You don't have to go far for these issues - AA38 (SFO - DFW - ZRH) often means two aircraft, not even a change of gauge as they are noth 763's, but... you get SFO - ZRH miles. Returning as AA32 and 327, you get miles for both legs. QF does this if you fly LAX - AKL - BNE, which gets the same miles as their new LAX - BNE.
Same applies even if there's a "change of gauge" and you switch to different aircraft types, as I recall.
Unless one takes a stopover, oc fourse.
Originally Posted by JuPe
If you have one flight with one flight code (IB6977), you will get miles which equals the direct distance between your originating point to your final destination point. CAI-MAD will be approximately 2085 miles, even if the flight is CAI-BCN-MAD (2109 miles). If your flight is CAI-BCN you would get 1808 miles.
According to my own experience this will also apply if you have a change of plane but you continue with the same flight code. I had this experience once when flying from EZE to MEX on LAN Chile via SCL. There was an aircraft change in SCL, but flight code remained the same and I got miles for the direct distance between EZE and MEX.
Also in mileage based tickets (such as Global Explorer), miles are calculated according to direct distances.