to families
- Pooling miles with My Family
If individual family members fly regularly and earn miles, pooling can get you a reward seat sooner than trying to accumulate miles for one person. Redeeming pooled miles for a family flight or upgrade can avoid paying cash for several individual redemptions. - Infant fare calculation
Infants without seats are typically charged at a set percentage of the adult fare rather than paying a full fare. This can be a large saving versus buying a discounted child’s fare with a seat — particularly on long-haul routes where adult fares are high. Always check the specific infant fare rule for your itinerary. - Holiday packages
When you want air plus resort and activities, packaged family holidays sometimes include extras (kids eat free, free transfers, kids’ club access) that yield better total value than booking each component separately. - Promotional windows
When Emirates runs promotional fares or sale periods, families can benefit just like any other customer if they time booking outside peak travel windows.
Things families should not assume
There are a few important myths to clear up so you don’t over-rely on expectations that don’t match reality.
First, Emirates does not consistently advertise a universal “family discount” across every flight and market. Instead, value for families comes from combining the airline’s various programmed and services (Skywards pooling, infant fare rules, packaged holidays and special offers). Second, preferential seating for families is not guaranteed; airlines priorities bassinets and certain seats for infants but seat maps and availability vary by aircraft and route. Finally, perks tied to staff friends-and-family discounts exist, but those are restricted to employees and their eligible dependents and are not broadly available to the general public.
Recent policy considerations families should know about
Airline policies evolve. For example, some recent updates in loyalty and cabin rules have affected where and how young children can be booked with miles or upgrades in premium cabins. These changes do not stop families from buying cash fares for any available cabin, but they can influence redemption planning if you intended to use Skywards miles for a First-Class award for a child. Because airline loyalty program terms and seat availability rules change, check the Skywards terms and Emirates announcements when planning award travel for families.
Practical step-by-step plan for getting the best family value on Emirates
- Sign up for Emirates Skywards and create a My Family account if you have multiple flyers. Pooling miles makes redemptions for a full family faster and simplifies using upgrades or award seats for a group.
- Check infant and child fare rules before booking. Decide whether an infant will occupy a seat (more comfort, full fare) or sit on a guardian’s lap (infant fare percentage). On long sectors, buying a separate discounted seat for a toddler may be worth the comfort. Confirm the exact infant percentage for your route and cabin.
- Use the Special Offers page and sign up for alerts. Look for seasonal family promotions, sale windows and package deals. If a holiday resort package fits your family’s destination, compare the total package to a la carte pricing to see where the saving lives.
- Plan for comfort and logistics: request bassinets, select family seating and check car-seat rules. If you need a bassinet, request it early and verify eligibility and weight limits. If bringing a car seat, check that it’s approved for use on Emirates and whether the seat needs to be reserved in advance. These planning steps reduce surprises at the gate and avoid paid extras at the last minute.
- Book early for seat choice and the best fares. Family-friendly seats and the lowest fare buckets are more likely to be available when you book early, particularly for long-haul flights.
- Compare an Emirates Holidays package against self-booking. If it includes child-friendly perks, transfer and resort benefits, the convenience and bundled value may be worth it, especially for complex family itineraries.
- If you have access, explore staff or employee friend-and-family fares carefully. These can be deeply discounted but come with conditions and restrictions; they are not available to the public and carry different rules regarding cancellations, standby and priority.
Tips to avoid unexpected costs
Families often face hidden extras that erode perceived savings. Avoid common pitfalls by doing the following:
Check baggage allowances for children and infants; infant allowances sometimes differ from adult allowances. Confirm whether your infant fare includes a baggage allowance or whether you must purchase it separately. Reserve bassinets and request child meals early — they may be limited. If you plan to bring a car seat for a child to use onboard, verify certification and whether it requires buying a seat for the child. Finally, check whether any promotion or packaged deal requires booking through a specific portal or travel agent to secure the advertised benefits.
Alternatives and when to consider them
If your priority is pure price savings rather than comfort, also compare low-cost carriers on short-haul segments and regional options for family travel. On long-haul routes, weigh the value of full-service carriers (like Emirates) that include meals, entertainment for kids and check-in services against the lower base ticket cost of budget airlines plus add-ons.
For very large family groups, consider group booking options through Emirates’ group or corporate sales channels, which sometimes unlock different fare structures and conditions for blocks of seats. For holiday packages, comparing Emirates Holidays to independent tour operators will tell you which route yields the best overall price and convenience.
Final verdict — is Emirates good for families?
Emirates does offer tangible benefits for families, but they usually come as a package of loyalty features, infant/child fare rules, on-board services and holiday packages rather than a blanket “family discount.” Families who plan ahead, use Skywards’ My Family pooling, take advantage of infant/child fare rules, and watch the Special Offers and holiday packages can often extract material value. For families prioritising comfort and service on long-haul flights, Emirates’ fleet, entertainment offerings for kids and family-focused in-flight services are strong positives that often justify the fare.
Quick checklist for families booking an Emirates trip
Begin by signing up for Skywards and creating a My Family pool if multiple members have miles. Confirm infant fare rules and whether you want a separate seat. Reserve bassinets, child meals and child seating as early as possible. Compare Emirates Holidays packages if you need an air-plus-hotel holiday. Watch the Special Offers page for promotions that align with your travel dates. Pre-check car-seat certification and baggage rules to avoid last-minute charges. And finally, consider timing: off-peak travel and early booking often yield the best combination of seat choice and price.