I spent time, trying to price a ticket ORD-TLV-ORD in January 03. I tried to maximize my paid miles on UA metal but to no avail. United.com keeps stirring me towards LH on code share flights.
I tried it both ways: a single ticket ORD-TLV-ORD ($1,087); or two tickets (PNRs): ORD-FRA on UA and FRA-TLV on LH. Fare is not an issue. (The price difference is small - about $110 more for splitting two tickets vs. one PNR). The issue is that United.com doesn’t give me readily an option to come back FRA-ORD on UA metal, when I ask for a single ticket. Instead I am offered to go back on LH metal: FRA-ORD, FRA-DTW, or FRA-IAD, or FRA-EWR (and connect to ORD on UA metal)…

Then I thought, may be UA wants high fare paying passengers… So I opted for non-refundable tickets (~$1,920). All are B-fares but still no option to come back on UA metal.

- Any guess why United.com won’t offer the leg FRA-ORD (– daily flights 941 and 945) and let me go on UA metal? Why stir me to LH?
- Why can’t UA make a profit on routes where LH is so busy: FRA to -ORD, -DTW, -DFW, -IAD, and -EWR?


Any explanation gurus?