rehoult

The itinerary is legal. You shouldn't have an issue, and in the unlikely event you do, a call by check-in to the support line will clean it up.

A refresher for those who haven't spent hours reading the laws:

Cabotage is the transport between two points in country A by one or more carriers based in country B (or B and C, etc...). As long as one of the border-crossing legs is flown by a carrier based in country A, it is not cabotage and the remainder of the itinerary is not relevant. Unless negotiated into an Open Skies agreement (see: EU), cabotage is illegal.

AC flying you BOS-YYZ-LAX is CABOTAGE.

AC flying you YYZ-EWR-YYC is NOT CABOTAGE.

AC flying you YYZ-ORD and UA flying you ORD-YYC is NOT CABOTAGE.

AA flying you YYZ-ORD and UA flying you ORD-YYC is CABOTAGE, if booked as one ticket.

CZAMFlyer

How so? Both US carriers are transporting you from Canada to the US (or v/v), one-way, presumably on unrelated tickets. This seems an entirely legal routing, valid for mileage runs or maybe just a dogleg detour in order to enjoy a Goose Island IPA on the concourse at ORD.

hazcaddy

If the OP were to FedEx / UPS / Purolate his luggage to his destination, that issue would not be important. I've known of quite a few folks who travel separately from their main chunk of baggage, just using carry-ons for their immediate needs.

rehoult

Should have qualified that to say if it was on one ticket. My mistake. Though if you booked both on UA, it would still be illegal even if separate tickets as they are presumed to know the end result (an assumption that can not be held against unrelated carriers on different tickets).

Often1

Back to OP's situation, he was asked whether on one ticket or two (or more) and whether AC-operated. He answered one PNR and AC flight numbers. PNR's are not tickets and flight numbers do not necessarily relate to who operates the flight, e.g. code shares.

So, the question to OP is:
1. Is this all on one ticket?
2. Are all segments operated by AC?

marke190

1. This would all be under one AC-issued ticket- one ticket number. Not sure about fares though.
2. On the routing via EWR, all segments are on AC metal. But I am also looking at a different routing via DEN on AC/UA metal but all with AC flight numbers.

rehoult

Flight number isn't relevant. The key is that at least one of the two flights that cross the border must be AC metal.

Kraafish

I did YVR-LAX-YVR-YYZ 3 days ago, checkin online, told immigration officer it's a MR and same price as me going flex YVR-YYZ. No question asked, all of this book via AC website in multiple routes option, all operates by AC. However, I have no luggage

Ia Ora

Can be booked on one ticket, all AC operated (no codeshares) with the fare calculation showing the entire routing, using two fares.

PB53x11

Please excuse my ignorance but how does this work? Is this the same as the multi-city option? If I enter three flights (admittedly YYZ-YVR-LAX-YVR) in the multi-city option it seems to treat it as three flights, priced accordingly. (I've never done a mileage run but can see the need for it at some point in the not-too-distant future!)

canadiancow

You're basically buying a YYZ-LAX fare and a LAX-YVR fare, for less than YYZ-YVR.

I'd use Google Flights for this. It should give you a link to book on AC.com.

PB53x11

Thank you, CC. I'll play with this at some point, I've never used google flights.

Kraafish

Yup so on AC website go on "Multi City" then you put YYZ-LAX, then LAX-YVR you should get something like this

Stranger

Or matrix. Alas, now also owned by google.

Adam Smith

OP's luggage point seems not to have been given much consideration.

I think there's a good chance winter IRROPS would mess up the flying on this itinerary, but checking bags seems like a recipe for disaster. So many places things can go wrong and even one tight connection that you might make as a pax where your luggage may be left behind.

Not to mention potential confusion at EWR over handling AC-AC connecting bags, which can't be a frequent occurrence.