United Airlines and Star Alliance carriers have San Francisco to Dubai as low as $636 round trip and in the mid-$600s on most dates for travel from January into May 2016.
United Airlines schedule with the lowest prices shown on Google Flights does not leave much time for a layover on the return flight. With only 75 minutes in IAD on the return from Dubai, chances are you will miss the connecting flight if you don’t have Global Entry and the passport control line is long.
United Airlines San Francisco SFO – Washington DC IAD – Dubai DXB
$643.80 Saturday February 13 – Thursday February 18, 2016
A better alternative is to fly Swiss Airlines on the return. Lufthansa has some good itineraries, however, LH economy K class is not a miles earning fare for Mileage Plus.
United Airlines San Francisco SFO – Washington DC IAD – Dubai DXB
Swiss Airlines Dubai DXB – Zurich ZRH – San Francisco SFO
$652.10 Saturday February 13 – Thursday February 18, 2016
There are lots of flight routings with United, Air Canada, Swiss and Lufthansa and a long period of low fare dates from January through May 2016 for cheap flights to Dubai.
Keri Anderson of Heels First Travel has some travel reports from her first trip to Dubai last week. My First Impressions of Dubai in Pictures (Dec 1, 2015).
