AC does not codeshare J from NRT-BKK?
 

I'm trying to book a flight on AC in J from YYZ to BKK and am trying to avoid the HKK flight in favor of NRT. As we have an AC contract at work, I need to fly an AC codeshared flight. For the entire month of April and beyond the only codeshare flight for the AC1 connection is AC9851 which is a codeshare of NH915. However, despite plenty of C/J availability on the flight from NH, AC is unable to sell any J on that flight at any time.

Just wondering if this is a system error, or a limitation in NH codeshare agreement. The SE desk seems to think it's an error, but was not able to resolve. I'm wondering if anyone else has any insight. If it's not an error, it certianly takes the value out of the codeshare.

Still hoping for some insight on this one. Andrew?

However, it seems that this is the way it was designed. My manager ran into the same limitation last year. I guess AC is not willing to pay NH for a business class seat on the route, but strangely they are willing to pay them to fly you from IAD to NRT in business on a codeshare.

Unless you're able to pay the premium to go via Europe, it makes it pretty crappy to go on AC from YYZ to BKK. You either have to spent 6.25 hours in HKG or do a milk run through Vancouver. Seeing the value of spending more time in the air than on the ground I'm going via Vancouver -- I guess it's not all bad. :)

If you can code share via IAD, it should be possible to code share via ORD on UA. That would be easier from YYZ, I should think. I did that trip once. Nice and easy connections in NRT. Just enough time for a shower, a beer, then back on the plane! That is two layovers, though.

yyzgigi,

We're looking into this one and I hope to have some news for you next week. Will keep you posted.

Not sure if you are responsible, but it looks this has been fixed for flight AC9851. ^ Thanks for looking into it Andrew.

Now only issue is it doesn't look like aircanada.com is willing to sell the NRT connection from AC1 to AC9851 as a valid routing to BKK. However, they will do via YVR. There is a 1.5 hour connection window on AC1 which seems pretty valid to me.

AC1 / AC9851 does show up on KVS either. I am thinking it has something to do with the fact that AC has saved this codeshare flight for its YVR passengers, whereas for its YYZ passengers its uses flights via HKG, LHR and ZRH... though I am not sure why

Cheers

IIRC NRT has a minimum connecting time of 1:50h, this would explain why aircanada.com allows you to connect to AC9851 from YVR only.

Yes, that does seem to make more sense :o

I recognize the minimum window, but also know that AC was showing it earlier, but only allowing it to be sold codeshare in economy. After I started asking questions about the codeshare restriction (not that it is necessarily correlated), it stopped showing that option at all.

When J showed up on AC9851 today, I got my travel agent to book. They didn't mention the connection restriction, we'll see if I get stranded in NRT. They both operate out of the same terminal, 1:50h is a ridiculous connection window.

AC should begin offering this option again as this is by far the fastest way to BKK from YYZ over the Pacific.

Good luck! I do hope that your flights are on time and that you do not get stranded in NRT. As you most likely know, AC has no responsibility to take care of you regarding rebooking if something happens and it turns out that your itinerary does not meet the min. connecting time requirements - you better doublecheck with your TA.

Either I'm going crazy, or someone is actively changing the way AC is handling the NRT connections. I still maintain that AC1 to AC9851 was perfectly valid a few weeks back, the SE desk was willing to sell it me, but couldn't get J.

Yesterday ac.com was showing AC3 connecting to AC9556 (a 1.5 hour connection) as a valid connection and still shows it when you do a timetable search. However, it is no longer showing on AC.com. If it's not valid, I'm not sure what the point of codesharing AC9556 if you cannot connect to it.

Added... okay I know I'm not crazy on this one. My return flight doesn't meet the minimum connection window either AC9555 connected to AC2 - 1:35 connection window. When I purchased it was definitely fine and valid, but now is no longer offered for purchase.

Hopefully this is all a mistake as creating valid connections is going to waste hours of my time.

Thought I'd update my situation here and also look for another answer. In the end it looks like ANA rescheduled AC9851 (with later departure and less time in the air) and I now have a legal connection on the outbound. So I'm pretty happy with this routing and it's the best Pacific option.

However, I chickened out on the return and didn't do AC9555 connecting to AC2 with only a 1:35 connection. Although I know it was a valid booking when I reserved it, my TA thought I would be a fool to try. Surprisingly I found a cheap flight back via LHR and I think with the new fares I should get the 50% bonus for my J out of London. Although I'll spend more time in the air, it's still better than the HKG option.

With this stupid connection window, AC loses out, as my BKK to LHR was purchased directly from TG so AC only gets the revenue from LHR to YYZ (which must be tiny since my entire flight was $2300 for J). If they had a reasonable connection window they would have had code share to NRT and full revenue from NRT to YYZ.

The 1:50 window for same terminal connections doesn't make sense. When I search for BKK to LAX on KVS I get a number of other carriers showing much tighter connections including UA to AA with 1:25, TH to NH with 1:30, and some just over an hour (NW to NW, JL to JL).

I understand that in June all *A will be at Terminal 2 in NRT and we now even have eTicket options through NRT. Do you think there are any chances of a reduction in the 1:50 connection window, or is this simply marketing to push me on another routing? Andrew any further insight?

yyzgigi--how did you get the BKK-YYZ for 2300 in J?

That's what I wanna know :) The published AC JR fare is double that

Cheers

Mine has a bit of a corporate discount, but it's available on aircanada.com, simply buy a one way ticket from BKK to YYZ via Europe and it is $2331+fees or $2485. Similar fares are available on other travel websites. It is likely based on the Thai currency so you won't get there that cheaply.