Emirates auctions 20-year Platinum status, Finnair's game-changing Melbourne route, and buying IHG Diamond status

Hey {{first name | reader}},

Happy Friday! Coffee's ready, the week's almost done. Three interesting things crossed my radar this week — one unusual status opportunity, one genuinely exciting new long-haul route, and one way to fast-track hotel elite status (if it actually makes sense for you).

Here's what's inside today's post:

Emirates has announced that it's auctioning a very limited number of Skywards Platinum memberships, with all proceeds going to the Emirates Airline Foundation. The winners will have access to Emirates Skywards Platinum Status for 20 years. Whaaaaat?

From a charity perspective, this is great. From a loyalty-program perspective… it's fascinating.

Skywards Platinum is Emirates' top published elite tier, and the benefits are very real:

Normally, this status requires an enormous amount of flying (or spending). So seeing it offered via auction is unusual – and honestly, kind of entertaining.

I have no idea what these memberships will end up going for, and I didn't try to reverse-engineer a "fair value." That will depend heavily on how much you fly Emirates, how often you upgrade, and how much you value the soft benefits. But as a concept? Raising money for charity and letting a few people skip years of flying to experience top-tier status is pretty cool.

Would I personally chase this? Probably not. Do I enjoy watching loyalty programs experiment like this? Absolutely.

This is the one I'm genuinely excited about.

Finnair has launched a fifth-freedom route flying Bangkok → Melbourne, and it opens up a really interesting opportunity, especially for anyone looking at Australia. The complete flight is HEL–BKK–MEL, a complete jump from Europe all the way down under.

We've talked about Finnair's business class product many times here, and for good reason. It's one of the more unique and still very comfortable long-haul business class seats out there, particularly for sleeping.

Here's where it gets interesting:

If you are able get the Avios for their lowest price, you're effectively looking at roughly $900 — 950 one-way for a business class seat to Australia.

That's… wild.

Award travel between Australia and Europe is one of the toughest redemptions out there — unless you know the right strategies. Space is limited, routes are long, and prices climb quickly.

This route doesn't magically solve everything: availability still matters, but it meaningfully improves the landscape. It adds competition, more seats, and another viable way in. It is great that Finnair offers a 2-seat guarantee for business class, which means that every long-haul flight has a minimum of two business-class seats available for redemption as awards. 

Keep in mind that a lot of the initial award space has already been snapped up. That’s not surprising given how strong the value is, but it doesn’t mean the opportunity is gone for good. You may be able to find some award space that works for you.

If Australia has been on your radar and you've been stuck, this is one of the most interesting developments we've seen in a while.

IHG is once again selling elite-qualifying points, which means it's possible to effectively buy your way up to higher elite tiers, up to IHG One Rewards Diamond. Not everyone is eligible for this offer, but if you are, it’s worth taking a closer look.

An interesting thing is that when you buy these elite-qualifying points, they also count as redeemable points. That means they help you move up the IHG status ladder without actually staying in hotels, and you can also redeem them for award nights.

Diamond status is IHG's top published tier, and in theory, it comes with some meaningful benefits, including:

In practice, the value of Diamond status varies a lot by region and brand. At higher-end properties and in international markets, Diamond recognition can be solid. At lower-end or very busy hotels, the benefits can be more hit-or-miss.

Another important nuance: IHG Diamond is not a guaranteed-upgrade or guaranteed-late-checkout program. Benefits are availability-based, and that matters. The status works best when combined with smart property selection, realistic expectations, and a travel pattern that naturally aligns with IHG.

If you already know you have an IHG-heavy year ahead, buying a small top-up to reach Diamond can be reasonable. In that case, you're paying to unlock benefits you'll realistically use multiple times.

But if you're buying Diamond status "just because," or hoping it will magically transform budget hotels into luxury experiences, you're likely to be disappointed.

It’s also worth noting that many of the benefits people chase with IHG Diamond status can actually be accessed without holding top-tier status at all. When IHG, Marriott, Hilton, and many other luxury hotel brands are booked through us, guests often receive perks such as complimentary breakfast, hotel credits, room upgrades when available, and early check-in or late check-out — benefits that closely mirror what Diamond members receive — without needing to buy status or elite-qualifying points.

For most travelers, this ends up being a far better and more cost-effective way to unlock value than paying for status upfront. If you’d like to see how this works in practice, just send us the details of your trip and we’ll come back to you with curated hotel options!

That's it for this week. Some fun loyalty-program experimentation, one genuinely excellent routing opportunity, and one reminder that elite status is a tool — not a trophy.

Enjoy the weekend, and I'll see you Monday with more deals, routes, and strategies.

Catch you in the clouds,

Tomi