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Updated: 24 May 2026

Dubai for Belgian Travellers: The Smartest Way on Points

A return business class flight from Brussels to Dubai: somewhere between €2,500 and €4,000 if you pay cash. Or, if you play it smart, just over 100,000 points. That difference is not small. And yet I rarely hear Belgian travellers talk about it.

Perhaps because Dubai as a destination still sits in a bit of a grey area in Belgium. It's not a classic beach holiday like Thailand, not a cultural trip like Vietnam, not a family destination like Florida. Dubai is, honestly, a bit of everything at once. And that's precisely why it's an interesting case for anyone saving points with a card like the Amex Platinum in Belgium.

This article is specifically written for Belgian travellers considering Dubai who are already saving points, or who are wondering whether saving points for such a trip is worth the effort. I'm not going to write a travel diary (I haven't been there myself yet, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise), but I can calculate exactly how to get there most smartly on points from Brussels Airport.

Why Dubai is interesting for points collectors from Belgium

Dubai has one major advantage as a points destination: it's served by Emirates, and Emirates is a transfer partner of Membership Rewards. That may sound obvious, but it's quite relevant. From BRU you fly non-stop to Dubai with Emirates in about 6.5 hours. No layover, no hassle.

And then there's the product. Emirates is known for its business class, especially on newer configurations. That's relevant when you're using points: you want to extract value from your points, and that value is greatest when you book an expensive product you'd never pay for in cash. An economy ticket Brussels-Dubai costs around €350 to €550 return. Using points for that is a waste. Business class at €2,500 to €4,000 for the same route: then points suddenly become very attractive.

On top of that, Dubai as a hub is also an excellent starting point for onward travel to Asia, Australia or the Indian subcontinent. Anyone who's been wanting to fly from Belgium to Bangkok or Sydney can use Dubai as a stopover and combine two destinations in one award booking.

For those who've tried it before: the availability of award seats with Emirates is inconsistent. In the low season (May to September) you regularly find seats, even in business. In peak season (November to February, around Christmas and New Year) it's a different story. Then you need to search at least three to four months in advance, and even then it's not guaranteed.

How many Membership Rewards points does a flight to Dubai cost?

Here's where it gets concrete. I've compared the most important transfer partners that are relevant for a Brussels-Dubai route. Membership Rewards points are transferred 1:1 in most cases, so 1 MR point = 1 mile or 1 point with the partner.

The maths is quickly done. With Turkish Airlines you come out cheapest: around 70,000 to 90,000 points return in business, but you're dealing with a layover. With Emirates you pay 105,000 to 136,000 points but fly non-stop. Those extra 35,000 to 45,000 points essentially buy you comfort and time. Whether that's worthwhile depends on your points balance and how much you mind layovers.

The welcome bonus and what it concretely delivers for Dubai

Anyone who applies for the Amex Platinum via the TravelLux.be referral link receives the maximum welcome bonus of 250,000 Membership Rewards points. This bonus is one-time: you receive it upon the first application, not again upon renewal. To receive the full bonus, you typically need to spend €4,000 to €6,000 in the first three months. That's not nothing, but it's not unrealistic either if you plan a large purchase or a holiday around it.

Let me do the maths. Suppose you secure the full 250,000 points and you want to fly business class to Dubai with Emirates:

With the welcome bonus alone you're already flying business class to Dubai and keeping enough left over for a return economy flight somewhere in Europe, or for a couple of hotel nights via the Membership Rewards travel portal. That's quite impressive for a single welcome bonus.

Compare it with cash: a business class return Brussels-Dubai with Emirates costs on average €3,200 in cash. Your annual fee for the Amex Platinum is €780 (€65 per month). Even if you only count that flight as value, the return on investment is clear. But honesty obliges: you do need to hit that spending threshold, and you need to actually use the card for your daily expenses to keep earning additional points.

And then there's the Fine Hotels + Resorts collection. In Dubai, dozens of hotels are included: the Burj Al Arab, Atlantis The Royal, the Four Seasons, Park Hyatt, Jumeirah Al Naseem. Per stay you receive a complimentary room upgrade, breakfast for two, late checkout and a welcome gift of around €100. That can deliver up to €650 in additional value per stay. In a city like Dubai, where hotel prices can run quite high, that's nothing to sneeze at.

When the Amex Platinum is not worth it for Dubai

I wouldn't be writing an honest article if I didn't pause here for a moment. The Amex Platinum is not for everyone, and certainly not for every Dubai traveller.

If your plan is to fly economy and stay in a budget hotel: forget it. You won't recoup the €780 annual fee. Economy tickets to Dubai cost €350 to €550 in cash. Even with points you only save a few hundred euros. The lounge access, insurance and FHR benefits are nice, but if you don't actively use them, you're throwing money away.

Likewise, if you only fly once a year and otherwise spend little on a credit card: the maths simply doesn't add up. I estimate you need to put at least €1,000 to €1,500 per month on the card to earn enough points beyond the welcome bonus. If you don't, you save too slowly and you're paying €780 per year for a card that mostly sits in your wallet.

