United and Singapore Airlines Quietly Plan Strengthened Partnership

In an internal email sent to Singapore Airlines employees, it was announced that the Singaporean flag carrier has signed a memorandum of understanding with United.

It’s hoped the move will help to increase travel between the 2 nations as international pandemic-era travel remains with its complications.

“This milestone signals the start of a deeper partnership between both airlines, which could offer enhanced options and benefits for customers in line with the applicable laws and regulations,” said a spokesperson for Singapore Airlines.

It’s expected that passengers will start to see the benefits of the strengthened partnership in early 2022.

Increased Connectivity to Singapore and Southeast Asian Destinations From the U.S.

The recently signed MOU acts as a promise between the 2 airlines that they will take steps to strengthen their partnership.

This will benefit travelers from both the U.S. and Singapore when flying between the 2 countries on either airline.

While both airlines are already Star Alliance members, they have outlined taking this 1 step further by introducing codeshares on flights operated by the other airline.

This means travelers in the U.S. will be able to buy 1 ticket for services on both United or Singapore Airlines. Passengers will then be able to check their bags in and fly with one-stop from wherever their local or regional, United-served airport might be all the way to Singapore, Germany, Hong Kong, or Japan.

“These itinerary options will allow for more flexible connections, more direct and shorter routes via SIA’s and United Airlines’ non-stop flights between Singapore and the U.S., and also likely lower fares in the target markets,” said Joshua Ng, director of Alton Aviation Consultancy.

Enhancements to reciprocal elite benefits are also expected to come as part of the agreement.

Next steps could include introducing Singapore Airlines’ low-cost subsidiary, Scoot, into the partnership. This would make even more destinations in Southeast Asia available on 1 ticket from the U.S.

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Singapore Airlines in the U.S.

Singapore Airlines currently operates direct flights from Singapore to 3 of America’s most important international gateways and flight hubs: Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), and San Francisco (SFO) on the following routes:

• Los Angeles (LAX) — Singapore (SIN)
• Los Angeles (LAX) — Tokyo (NRT)
• New York (JFK) — Frankfurt (FRA)
• New York (JFK) — Singapore (SIN)
• San Francisco (SFO) — Hong Kong (HKG)
• San Francisco (SFO) — Singapore (SIN)

Singapore Airlines’ direct service between Houston (HOU) and Manchester (MAN) in the U.K. is also set to return in the coming months.

Final Thoughts

United and Singapore Airlines strengthening their partnership will, without a doubt, benefit United and Singapore Airlines’ frequent flyers alike.

Make sure to check out our guides on how to get the most value when redeeming Singapore KrisFlyer miles and United MileagePlus miles on award flights.