These are the best Dubai credit cards with free luggage allowance for your “Eat, Pray, Love” moment
Let’s admit it, we overpack too often than we’d like to, and we end up getting rid of so much stuff when we’re checking in at the airport. That’s what happens to us, at least.
We can’t help it if we need a lot of bags for our travels. Our outfits for those perfect Instagram pics, souvenirs, and toiletries all take up space.
Fortunately, numerous Dubai credit cards have the solution for this kind of problem. These come along with free baggage allowances for cardholders every time they go on a trip.
To find out which ones are the best, we went and asked around to give you Dubai’s best free luggage credit cards.
How much does it cost to get a free luggage credit card in Dubai?
The cost of getting a free luggage credit card in Dubai depends on the salary requirement and the monthly fees that come with it. The range of benefits you get also drives the fees upwards.
To help you get started, credit cards that provide free luggage allowance have monthly fees that go from AED1000 to AED4000 per month.
How We Picked the Best Free Luggage Credit Cards in Dubai
Before we get right into our list of the best free luggage credit cards in Dubai, here are the factors we considered for our entries on this list:
1. Emirates Citibank Ultima Credit Card by Citibank
| Criteria | Rating |
| Accessibility | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Luggage Allowance | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Range of Benefits | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service Quality | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
In partnership with Emirates Skywards, Citibank has created one of the best travel credit cards available in the UAE.
The Emirates Citibank Ultima Credit Card converts 1 mile into $1 for domestic flights, and 1.25 miles into the same amount for global flights.
This is impressive because if you continuously travel for work or for pleasure, think of how much money you can rack up and spend in a short amount of time.
On top of that, it has a 12-kilogram luggage allowance for every flight you take. Now this may not seem much, but this can be great for quick trips where you only need to pack light.
This also means that, for most trips, you only need to avail the basic 20-kilogram luggage allowance.
We are also immensely impressed by the range of benefits that come along with it. It gives you over 1,100 airport lounges worldwide, a welcome bonus of 25,000 Skywards Miles, movie tickets at VOX and REEL cinemas in the UAE, and many more.
And because this credit card is one of the more high-end offerings that Citibank has, it has its separate hotline for its users, providing efficient customer service.
However, we consider it to be a less accessible option. It has an AED 3000 monthly fee, and users must earn at least AED36,750 per month to be eligible.
Pros
- Great miles-to-dollar conversation ratio
- Provides a free 12kg luggage allowance for every flight
- Excellent set of perks for traveling
- Excellent customer service
Cons
- Expensive monthly fee
- Monthly salary requirement is higher compared to other credit cards
2. Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Credit Card by Emirates Airlines
| Criteria | Rating |
| Accessibility | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Luggage Allowance | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Range of Benefits | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service Quality | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Rewarding you for brand loyalty, Emirates Airlines has released its own travel credit cards an amazing set of benefits that is sure to improve your travel experience.
It rewards its users Skywards Miles with every kind of purchase using a credit card, and even more for buying plane tickets, and other eligible purchases.
We love that users can enjoy a higher excess luggage allowance of up to 15 kilograms, which is much bigger than other credit cards. With this, you can say goodbye to ever going beyond the allowance you bought for your flight.
However, we are kind of disappointed that its free luggage is only accessible if you have excess. We wish that the 15 kilograms are always available with or without excess baggage.
Despite that, the other perks are amazing. Users get priority for customer service and baggage delivery, a guaranteed seat in the economy even for full flights, and free access to Emirates Business Class lounges.
The monthly fee is actually quite low, at only $499. However, it is brought down by the fact that if you want to keep your membership you have to spend $40,000 on the card every year.
We think this is too steep of a price to keep using such an already extravagant card, so this is better suited for those with a high-end lifestyle.
Pros
- Offers a free extra 15 kilograms in case of luggage allowance excess
- Excellent set of perks for credit card users
- Excellent prioritized customer service
Cons
- Luggage allowance is only available in case of excess
- Users are required to spend a large amount of money to keep their membership
3. ADCB Etihad Guest Signature Credit Card by ADCB
| Criteria | Rating |
| Accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Luggage Allowance | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Range of Benefits | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service Quality | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Designed to be a well-rounded credit card with a special focus on traveling, the ADCB Etihad Guest Signature Credit Card is both accessible and rewarding for its users.
