Originally Posted by
canadiancow
A couple years ago I tried to book:
SFO-YYZ-ZRH-MAD // ZRH-YYZ-SFO.
I had to call it in.
So if the underlying engine is the same, then there's the problem
Sure. But we are not dealing with the new site getting even worse than the old one, which is really the issue of this thread.
The multicity tool initially assumes the connecting points are stopovers. So it will refuse to handle legs such as ZRH-MAD. Workaround would have been entering SFO-YYZ, then YYZ-MAD and hope that for that leg it would quote through ZRH.
The whole thing follows from one of the first downgrades, probably before you were born. aircanada.com used to work like any TA site, and they would sell you legs on any airline. Then some marketing genius decided only to quote AC flights and codeshares.
Mind you that probably was over 10, maybe 15 years ago. Has been downhill ever since.
For a little while, Lise's baby detestina would still sell you tickets on other airlines.