United and Emirates Form Code-Share Agreement—Implications for Travelers

It’s official: After weeks of speculation, United Airlines and Emirates are set to sell seats on each other’s flights, marking a significant code-share agreement between the two former competitors.

During a ceremony held at Washington Dulles Airport on Wednesday, airline executives announced that United will begin flights from Newark to Emirates’ primary hub in Dubai starting March 2023. These flights, which are already available for booking, will allow United’s customers to connect with Emirates and its partner Flydubai to over 100 cities across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East beyond the Persian Gulf.

Conversely, Emirates passengers traveling to United’s key hubs in Chicago, San Francisco, and Houston will have access to nearly 200 U.S. cities through United’s domestic network. Additionally, at the other eight U.S. airports served by Emirates—Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, JFK in New York, Orlando, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.—travelers can arrange connecting flights via the interline agreement between the two airlines.

While code-share agreements are common among international airlines, this particular deal has drawn significant attention as it reflects the ongoing improvement in relations between the U.S. 'big three'—American, Delta, and United—and their Middle Eastern counterparts, Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar. For nearly a decade, U.S. carriers have lobbied to limit the expansion of Middle Eastern airlines in the U.S., claiming that state-owned airlines received unfair advantages from government subsidies, a charge the Gulf airlines have denied.

Once the pandemic struck, however, tensions began to ease as global air travel came to a standstill. Emirates president Tim Clark notably expressed a desire to build closer relationships with his American counterparts.

Yet, Emirates wasn't completely without U.S. partners; since 2012, it has maintained a code-share partnership with JetBlue Airways, which will end on October 30 to facilitate the United agreement. In the meantime, Etihad, based in nearby Abu Dhabi, has announced plans to enhance its existing code-share collaboration with JetBlue in New York. Additionally, Qatar Airways and American Airlines announced an expansion of their alliance in June, introducing a new route from New York’s JFK to Doha and increasing code-sharing on Qatar flights beyond its hub.

Qatar is also a member of the oneworld alliance led by American and British Airways. In contrast, Emirates has consistently declined to join the Star Alliance, the largest airline group globally, founded by United, Singapore, Lufthansa, and others. Emirates has expressed a preference for bilateral agreements, like the recent one established with United.

“If Emirates had actually joined Star Alliance, the scenario would have been entirely different,” stated travel expert Gary Leff, founder of the website View from the Wing. “There would have been recognition of elite status across the airlines, along with mileage earning and redemption options.”

He characterized the agreement between the two carriers as “surprisingly modest.” He pointed out that United’s MileagePlus members will only be able to earn and redeem miles on Emirates flights directly connected to United’s new Newark to Dubai service. Conversely, Emirates loyalty members will be able to earn—but not redeem—miles on United flights.

In summary, he remarked that initially, “Most customers aren’t likely to see any significant benefits from this partnership.”

Ben Schlappig, author of the aviation blog One Mile at a Time, states that there will be some mileage earning opportunities, but notes that, “They’ll be frustratingly limited.” He adds that, in addition to the previously mentioned mileage options, premium travelers will enjoy reciprocal lounge access when transferring on flights between the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates.

The code-share activities and United’s new service to Dubai are pending government approvals.