It only requires interested cardholders to earn AED 20,000 a month to be eligible. It also has a low annual fee of AED1050 with the first year being free!
We think this is the most accessible credit card that we have included on this list, and we definitely recommend it to those who are looking to travel more for leisure.
We are also impressed that this credit card awards new users 35,000 Etihad Miles upon activation.
On top of that, you get complimentary access to over 1,000 airport lounges across the world, opportunities to upgrade your seats at discounted prices, travel insurance, and many more.
When it comes to its free luggage allowances, it allows users to have up to 12 kilograms of excess luggage. While it’s no more and no less than most credit cards, having this perk only apply if you packed more than you thought is disappointing.
We think that for it to be an invaluable perk, it should be accessible whether or not you bought a load for your baggage.
On top of that, it does not offer prioritized customer service to the cardholders of the Etihad Guest Signature Credit Card, which means they may experience slowness in its response on busy days.
Pros
- Accessible requirements for eligibility
- Excellent range of benefits
- Offers 12 kilograms worth of baggage in case of excess
Cons
- Free luggage allowance is only for excess
- No prioritized customer service
4. Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Credit Card by Emirates Airlines
| Criteria | Rating |
| Accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Luggage Allowance | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Range of Benefits | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service Quality | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite’s younger sibling, Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Credit Card foregoes some luxuries for a more accessible version.
While it follows the miles-to-dollar ratio the other one has, it does not have the yearly bonuses, and the priority pass to lounges. However, in exchange for that, it only has an annual fee of AED 99.
You can automatically earn 30,000 Skywards Miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.
On top of that, it retains other perks such as priority check-in and boarding, complimentary seat selection, access to Emirates Business Class lounges in Dubai, and many more.
We appreciate the fact that for significantly less, we can still enjoy a lot of Emirates Airlines’ perks.
While its superior version has 15 kilograms of excess baggage, this one has 12 kilograms of that. While it’s not as much, it still has the average allowance.
However, it is also only for excess baggage and not an automatic freebie for every flight.
When it comes to its service quality, we like that checking in and boarding are prioritized for cardholders. However, it does not have priority when it comes to customer hotlines, which can be an inconvenience.
Pros
- Much more accessible compared to its high-end counterpart
- Retains a lot of the perks despite being more affordable
Cons
- Free luggage allowance is only for excess baggage
- Does not have prioritized customer hotlines
5. Emirates Islamic Skywards Infinite Credit Card
| Criteria | Rating |
| Accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Luggage Allowance | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Range of Benefits | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service Quality | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Designed with the modern frequent traveler in mind, the Emirates Islamic Skywards Infinite Credit Card offers exclusive benefits and lifestyle privileges that will make every trip memorable.
Some perks to this credit card include complimentary airport lounge access, travel insurance, and Skywards Miles on every spend.
On top of that, users can rest easy with a range of travel insurance benefits, including medical, baggage, and trip cancellation insurance.
We are impressed that all of this comes from a credit card with accessible conditions for eligibility. You only need to have a monthly salary of AED 25,000 to apply for this credit card.
However, it is brought down by its high annual fee that goes up to AED 2000. This is definitely higher than our other entries on this list, which is comparatively one of its weak points.
However, when it comes to its luggage allowances we like that the allotted weight ranges from 12 kgs to 20 kgs, depending on your Skywards membership.
The drawback to this is that it only applies to excess baggage, so it cannot be used without purchasing a baggage allowance for your flight first.
When it comes to its service quality, we are impressed by the fact that it also offers priority check-in and boarding. It does not have a separate customer hotline, though, which is always a drawback in our opinion.
Pros
- Excellent range of travel and lifestyle privileges
- Offers 12 kgs to 20 kgs of excess baggage allowance
- Accessible eligibility requirements
Cons
- Does not have its own customer hotline
- Free luggage allowances are only for excess baggage
FAQs about Free Luggage Credit Cards in Dubai
We hope this helped you find the right free luggage credit card in Dubai. If you’re looking for more financial guides, then check out these articles: