Alaska Airlines ends its partnership with Emirates Airlines

After Alaska Airlines joined the oneworld alliance, the end of the partnership with Emirates Airlines has now been announced.

In the past, Emirates passengers were also able to earn Alaska Air Miles Scheme miles, but this won’t be possible for long. As Alaska Airlines joined the oneworld alliance on March 31, and Emirates was not a member of any alliance, the partnership ended. However, there is an exception for travelers As mentioned by Simple Flying, among others.

Alaska Airlines has already found a replacement partner

As previously mentioned, Alaska Airlines joined the oneworld alliance on March 31. The airline has now announced that the partnership with Emirates, which is not affiliated with any alliance, will end on July 31, 2021. Effective August 1, passengers with Emirates will not be able to earn Alaska Air Miles Scheme miles. Since then, some lounges can no longer use each other. However, there is one exception, as this only applies to flights booked from June 2. If you book your flights before June 2, you can still earn mileage plan miles. However, you must submit a separate application for this. Miles plan miles can still be collected as usual for all flights made by July 31st. You can also redeem your rewards at Emirates until July 31st.

However, Alaska Airlines already has a new partner on the horizon with Qatar Airways, as both airlines are represented in the oneworld alliance. Since both Emirates and Qatar Airways offer similar routes, these airlines are in direct competition. From August 1, travelers can now collect and redeem their miles with Qatar Airways.

Qatar recently began operating flights to Seattle, where Alaska Airlines is based and its largest hub. With the help of this partnership, Qatar Airways passengers can now use connections to Hawaii, California, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Montana and many other destinations.

Big loss for Emirates Airlines

For Emirates, this loss will be much greater than the loss of Alaska Airlines. Unlike Alaska Airlines, Emirates has not yet found a new partner in the United States. For Alaska Airlines, the end of the partnership could not be so serious, as the company will continue to have an extensive network with Qatar Airways as far as India, Africa and the Middle East.

The question now is whether that is the case, and what partner Emirates should gain to compensate for the termination with Alaska Airlines. Delta Air Lines may be a potential partner, but this airline has not had the best relationships with Middle East airlines in the past, which makes a future partnership highly unlikely.

Emirates currently flies to destinations such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle, all of which are hubs for Alaska Airlines. Since Qatar Airways also flies to the USA, Emirates will face obvious disadvantage on these routes if it does not find a new partner. Communications are still in place, but Emirates has to be careful not to lose its passengers to Qatar Airways.

Conclusion on Termination of Partnership between Alaska Airlines and Emirates

The partnership between Air Alaska and Emirates ended on July 31, which means that passengers on Emirates flights will not be able to earn Alaska Miles Plan miles. This news comes as a surprise, as Alaska Airlines has stressed in the past its desire to maintain its partnership with non-ally airlines. Alaska Airlines has already managed to find a potential successor to Qatar Airways, but Emirates has not yet been able to score, so it appears – so far – that it is the loser of history. It remains to be seen if Emirates will find a new partner in the United States.

How do you feel about ending the partnership between Alaska Airlines and Emirates Airlines?

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