hand_solo

This is my 2nd time flying Alaska (first time being maybe 10 years ago), so I was not aware how terrible AS' IT system is. I booked an AS flight that was sold as a AA codeshare, since I fly AA most of the time. I had intended to buy a seat upgrade for Premium Class. The Alaska Air app shows PC seats available, and lets me pick one and proceed all the way through payment screen. But when I try to make a payment, it fails with some generic error message. I'm also able to pull up the reservation on AS' website, which shows all PC seats as greyed out. I called AS customer service, and they basically told me "as a for-profit business, we would love to take your money, but our IT system sucks. So you can only buy seat upgrades if you booked the flight as an AS flight." I was flabbergasted at how bad AS's IT system is. My question is: is there another way I can purchase a seat upgrade? Can I do it at the airport at AS' counter? Or some ther way? I could cancel, but since it's a non-refundable flight, I would only get AA credits, right?

VegasGambler

These sorts of issues are common with codeshares. It's not unique to AS. I would recommend avoiding codeshares wherever possible (on any airline). Even if "standard" issues like this don't show up, you are likely to get bounced back and forth between the marketing and operating carriers if anything goes wrong.

Since you fly AA a lot, you should know that a codeshare on AA metal is not eligible for complimentary elite upgrades due to AA status (you will be able to pick MCE seats if your AA status allows for it but you will not be on the upgrade list). You should also know that if you book JL flights as AA codeshares (in any cabin) you can't do any seat selection at all, regardless of status.

Oh, and if you book a B6 codeshare with B6, you can't manage your reservation online. If the flight is not B6 metal you have to call in or chat (and likely wait hours). I ran into this once (as well as the upgrade issue I mentioned above) before the feds killed the AA-B6 partnership.

I'm sure that there are many, many more examples of issues like this across several airlines. I view codeshares in a similar way to discount OTAs. If you are not getting an extremely good deal, it's not worth the hassle.

Assuming that the price hasn't gone up too much, my advice is to cancel your flight for AA credit and rebook it as an AS marketed flight.

imaflyertalkuserwow

The opposite is also true when booking AA codeshare through AS.

JetAirways77W

Last month I booked AS SFO-BOS as an AA codeshare to use some remaining AA credits I had, but I didn't have any issues selecting PC seats on account of my AS status.

hand_solo

Interesting, I don't have status (I mostly travel for leisure). Seems like only paid upgrades doesn't work via codeshare then.

eponymous_coward

Couldn't bid for an upgrade on a VS flight on an AF miles ticket. Works beautifully on VS miles or cash tickets though. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

VegasGambler

I would expect that anything that requires modification or reissue of the ticket won't work. Complementary seat selection should usually be fine (but, again, doesn't work on JL, so not always). But if they have to collect a fee, that fee is going to get attached to the ticket (I'm not sure if it goes in the fees section of the existing ticket or if they create another document with the fees collected and somehow link them) but it doesn't surprise me that many airlines can't handle this if it's not a ticket marketed by them on their own ticket stock.

I'm sure it works on some airlines but it doesn't work on a lot of them. In general it's just asking for problems.