I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but here goes:

There is no way to book NW codeshares (CO flight number, NW metal) at co.com, right? I need to fly JAX-CHI late Monday and CO's latest flight is 3:30pm, while NW has a 5:30pm flight that is a CO code share. I know that I can book it at expedia/travelocity/orbitz, but I'd like the extra 1000 miles, not to mention having it in my profile and stuff.

Thanks,
S.

I got bored and called in on the co.com support line. It took the woman about 20 minutes to figure out how to do it, but I can't reserve it and show it on my profile. She promises that it is there, but I hate that I can't see it.

And she did admit that they purposefully don't post the codeshares. What a waste.

Most of the times, CO.com does not list codeshare only connecting flights. It will usually show CO connecting to a NW codeshare.

Try booking it on AA.com (by going to advanced options, select 'All Carriers' and choose the exact departure time for the NW-operated/CO-coded flights).

BTW, AA will not sell NW-coded flights.

That is an easy way to avoid the $5 CO telephone or Travelocity/Orbitz/Expedia booking fee!

OK,

that brings up a question:

I've often wondered why AA.com shows all those other flights and not just AA.

Other thing, you may save the $5, but still don't get the 1,000 online CO.com bonus. For me, the most important would be EQMs, though it looks like I'll end the year around 37,000 like last year, and I don't think that Gold Elite is worth trying to find a 13,000 mile EQM run.

Back to main Q: why does AA.com show competetor's flights?

EmailKid

@:-) First, Hold a reservation on-line.
Then, call 1-800-300-1547 to have an agent change it to get the flights you want. This way you get to keep:

1.) Your $5 "booking fee"
2.) The 1000 bonus miles
3.) EQMs

Ah, but if it's a codeshare that won't show up on CO.com, how do you book it? I'm guessing they won't be too pleased if you reserve a Travelocity itin and then try to switch it.

Or perhaps there's something obvious that I'm missing

EVA is supposed to be codesharing with CO, and I've yet to come across anything on CO.com that lists a CO # and EVA listed as the metal. I've seen it with KLM on European segments, but not on Asian flights, only get "CO nor its partners serve this destination."

Actually get the same with Copa to Buenos Aires, though I was able to get a reward flight there after calling the Elite Line.

My apologies if this is too basic, but ......

EmailKid

The itinerary isn't available online. That's the problem. I called in to WeCare2 and was told that the agent "isn't technical so I don't understand how flights are listed online." After I finished laughing at that I called CO.com support and explained the situation. The agent swore that codeshares are listed on CO.com. I then asked her to purchase a flight from JAX to CHI later than 3:15pm. It didn't exist until she went in to some super-secret screen that she had to see codeshares. After I demonstrated this to her she admitted that it is an issue. She also claimed to have never heard of the issue with all itins on Co.com requiring 1 CO metal segment to show up. She said that she'd report it. She did waive the $5 and gave me the 1K miles. The EQMs I don't get b/c it is NW operated in U class, so only 50%. I asked about pricing for 100% and the price jumped from $250 to $450...way too much.

In doing all this tonight I actually called in to the regular elite line to have them make the rez b/c I didn't know the CO.com support number off-hand. When I asked the rez agent for the flight they also said it didn't exist I had to make him look up code shares, and then make him look even harder for the one that I actually wanted. I mentioned to WeCare2 that it seemed silly to put your number on a flight and then make it almost impossible to sell it. Her response was that CO is in the business of selling tix on CO metal, not codeshares, and that it was too much work (I'm paraphrasing that part) for the agents to have to offer codeshares as well.

They also didn't buy my theory that if a flight isn't available on the web the $5 should be waived. Overall it is just going to move the call load from the regular call centers to the co.com call center, preventing them from actually helping people with real problems.

CO may be good as an airline if all you want is CO metal, but in the past year the rest of it has become about 1000x more of a pain in the arse.

It's not that it's too much work, it's that they're trying to protect revenue (they keep more money when they fly you, instead of you flying someone else). They used to weight the display results equally among all flights, but now they bias it towards their metal. Third-party sites like Expedia don't have this type of bias because they don't care who you fly.

While inconvenient, I tend to agree with this logic. A codeshare partner is still a competitor, and an airline should drive business towards its own metal. I can't think of any other real world comparison to the codesharing practice, though. It'd be like if McDonald's had the ability to sell you a Whopper. I doubt they'd advertise it, or put it at the top of the menu, but if you asked for one, they'd give it to you.

Btw, other carriers do the same (e.g., try getting a NW-coded, CO-metal flight out of the NW site or a NW agent, it's equally, if not more painful).