# Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways Update Tier Extensions, Rebooking Policies, and Bonuses Amid Iran War Operations

_May 18 15:56_

Tags: Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Gulf, policy change, airline, loyalty program

Emirates extends Skywards tiers and pauses miles expiry until June 30, offers 20% bonus miles, and lowers qualification requirements until August 31. Etihad extends rebooking and lowers criteria. Qatar extends tiers and updates flexible rebooking policies

> **Check before acting.** This offer was last reported 172 days ago, on May 18, 2026. Registration deadlines and bonus windows close. We do not track whether this one is still live, so check the program's own page before acting on it.

## Summary

Emirates Skywards has extended member tiers and paused miles expiry until June 30, 2026. The airline is offering a 20% bonus on both award and tier miles, with reduced tier qualification requirements by 20% valid from May 8 through August 31, 2026. Additionally, Emirates extended its flexible cancellation and rebooking policy for flights until May 31, 2026, and allows one free date change for tickets issued on or after April 2, 2026. Etihad Guest has extended its flexible rebooking and refund policies, allowing rebooking until June 15 for tickets issued by May 15, 2026. The program has also lowered qualification and requalification criteria by 25% until March 31, 2027. Qatar Airways Privilege Club has updated its tier extension policy effective June 1, 2026, covering the period from February 28 to May 31, 2026. The airline has also clarified flexible rebooking and refund policies for tickets issued on or before May 15, 2026, noting that the policy for new tickets issued on or after May 16 has ended. Scheduled destinations have been updated for travel until September 16, 2026. Operations are recovering: Emirates and Etihad are at roughly 80% of pre-war levels, while Qatar Airways is at 60% with a reported 10% weekly increase in flight numbers

## Why it matters

Affects 3 airline programs (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways).

## Sources cited

- [LoyaltyLobby](https://loyaltylobby.com/2026/05/18/gulf-airline-operations-two-months-into-the-iran-war-may-18-2026?omhide=true) — Gulf Airline Operations Two Months+ Into The Iran War (May 18, 2026)

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