Following weeks of rumors, United Airlines and Emirates have officially announced their long-awaited partnership. 

Starting in November, the new partnership makes it possible for Emirates passengers flying into Chicago, Houston, or San Francisco to connect to more than 200 cities via United Airlines flights, all on one ticket. Eight other US airports serviced by Emirates, including LAX and JFK, will also have an interline agreement in place. 

In the announcement, United also revealed that in March 2023 it is launching a nonstop flight between Newark and Dubai. This will increase United’s presence in the Middle East, especially since the last time the airline flew to Dubai was in 2016. 

The President of Emirates, Sir Tim 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.”

In addition to the flights that will make international trips a whole lot easier, this is also great news for customers hoping to rack up loyalty points. The agreement gives loyalty members on both airlines the chance to earn and redeem rewards to use towards both United and Emirates flights.