Originally Posted by
chocfish
Can someone please explain this to me?
The two carriers are selling different inventory.
Originally Posted by
chocfish
I'd like to be loyal to Air NZ and also earn status points but when the fare is nearly double for the same product, it's hard to justify.
On that flight, NZ and UA are revenue sharing regardless who you buy the ticket from. Unless there were a frequent flyer program specific reason to buy from one carrier or the other (e.g., PQD on UA), I wouldn't pay more than a nominal amount to book under the native flight number, and then only because it makes things like changes easier.