Originally Posted by
sincx
Where does United get its inventory when it sells *A partner tickets on united.com?
Air China only publishes a full-Y fare for CTU-XIY. You can buy tickets for this short flight on Orbitz, Priceline, anywhere else, or from Air China's own website for USD$115. Again, this is the full economy fare, with no discount whatsoever.
united.com wants $300+ for the same flight. Where is United getting this number from?
Air China actually publishes a wide range of fares on CTU-XIY, although the cheapest are, in fact, restricted Y fares that appear to be intended for connecting passengers from the USA (YUS) or Europe (YEU). There are then several more; the $115 fare you're seeing is likely Y16. The biggest restriction it has is a plating restriction:
TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED ON THE STOCK OF CA OR ZH.
There is a $322 fare, YCN16, with no plating restriction. UA cannot issue tickets on CA or ZH stock, so they're not allowed to sell the cheaper fare.