# Gulf Airline Operations Three Months Into The Iran War: Tier Extensions and Policy Updates

_May 25 11:36_

Tags: Emirates, Etihad, Flydubai, Qatar Airways, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Gulf, Iran, loyalty program

Emirates, Qatar, and Etihad have extended elite tier validity, lowered qualification requirements, and offered flexible rebooking policies due to the Iran War, with specific end dates ranging from May to November 2026

## Summary

Three months into the Iran War, Gulf carriers are adjusting operations and loyalty benefits. **Emirates Skywards:**
- Extended tier validity and paused miles expiry until June 30, 2026.
- Offered a 20% bonus on award and tier miles.
- Lowered tier qualification requirements by 20% until August 31, 2026.
- Extended flexible cancellation/refund policy for flights until May 31, 2026.
- Offered one free date change for tickets issued on or after April 2, 2026.
- Operations recovering to ~90% of pre-war levels. **Qatar Airways Privilege Club:**
- Ends standard tier support on June 1, 2026.
- Offers lowered qualification requirements until November 30, 2026.
- Flexible rebooking and refund policies for flights booked on or before May 15, 2026.
- Updated scheduled destinations until September 16, 2026.
- Operations at ~65% of pre-war levels. **Etihad Guest:**
- Extended flexible rebooking and refund policies until May 15, 2026 (rebook until June 15).
- Lowered qualification and requalification criteria by 25% until March 31, 2027.
- Operations at ~75% of pre-war levels. Flydubai has also restarted many destinations, with flight counts increasing from 124 in April to 175 in late May

## Why it matters

Affects 4 airline programs (Emirates, Etihad, Flydubai...).

## Sources cited

- [LoyaltyLobby](https://loyaltylobby.com/2026/05/25/gulf-airline-operations-three-months-into-the-iran-war-may-25-2026?omhide=true) — Gulf Airline Operations Three Months Into The Iran War (May 25, 2026)

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