Is Emirates a Delta partner?

By looking at this question it becomes relevant to ask a few other smaller questions such as, is Emirates a Delta partner?

Delta Air Lines operates more than 4,500 flights per day covering 85 countries; thus, it can be considered one of the most extensive worldwide networks among the U. S. airlines. However, Delta is not so well spread in some areas of operation such as the Middle East, India, and Africa. It is for this reason that many travelers are bound to be curious to know if the largest international airline in the Middle East Emirates is within the partnering airlines of Delta.

The answer to the question, “Is Emirates and Delta a codeshare, affiliate, or partner airline?” is no, the two airlines are not affiliated in any way. However, one does not exclude the other in terms of booking the flight so you can book Emirates on Delta or Delta on Emirates. Read on to discover the entailing between Delta and Emirates and how it is possible to continue booking connecting multiple-carrier itineraries.

The Partnership Landscape

SkyTeam alliance that Delta is a member of has partners such as Air France, KLM, Aeromexico, and Korean Air. Members of the Delta frequent flyer program can earn mileage on all SkyTeam flights and redeem on the same too.

Neither is Emirates a member of any of the three major global alliance groups, SkyTeam, oneworld, or Star Alliance. However, Emirates has relations with the independent entity Flydubai, South African Airways, and a few more.

So as there is no overlapped alliance, both Delta and Emirates do not have interline and codeshare which join the partner’s connection. Their loyalty programs, Delta SkyMiles and Emirates Skywards are two different programs and are not affiliated with each other.

Booking Multi-Carrier Itineraries

While not aligned partners, you can still book Delta and Emirates together in one itinerary through a few methods:

1. Players such as Expedia linked to online travel agencies

   Most online travel agents such as Expedia and Priceline for instance, enable the use of combinations of different connecting flights when making bookings. This means that you can fly from Delta, transfer to Dubai on the same flight, the Emirates, and then go back on the same flight, the Delta Airlines .

   The disadvantage is that bookings made by third-party sellers do not entitle them to elite status and mileage points on Delta or Emirates. Furthermore, if one segment is a no-show or delayed, you will not have coverage or legal standing against the latter airline. Nevertheless, there are convenient means to connect Delta and Emirates-affiliated flights through OTAs from their network.

2. This one links to the Delta website with two different but related tickets

   With that said, all of a sudden Delta’s website even lets you search for Emirates flights now as well. Thus, through the Delta official website, you can obtain a Delta transatlantic ticket for a flight from the United States to Europe. Then in another transaction, buy an Emirates ticket from Europe to Dubai.

   This accomplishes the same routing as it was proposed in option one above. This is although you use Delta to connect to Emirates. The only major difference is that now it is much better than before when you had to buy two tickets instead of one combined ticket.

   That means that there will be no protection in case of misconnections take place. Oh yeah, there is a bonus though; You can now accumulate SkyMiles on your Delta flights! Individual tickets for both legs also give more leeway to alter one of the legs rather than having to redesign the complicated multi-carrier trip in case of changes in schedules.

3. Emirates website with the link to two different tickets.

   Likewise, one can search Delta flights to or from the United States through the Emirates website, and then book a separate connecting Emirates flight. This means that you get to accumulate Emirates Skywards miles.

   As it was in scenario two above, separate tickets have no protection for itineraries but provide more opportunities to change the reservations if necessary.

   Delta and Emirates have not joined forces as this is a break from the current trend.

   Some people may be asking themselves why companies like Delta and Emirates, which are two world’s largest airline companies, have not entered into an interline or a codeshare agreement. Moreover, it would be advantageous for both parties to have extended networks since it would bring about more business to the extent that they complement each other.

   The main factor originates from the limited air service rights provided in what is popularly known as the ‘‘Open Skies’’ deal between the US and the United Arab Emirates. The agreement allows carriers from each country to operate service between:

• They are the U. S. points and Dubai/Abu Dhabi.

• Third-country points that transact in Dubai/Abu Dhabi and further in from the USA (or vice versa).

  What the agreement does not permit is the fifth freedom flight between Europe/Asia and the US For instance, Emirates can only operate a flight with the route London New York unless the stopover is in Dubai.

  So Emirates is restricted in covering the city pairs of the U. S. -Europe market, which weakens the rationale behind a partnership with Delta for the time being. However, continued discussions are being held to possibly enlarge these fifth freedom permissions in the next couple of years.

  Pro Tip: Such booking can be easily done with Alaska Airlines.

  Emirates is another option that may be appealing to SkyTeam members; they can use their Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan to book flights. This is so because Alaska works hand in hand with all SkyTeam airlines much as it includes Delta. Alaska does not have a direct codeshare with Emirates, but they have an indirect partnership where Alaska partners with Qantas and allows users to redeem Emirates flights through Qantas Points.

  This means you can go to Alaska Air. com, look for Emirates award availability and then make use of Alaska’s points to book Emirates flights. Alaska even permits free connections on award tickets, which means you could connect through Dubai while flying Emirates from the US to India.

  For the same reason, if you also accumulate Alaska miles on Delta flights, it is convenient to redeem with this combined balance in the Alaska account.

  The Bottom Line

  Delta and Emirates are two major airlines that have extensive flights and connections around the world at their main airports. However, they are not good alliance partners because of the regulatory factor.

  Nevertheless, the two airlines’ networks can be connected on your own by booking through an OTA or by buying two different flights with Delta and Emirates independently. It results in opening more one-stop routings than each of them does individually.

  Cohort relations and codeshares or frequent flyer reciprocity do not currently exist today, however, watch for changes in regulation and relations between the US and Middle Eastern carriers in the next few years as well. Of course, the foundations for much more extensive cooperation between Delta and Emirates in the future could well be laid by an extended “Open Skies” treaty.