AA's "no code shares" nonsense
 

AA RTW desk is refusing to book a ONE with a couple of code share flights (both plain vanilla BA flights between LHR and MAD, operated by Iberia), saying "no code-shares AT ALL on xONEx fares". We all know this is nonsense, but after four calls today, and one supervisor, still no joy, so I will wait until tomorrow and try again; I 'm sure everything will automagically fix itself up, the moment I talk to a more experienced agent, but this try and try and try again, on something as simple as this, is frustrating. :(

The answer is very simply surely? Ticket the segments as OPEN and then call BA to make the reservations.

Not when when one of the flights is the first segment, like in this case (MAD-LHR).

How about getting a travel agent to do the booking for you?

You mean AA RTW desk said you can not book neither BA flight number nor
IB filgh number ?

Can you book IB flight number on IB metal for this code share flight ?
Did AA deny this too ?

If AA RTW desk does not permit code share flight at all,
does it deny all transpacific flight between US and JP?
All transpacifc flights of AA between US and JP are code shared with JL.

Anyway, I hope your problem will be resolved.

No, I mean that (going on what they said) since the flight is on IB metal it can on only be booked under an IB flight number.


Yes, I can book it as an IB flight, no problem.


This was mentioned as a specific restriction (they are wrong, of course) of the OneWorld Explorer fare. It does not affect other fares or flights, such as transpacific JL code shares.


It will be resolved, I have no doubt, first thing on monday. It is just a matter of persevering until I get to talk to the right agent. Thank you for the good wishes.

This is all very interesting. Early this year the same AA RTW desk booked for me the AA codeshare number instead of the CX number (it was CX metal) even though I asked that it be booked as the CX number.

Seems like AA's RTW desk policy is no codeshares except when it favors them.

I thought that they could book Code-Shares as long as the code-share flight number was AAXXXX. AA is responsible for the seat then as so probably is happy to give it away?

My hunch is that this might be a result of the rollout of e-tickets. BA flights are e-ticketed by AA but IB are not; and so BA codeshare on IB cannot be e-ticketed. Maybe the agents really cannot book it until this is fixed (and maybe the system requires e-tickets when using the eligible airlines, AA/BA/CX/QF on a ticket). Try throwing in a segment on one of the other 4 (AY/EI/LA/IB) which would force it to become a paper ticket (chances are you already have such a segment, in which case this hypothesis is disproven). The e-ticketing implementation has caused lots of grief for certain ticket types that the system designers/programmers didn't quite understand or anticipate.

I have an upcoming RTW that's AA/CX/BA. Will that be an e-ticket?

Thanks. I do have one such segment (LA, from LAX to SCL). As well as that it is a 20 segment itinerary, so if my understanding is correct AA will have to make it a paper ticket anyway.

I believe it is merely a case of bad luck, where that particular day I simply hit the less experienced agents, and come monday, when talking to somebody else this 'rule' will vanish. I say this because one of the agents even rejected ... ORD-SJU-LAX... saying "you have to keep travelling in a forward direction", once you get to SJU you cannot go backwards, that is backtracking, and it is 'most definitely' prohibited by OWE rules". :)

Nothing to do with it. Like Viajero I too was told by AA that seats must be booked under the operating airline designator when travelling on RTWs.

There's no reference to this anywhere in the rules and yet another example of AA talking a**e.

Does anyone have details for where the OW executive office is based? It's high time this was raised with them.

I wouldn't raise this up with Oneworld. It may very well become fact.

Funny... I've issued OWE RTWs through AA, and flights between SYD-LAX on QF metal booked on AA flight number and similarly with CX flights to the USA.
I've also booked BA flights using IB flight numbers.

The rate desk will price accordingly... oneworld flight number operated by oneworld aircraft. No problem there. I think the problem lies with the RTW res agent doing the booking. They might be doing it just to avoid making errors, ie booking a Oneworld flight number when the flight is NOT operated by a Oneworld member. Then who can they blame? Certainly not themselves.

Like I said before... book through a travel agent... you shouldn't have any problems there. I didn't.

As I suspected; called AA this morning and the problem is gone, like it never existed (problem? what problem?). They are ready to issue the ticket (paper, by the way, because of the 20 segments) as originally requested, code shares and everything.

My thanks to the OW forum. I am by nature a person not given to argue the toss against the 'authorities', and not long ago I would have accepted AA's first 'most definite' interpretation as fact. Now, thanks to this board, and its very knowledgeable and helpful members, I know they (the 'authorities') are not always right, and when it is time to try, and try again, until they come to their senses and see it 'our' way, the right way. :)

More likely a consequence of what agent picks up the phone. AA has some great people, but in my experience the majority have less knowledge on OWE matters than even a newbie who's hung around here for a month or so. I'm not at all comfortable doing business with them.