Tip on booking AA Codeshares for xONEx
 

I'm sure it's here somewhere but worth mentioning again a quick tip for those of you flying on LONEx's and wanting to take advantage of the AA codeshare flight #'s on non AA metal for the superior points earning.

I booked an LONE4 originating in AKL last night with the AA RTW desk and had to call back 4 times to get different agents before I found one who was (very) willing to book me on the AA flight numbers from AKL-MEL-PER. The other agents insisted that I had to originate in LAX to be able to use those numbers and wanted to put me on the QF numbers. As we have seen over and over again it is often about who you get helping you more than anything.

Another tip - I was looking to take the AA codeshare on CX metal from HKG-NRT and despite it being in the AA pdf timetable the agent couldn't see it. Only when she booked the through fare to DFW did it show up and then again she had no problem with booking me on it. Likewise an AY codeshare on QF metal from HKG-PER, had to add the HEL-HKG sector and book HEL-xHKG-PER to be able to see the codeshare flight # in the system.

Regards, paul

I believe a lot of OW codeshare flights are only visible to booking agents when they're part of married segments. I had a similar problem last year with CPT-xLHR-HEL using AY codes - I wanted to take a later LHR-HEL flight (the same day) and went through merry hell with the agents trying to divorce the married segments and "re-marry" with the later flight.

Greetings, Paul,

As Gardy mentioned, this is, indeed, policy. For example, I fly several times/year LAX-LHR-JNB/CPT. Obviously, the LHR-JNB/CPT segments are on BA metal, but I would prefer AA numbers because BA numbers do not earn elite status premiums in AAdvantage. I can book into the AA numbers if, and only if, I'm connecting to or from a TATL flight on AA metal. Sometimes on the return, I fly back to LHR then off to someplace else. Can't get the AA numbers on the JNB/CPT-LHR. I've even tried to book JNB-LHR-LAX to get the AA number, then cancel the LHR-LAX segment. No go.

I suspect that you experienced precisely the reverse of what you thought when booking the AKL-MEL-PER flights. The first few agents with whom you spoke knew the rules and applied them. The last one may have been new and not known.

Actually it is the opposite. For OWE the rules concerning traffic rights and even cabotage are different. Most agents, and apparently even somewhat knowledgeable pax, know the common rules -- which don't apply to OWE tickets. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, esp. when it is thought to be comprehensive. Similarly the automated systems are implementing the 99.99% case and ignoring the 0.01% case -- which unfortunately is what applies to OWE tickets. But all the valid codeshares are bookable by using the right technique. Now if only there was true Open Skies and all this nonsense would go away.

To complicate matters further, not all codeshares operate in that way.

Why are they different and where are these differences documented?

For a start, I believe products like xONEx's are inherently international itineries and cabotage may not apply.

paul - Sorry if I'm being pedantic but a point of clarification. Are you (a) departing NRT on an AA-metal flight and/or (b) do you have a stopover at NRT?

AA probably (almost certainly, I would think) can't sell you a ticket HKG-NRT (which is why it doesn't show up). When you say "then again she had no problem with booking me on it" when she booked the through fare to DFW, I assume you are leaving NRT on an AA-metal flight to DFW - correct? If so, do you have a stopover at NRT - perhaps not?

Booking the AA flights HKG-NRT-DFW (no stopover) is not an issue. However, I would be very interested to learn that you could book the AA flight HKG-NRT and then depart NRT on some carrier other than AA and/or have a stopover at NRT (because if you do that, usually the "connection" to the AA-metal flight is lost and you can't book the codeshare HKG-NRT as a result).

A practical question for those who are more familiar with this topic:

If I book a LONE4 ex-Oz, can I start with an AA codeshare flight SYD-MEL, stopover in MEL and then take a QF flight (not the AA codeshare) to LAX?

On a simpler level, can you take the AA codeshare SYD-MEL and then (no stopover) take the QF flight MEL-LAX?

YMMV with Agents etc., however the oneworld booking tool appears to let you book such.

I have not gone through to ticketing but I have got a full pricing.

No, it is a transit only at NRT and yes I agree that you would have difficulty getitng this flight as an AA# (HKG-NRT) if it was. That said number_6 does imply that it is possible but not easy.

Agree with Serfty, either of these scenarios would be easily done I believe. Have pm'd you with the AA agent to ask for if it helps.

I am facing similar problems booking IB/AY codeshares on BA metal on various routes including cpt-lhr, lhr-dxb, lhr-yvr without going anywhere near mad or hel. The codeshares are clearly visible when they are married with a connection to mad or hel but trying to book without the connection has met a wall of resistance so far.

Is there a technique I should be using to book these?

I've been trying to book AA codeshares in Australia as well (SYD-CHC-SYD) using Sabre. A few minutes after I book the segments, they get automatically rejected by AA (or possibly QF). So it looks like something programmed into AA's system.

The guy at the RTW desk says that they're not going through because my previous segment is an open AA segment HNL-SYD. If that segment were to be confirmed AA (happens to be a codeshare on QF metal) then these other codeshares would go through as well.