Clouds seen from an airplane window

Which Alliance Is Emirates In? (Hint: Not Star Alliance)

Emirates comes up in my searches all the time, usually as "is Emirates in Star Alliance?" It's an easy thing to assume, since Emirates partners with United and Air Canada. But it isn't. Here's the short answer, how Emirates works with other airlines instead, and how to book it and a few other non-alliance airlines with bank points.

Last updated: November 9, 2026

Quick answer: Emirates isn't in any airline alliance. It's not in Star Alliance, oneworld, or SkyTeam. It signs partnerships with airlines one at a time instead.

Alliance Is Emirates a member?
Star Alliance No
oneworld No
SkyTeam No

New to alliances? My alliances explainer covers the basics and has a lookup table for most big airlines.

How Emirates works with other airlines

Instead of joining an alliance, Emirates partners with individual airlines, and those partners come from all three alliances. Emirates Skywards lists these airlines, among others, as partners where you can earn and spend Skywards Miles:

Emirates partner That airline's alliance
flydubai None (Emirates' sister airline)
United Airlines Star Alliance
Air Canada Star Alliance
TAP Air Portugal Star Alliance
Qantas oneworld
Japan Airlines oneworld
Malaysia Airlines oneworld
Korean Air SkyTeam
Garuda Indonesia SkyTeam

That's why it gets confusing. Emirates works with United, which is Star Alliance, and with Qantas, which is oneworld, without being a member of either alliance. A partnership with one airline doesn't carry over to the rest of that airline's alliance. So you can't assume every Star Alliance program can book Emirates just because United partners with it.

If you want the member lists, see Star Alliance explained, oneworld explained, and SkyTeam explained.

How to book Emirates with points

There are two main ways I'd look at:

Program Transfers from
Emirates Skywards Amex, Citi, Capital One
Qantas Frequent Flyer Amex, Citi, Capital One

Emirates Skywards is the most direct option, since you're booking Emirates with its own program. None of the transfers are 1:1. Amex sends 4 Skywards Miles for every 5 points. Capital One sends 1.5 miles for every 2 miles. Citi's premium cards send 0.8 miles per point, and its no-annual-fee cards get less. Chase doesn't transfer to Emirates at all.

Qantas Frequent Flyer can book Emirates flights as Classic Flight Rewards, according to Qantas. It's worth pricing the same flight in both programs.

Before you move any points, find the seat, check the full price in miles, and look closely at the taxes and carrier charges, because they can add up on some routes. My guide to award taxes and surcharges explains what to look for. And once points are in an airline account, they usually can't come back.

I haven't quoted award prices here because I only use numbers from official award charts, and I haven't pulled Emirates' or Qantas' charts for this page. Check each program's own search before you transfer.

Other airlines that aren't in an alliance

Emirates isn't the only big airline going it alone. These are the ones I get asked about most:

Airline Points that transfer to its program
Etihad Citi, Capital One
JetBlue Amex, Chase, Citi, Capital One
Southwest Chase
Aer Lingus Amex, Chase
LATAM None of the four big banks

Etihad is Abu Dhabi's airline, and like Emirates, it partners with airlines one by one. Amex stopped transferring to Etihad Guest on June 30, 2026, so Citi and Capital One are the two big banks left. Both are 1:1 on Citi's premium cards and on Capital One.

JetBlue isn't in an alliance either. Its "Blue Sky" tie-up with United is a loyalty partnership, not alliance membership. Capital One transfers to JetBlue at a lower ratio (3 points for every 5 miles), and Amex sends 4 points for every 5. Amex also adds a small excise tax offset fee on transfers to US airlines like JetBlue.

Southwest isn't in an alliance, and Chase is the only big bank that transfers to it.

Aer Lingus is owned by the same group as British Airways and Iberia, and its AerClub program uses Avios, but the airline left oneworld in 2007 and hasn't rejoined.

LATAM left oneworld in 2020 and works closely with Delta now, but it hasn't joined SkyTeam.

Bilt also transfers to some of these airlines. Its partner list changes, so check Bilt's own list before you plan around it. For how bank points work in general, see transferable points explained.

FAQ

Which alliance is Emirates in?

None. Emirates isn't in Star Alliance, oneworld, or SkyTeam.

Is Emirates in Star Alliance?

No. Emirates partners with some Star Alliance airlines, like United and Air Canada, but it isn't a member.

Is Emirates in oneworld?

No. Emirates partners with Qantas, a oneworld airline, but it isn't a member.

Is Emirates in SkyTeam?

No. Emirates isn't in SkyTeam.

Can I transfer Chase points to Emirates?

No. Chase doesn't transfer to Emirates Skywards. Amex, Citi, and Capital One do.

Can I book Emirates with Qantas points?

Yes. Qantas says Qantas Frequent Flyer members can book Emirates flights as Classic Flight Rewards.

Is Etihad in an alliance?

No. Etihad isn't in any of the three alliances.

Is JetBlue in an alliance?

No. JetBlue's Blue Sky partnership with United isn't alliance membership.

Is Southwest in an alliance?

No. Southwest isn't in any of the three alliances.

Sources

Not financial advice. Program rules and partners change, so check the official page before you transfer or book. Drafted with AI assistance.

All guides