And then there's the acceptance issue. In Belgium, Amex is not accepted everywhere. For your daily groceries at Colruyt or Delhaize you need a Visa or Mastercard. Amex works well for online purchases, international bookings, restaurants in larger cities and of course travel. But it's not a card you can use everywhere. You always need a second card.

For occasional flyers who mainly fly economy, I estimate the total value of the Amex Platinum at around €400 to €700 per year. That just about covers or doesn't quite cover the annual fee. You really need to fit the "regular travel and spending" profile to come out ahead, towards €2,000 or more in annual value.

The practical side: how do you book an award flight to Dubai from Belgium?

Step by step, because this is where things sometimes go wrong in practice.

1. Earn points. That starts with the welcome bonus (up to 250,000 points via the referral link) and then with your daily spending. By default you earn 1 point per €1. If you activate the Booster option (€10 per month extra), you earn 4 points per €1. That makes a difference if you put €2,000 or more on the card monthly.

2. Choose a transfer partner. Log in to your Membership Rewards account and review the transfer partners. For Dubai, Emirates Skywards and Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles are most relevant. Choose based on what's available, not based on which programme "sounds the best". Search for the flight first, then transfer the points.

3. Check availability. Go to the website of your chosen airline and search for an award seat for your date. With Emirates you do this on emirates.com under "Spend miles". With Turkish Airlines on turkishairlines.com under "Book award ticket". Do this before you transfer points. Transfers are irreversible.

4. Transfer points. Once you've found an available award seat, transfer the required points from your MR account to the loyalty programme. With most partners this takes 24 to 48 hours. So plan accordingly.

5. Book the flight. Once the points are in your account, book the ticket. Note: there are usually still taxes and surcharges to pay, often €150 to €400 return depending on the airline. Emirates typically charges higher fuel surcharges than Turkish Airlines, so that can also be a factor in your choice.

Combining Dubai with other Amex Platinum benefits

Apart from the flight itself, there are a few benefits that are particularly handy for a Dubai trip.

Lounge access at Brussels Airport. The Amex Platinum gives you Priority Pass Prestige, good for 1,550+ lounges worldwide, including at BRU and at Dubai International (DXB). At DXB you have access to multiple Priority Pass lounges, plus potentially the Emirates lounges if you're flying business class. You can bring one guest for free, which is convenient if you're travelling with your partner.

Fast Lane at Brussels Airport. The card also provides access to the Fast Lane security at BRU, normally worth €169 per year. Easily saves 20 to 40 minutes in the queue during busy moments. That's the kind of benefit you only truly appreciate once you've gotten used to it.

No foreign transaction fees. In Dubai you pay in dirham (AED). With most Belgian bank cards you pay 1.5% to 2% in foreign transaction fees per transaction. With the Amex Platinum: zero. On a holiday where you easily spend €1,500 to €3,000, that saves €22 to €60. Not spectacular, but it's a nice bonus.

Travel insurance. The Amex Platinum automatically includes travel insurance when you pay for the trip (or part of it) with the card. This covers trip cancellation, flight delay insurance, baggage insurance and medical costs abroad. For Dubai this is relevant: medical costs there are not cheap, and a separate travel insurance policy easily costs €50 to €100 per trip.

Fine Hotels + Resorts. I mentioned it already, but it's worth repeating: Dubai has an extensive FHR selection. If you were going to book a luxury hotel anyway, you can get exactly the same room through FHR with complimentary breakfast, room upgrade and late checkout. It costs you nothing extra. You pay the regular room rate, but you get hundreds of euros' worth of benefits on top. I've used it myself before in London, and the difference compared to a direct booking was noticeable.

Hertz and Avis status. If you want to rent a car in Dubai (which is quite handy for exploring the city and surroundings), the Amex Platinum gives you Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Five Star status and Avis Preferred status. That means faster pick-up, possible car upgrades, and no long queues at the counter.

The honest calculation: is Dubai on points worth it for you?

I like to close with a sober calculation. No hype, no sales pitch. Just the numbers.

The conclusion is clear. For Profile A, the Amex Platinum is a no-brainer for a Dubai trip. For Profile B, the maths doesn't work out, unless you also use the card for other trips and benefits. Honesty lasts the longest, and I'm not going to recommend a €780 per year card to someone who gets less out of it than what it costs.

Those who do recognise themselves in Profile A, or are somewhere in between and fly regularly (two to three times a year), can find more information on TravelLux.be about how Membership Rewards work and which strategy best suits your travel profile. Also read our comprehensive review of the Amex Platinum in Belgium and our guide to Membership Rewards points for the details.

Also read:

• Amex Platinum Belgium: an honest review after two years
• Membership Rewards points: the complete guide for Belgian travellers
• Priority Pass lounges at Brussels Airport: what can you expect?