Emirates Airline has launched a fascinating auction, with proceeds benefiting a good cause. I’m curious just how much money will be raised.
In this post:
Bid on up to 20 years of Emirates Platinum status
The Emirates Airline Foundation and Emirates Auction are partnering for an exclusive online auction that involves the Emirates Skywards program. Specifically, it’s possible to bid on Emirates Skywards Platinum status, which will be valid for 5-20 years (more on that in a bit).
It’s not just that you’re getting the perks of Platinum status (100% bonus miles, first class lounge access, etc.), but you’re also getting a special Platinum membership number. Here are the seven numbers available with the auction:
- 2111111111
- 6000000005
- 6999999996
- 7000000000
- 7000000070
- 7070000000
- 7777777770
For those who might be confused by the “prestige” element of membership numbers, keep in mind that license plate numbers are a huge status symbol in the UAE, as specific plate numbers have sold for up to $15 million in the past. So I suspect this is intended to be a similar concept.
The Emirates Skywards auction is available between December 17, 2025, and January 17, 2026, and the auction is open to bidders worldwide. The Emirates Airline Foundation supports 14 NGOs in nine countries, and all proceeds will go toward that.
To take part in this auction, you’ll first have to register on this site, or download the Emirates Auction mobile app. Then you can browse the available auctions. You’ll have to pay a refundable security deposit to activate your bidding privileges, and can then place bids through the auction period.
Here’s how Emirates President Tim Clark describes this auction:
“This unique auction is an innovative funding approach to connect us with new supporters globally, as we look to scale up the Emirates Airline Foundation’s impact. All donations help us continue funding and empowering our local NGO partners who have the deep community roots and firsthand knowledge to ensure resources reach children in the most effective manner. Every bid represents more than a Skywards Platinum membership; it’s a contribution that creates pathways to lift children and their families out of poverty and create sustainable impact.”
How high will the bids for Emirates Platinum status go?
These auctions just kicked off a couple of days ago, and as of the time of this post, current bids are in the range of 71,100 to 326,000 AED (19,359 to 88,761 USD). So I think it’s safe to assume that this won’t be some incredible value to earn Platinum status, but rather, you’ve gotta be loaded.
It’s interesting how the membership numbers really seem to be driving the bids here, as the membership number 7000000000 currently has a bid nearly five times as high as for 6000000005.
What’s interesting here is that status is valid for some number of years, and that’s determined by how high the bids go, with the maximum being that status is valid for up to 20 years.
For example, for one of the auctions, unlocking five years of status requires a range of 325,000 to 649,999 AED (88,488 to 176,976 USD), while unlocking 15 years of status requires 950,000 to 1,499,999 AED (258,658 to 408,408 USD).
Bottom line
Emirates has a fascinating auction, whereby you can bid on one of seven packages for Skywards Platinum status. This comes with a prestigious account number, and the length that status is valid depends on how high bids get.
Ultimately this is a fun auction for a good cause, though I do find it amazing just how high these bids seem to be going. I suspect that if you drop several hundred thousand dollars on a special Emirates membership number, you probably don’t actually need the perks of Platinum status very much. 😉
What do you make of this Emirates Platinum auction?
Sounds like we need to go after the global kleptocracy. Like, more. And, better. A lot harder.
For these prices, it should 5-20 years for an unlimited flight pass not for 5-20 years for status in their frequent flyer program. Do not know how anybody can be interested in this. Maybe for people for people who fly EK every week but these people already have platinum status organically due to all the flying in EK.
Rich Emiratis competing against other rich Emiratis to try to impress each other. That’s what I think most of this will be, other than as a way to reward or gift their favorites without it being some insanely expensive watch, supercar or something like that.
Would love to know the significance of these sequences of numbers and what's causing some to be way higher than others!
"It’s interesting how the membership numbers really seem to be driving the bids here, as the number 7000000000 is currently worth nearly five times as much as 6000000005."
In the UAE, it is all about symbolism. If you are spending this kind of money (and you have this much money), of course you will try to go for the one that has the best symbolism (or the one that fits you the best).
In UAE...
"It’s interesting how the membership numbers really seem to be driving the bids here, as the number 7000000000 is currently worth nearly five times as much as 6000000005."
In the UAE, it is all about symbolism. If you are spending this kind of money (and you have this much money), of course you will try to go for the one that has the best symbolism (or the one that fits you the best).
In UAE license plate auctions, one that has a lot of zeros typically go for the most money. This is why 700-0000-000 is bidding for so much more than 600-0000-005. The first one seems more exclusive, while the second one seems to be rare, but not dominating like the first one. I find the psychology behind these numbers to be fascinating.
Personally, I'd go for the 777-7777-770. This is Emirates were talking about, and I'm an avgeek, so 777 for the win (707 would be my second choice.
Seems like an easy way to get your Emirates account hacked.