Emirates A380 Comes to Delhi: Premium Economy on Points

Updated as of 17 Oct 2026. Route and cabin details from Emirates’ press release of 9 July 2026. Cash fares and award prices from DealUni searches on 17 Oct 2026 for Wednesday 18 Nov 2026. Transfer ratios from DealUni’s Emirates Skywards transfer partners page.

From 25 October, Emirates puts its A380 on Delhi for the first time. It flies as EK512/513 in a four-class layout: First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy. Delhi becomes Emirates’ third A380 city in India, after Mumbai and Bengaluru. The other three daily Delhi flights (EK511, EK515, EK517) use refitted Boeing 777s that also have Premium Economy, so every Delhi–Dubai flight now has Premium Economy.

What changes in India by end-October

City	Premium Economy flights to Dubai	Aircraft
Delhi	4 a day (28 a week)	A380 on EK512/513; 777 on the rest
Mumbai	22 a week	Includes A380
Kolkata	12 a week	A350 on EK570/571 from 25 Oct; 777 on EK572/573
Ahmedabad	9 a week	Mixed
Bengaluru	7 a week	Includes A380
Kochi	2 a week	Mixed

Flying from Chennai or Hyderabad? You can still reach Premium Economy by routing through Mumbai or Bengaluru on a separate ticket, but it’s rarely worth the extra flight for a 3-hour sector. The bigger win is onward: book Premium Economy on the Dubai–Europe leg, where the cabin matters.

Why the A380 matters

• Business has the onboard bar and flat beds in a 1-2-1 layout on the upper deck. On a 3–4 hour hop to Dubai, the lounge and bar are the experience.
• First Class shower suites are on the A380 only. Delhi flyers no longer need to start in Mumbai for them.
• More seats in every cabin, which usually means more award seats too.

Booking it with points

Here’s what one seat on the A380 flight (EK513, Delhi 04:10, Dubai 06:35) cost on Wednesday 18 November, in cash and in Skywards miles:

Cabin, one way	Cash	Skywards award	Value per mile
Economy	₹32,423	20,000 + ₹8,243	₹1.21
Premium Economy	₹49,453	32,000 + ₹12,978	₹1.14
Business (saver)	₹97,252	36,000 + ₹33,327	₹1.78
Business (flex)	₹97,252	62,000 + ₹37,358	₹0.97
First	₹2,26,268	No award seats seen	—

The standout is Business at the saver level: 36,000 miles, worth about ₹1.78 a mile, well above the ₹0.80 we normally value a Skywards mile at. We saw four saver seats on EK513 that day. The catch is ₹33,327 in taxes and carrier charges, a third of the cash fare. Premium Economy at 32,000 miles is barely better value than Economy, so on a 4-hour flight it’s only worth it if you have miles to spare.

The cheaper business seat to Dubai isn’t on Emirates. Aeroplan sells Air India business class from Delhi to Dubai for 22,500 points plus about CA$75, with seats on four nonstops that same day. That’s fewer points, far lower taxes, and Aeroplan is easy to fill from Axis cards. You give up the A380’s bar and lounge for a plainer Air India business cabin.

To book Emirates with miles, you’ll almost always use Emirates Skywards. Indian cards have only a few ways in:

Route into Skywards	Ratio	Notes
SBI Card MILES ELITE / PRIME / MILES	2 points → 1 mile	The only bank transfer partner from India
Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank cards (Emeralde, Sapphiro, Rubyx)	Earn miles directly	Co-brand cards; no transfer needed
Marriott Bonvoy	3 points → 1 mile	Axis, HDFC and Amex can feed Marriott, but you lose a lot on the way

The Marriott route kills the deal: 36,000 Skywards miles cost 1,08,000 Marriott points, worth about ₹75,600, more than the ₹63,925 the award saves you. So Skywards suits people who already hold miles from Emirates flights, SBI MILES or an Emirates ICICI card. From Axis points, book Air India through Aeroplan instead. Compare options in our Partner Finder.

A cheaper trick if you already hold Skywards miles: book Economy or Premium Economy and use miles to upgrade. Upgrades need a fare that’s eligible, so check the fare rules before you pay.

Who should care

You are…	Verdict
Flying Delhi to Europe or the US via Dubai	✅ Pick EK512/513 for the A380, and price Premium Economy on the long leg
Holding 36,000+ Skywards miles	✅ Book A380 Business at the saver level; it’s the best use of Skywards on this route
Holding SBI MILES points	⚠️ Transfer only after you’ve found the seat
Holding Axis, HDFC or Amex points	❌ Don’t route through Marriott to reach Skywards. Axis points: book Air India business via Aeroplan at 22,500

DealUni take: good news for Delhi. The A380 adds a real First Class and a better Business product, and Premium Economy on every Delhi flight gives a middle option to Dubai and beyond. On points, 36,000 Skywards miles for A380 Business is a strong deal if you already have the miles. If you don’t, Aeroplan’s 22,500 for Air India business is the cheaper way to Dubai.

Ab Dilli se bhi double-decker. (Now the double-decker flies from Delhi too.)