United Airlines and Gulf carrier Emirates have unveiled a commercial agreement that will expand each carrier’s network with codeshare opportunities to hundreds of destinations in the US and globally.
Starting in November, Emirates is scheduled to offer service into Chicago, San Francisco and Houston with access to nearly 200 US cities in the United network, most of which require only a one-stop connection.
In March 2023, United is set to launch a new direct flight between New York’s Newark airport and Dubai International. From there, customers can connect on Emirates or its low-cost flydubai to more than 100 different cities.
The airlines also announced that they would commence an interline agreement at the eight other US airports served by both carriers—Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Orlando, Seattle and Washington, DC.
Members of both airlines’ loyalty programs will also be able to benefit from travel on each carrier. United MileagePlus loyalty program who fly Newark to Dubai will be able to earn and redeem miles when connecting beyond Dubai on Emirates and flydubai.
Emirates Skywards members will be able to earn miles when they travel on United-operated flights. According to the announcement, eligible United customers will also soon have access to Emirates lounges when connecting to and from United’s new Dubai flight.
The codeshare arrangement allows customers of both airlines to book connecting flights on a single ticket. The codeshare deal and United’s Dubai service are subject to government approvals.
The joint announcement by Scott Kirby, United’s CEO, and Emirates president Sir Tim Clark came during a ceremony at Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC.
“This is a proud moment for both United and Emirates employees,” Kirby said. “United’s new flight to Dubai and our complementary networks will make global travel easier for millions of our customers, helping boost local economies and strengthen cultural ties.”
Clark added, “We welcome United’s return to Dubai next year, where our hub Dubai essentially becomes a gateway for United to reach Asia, Africa and the Middle East via the combined network of Emirates and flydubai. We look forward to developing our partnership with United for the long term.”
The Emirates deal with the US carrier comes on the heels of an announcement this summer that United and Air Canada have also formed a joint business agreement for codeshare services in the Canada-US transborder market, building on their long-standing alliance.
