Originally Posted by
VegasGambler
Depending on flight times or availability, maybe? There is not always inventory available on your first choice... or maybe someone wants to build in a long layover and spend a day in Miami? Not "everyone"... but certainly "some people". Options are always good. I have a trip coming up with a 23hr 40 min layover and a LHR-LGW ground transfer. It's a day in London without paying for a stopover.
"Them" probably means "normal LY connecting paid pax who are typically why you have partnerships", not "AS FT maximizer award pax who do things most normal people don't, like do awards where you use co-terminals, so they can eke out maximum value from an award".
I would not count on a
ton of LY award availability. Assuming AS ever gets around to it (stares at SQ and EI in Flyertalk).
If you're an LY passenger wanting to go TLV-PDX, connecting in MIA and going via Uber to FLL so you can double-connect is beyond stupid compared to having an AS codeshare straight to PDX out of SFO/LAX, or I suppose even JFK/EWR. AS and LY want to feed their flights with this partnership. The flights they intend to feed are not out of MIA or FLL.