Has anyone booked Moscow - YYZ/YOW on AC ticket?
 

I was looking at pricing a ticket from DME/SVO-YOW. AC's website will displays DME as an option but when you click to advance to the next page, it says I must call to get a price quote. On ITA, it gives me a very convoluted route mixing airlines to get to YOW. For example, it has Aeroflot from SVO-JFK and AC from JFK-YOW. There was also LX from DME-GVA and AC from GVA-YUL-YOW.

My thoughts are that AC had a codeshare on LH flight from FRA-DME but it seems that they do not. ITA does not even provide DME-FRA-YOW as an option.

So has anyone had experience with routings on an AC ticket?

When you phone in you are not limited to codeshares. You can book any LH (edit: in Europe also LX, OS, LO, TK, SN -- even BA and EI) metal flight. If you can find something on an AC fare basis on ITA Matrix regardless of codeshares you can call AC to book it without fee.

I've done YOW to DME and PUL via FRA (and the reverse) on AC/LH (AC ticket), so it is certainly possible.

As pointed above AC does not codeshare to MOW, so you cannot book it online, only by calling in. Also include VKO in the search - it is the nicest airport of the 3 and its morning LH flight is the most convenient Moscow exit.

Long time and very regular, follower - first time poster. Appropriate thread for me, as I fly to and from Moscow at least every 4-6 weeks.

And this has always annoyed me somewhat. I can book YYZ to Moscow (say through FRA or MUC) on the Lufthansa website, flying the AC operated flight on the TATL, then connecting to LH into Moscow. But I cannot book that same itinerary on AC.com.

I realize it is because the FRA (or MUC) to Moscow flight is not a codeshare so AC cannot ticket it. Still, I was told once by AC that they have an agreement with LH that will allow them to ticket this kind of itinerary and offer it on AC.com.

A little AC trivia for fans of this route: AC Flight 876 (today YYZ to FRA) was originally AC's flight number to Moscow (SVO), flown by AC from 1966 to 1977.

Codeshare or not, it doesn't matter. It's actually 100% irrelevant. They have what are called interline ticketing agreements between everyone in Star Alliance PLUS some partners. They just don't want to show the flights on their website because it's not as profitable for them to sell. That's why you have to call in. Anything with an AC TATL segment CAN be ticketed by AC. Even if travel within Europe is on Aer Lingus or British, let alone Lufthansa.

The whole codeshare thing is really annoys me because people assume exactly what you did. I've had AC ticket a crazy YOW-FRA (AC), FRA-ZRH (LX) -stopover- ZRH-OTP (LX), OTP-MUC-LHR (LH) LHR-YYZ (AC) YYZ-SFO (AC codeshare on UA). All on the operating airlines' flight numbers except the last -- no codeshares at all. Most weren't even offered as codeshares. Good reason for the madness, but irrelevant here :)

Some good options available - what is the reason to have to online book with AC? Or just preference?

Online was my preference to price it out. I don't want to fly LHR due to 50% accrual in economy. So I could have AC ticket DME-LHR(BA) - YOW (AC)?

You can only book it if you can make it a single AC fare basis on ITA software which looks not to be possible. The Air Canada fares between Ottawa and Moscow require travel within Europe to be on SN/OS/LX/LH/AC and do not allow routing via LHR. However, consider this option:

YOW-FRA AC838 7:35PM-8:55AM+1
FRA-DME LH1446 11:20AM-4:30PM
//---\\
DME-FRA LH1451 7:05AM-8:35AM
FRA-YOW AC839 10:30AM-12:40PM

Fare 1: Carrier AC TLXRCT13 YOW to MOW (rules)
Passenger type ADT, round trip fare, booking code T
Covers YOW-FRA (Economy), FRA-DME (Economy)

Fare 2: Carrier AC TLXRCT13 MOW to YOW (rules)
Passenger type ADT, round trip fare, booking code T
Covers DME-FRA (Economy), FRA-YOW (Economy)

1 FREE STOPOVER PERMITTED ON THE PRICING UNIT IN BRU/DUS/
FRA/GVA/LON/MUC/PAR/VIE/ZRH.

5 TRANSFERS PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE
3 FREE IN AREA 2/AREA 3 IN EACH DIRECTION (Europe)
2 FREE IN AREA 1 IN EACH DIRECTION (North America)
FARE BREAK SURFACE SECTORS NOT PERMITTED AND EMBEDDED
SURFACE SECTORS PERMITTED ON THE FARE COMPONENT.

You can call in and book this by phone.

Actually AC can ticket this. You just need to phone. Or get a TA to plate this on an AC ticket, 014.

However because the LH flight is not a codeshare it cannot be booked on ac.com.

Incidentally there was a time relatively long ago when you could book this on their web site. But at one point they enhanced booking non-codeshares out of ac.com. I never understood the logic of that move.

You may be able to ticket this online with a third-party web site (e.g. Expedia). I had success booking an AC/BA interline ticket (no codeshares) with them a couple years back.

Bad idea. Better call AC. Or use a credible TA assuming you can find one.