I can understand why a codeshare is attractive to airlines. It allows the airline to appear to service a destination that it doesn't serve (or show a greater frequency of service), allows the airline's flights to appear higher on the CRS screens, and "appears" to allow relatively seamless travel on one carrier.

But isn't it really fraud? The disclosure of the actual carrier are still somewhat concealed. And none or few of the actual benefits of flying the carrier with the codeshare flight number are realized.

Case in point: United (since I am most familiar with them). If I book a code share flight (with the exception of certain LH codeshares), I will usually depart or connect at a separate terminal, I don't receive bonus miles as a 1K that I would receive if it was a "real" UA flight, and I can't use my UA upgrade certificates. I am flying a separate airline that just happens to have a UA flight number on it as well as the actual carrier's number.

This seems to be the case with codeshares of other carriers as well.

So what is the value of a codeshare to me? I will receive the base miles in my Mileage Plus account regardless of whether the flight is a codeshare or has just the Star Alliance partner's flight number on it.

So why are codeshares even allowed?

[This message has been edited by Always Flyin (edited 10-01-2000).]

I have used the codeshare between NW and CO depending on where I want the miles to be credited. Last year I used NW until I qualified for Silver Elite WPerks, then in October '99 switched to CO. This year I am going for the Gold with CO OnePass, but have flown some NW and HP flights.

Flight availablity, fare and destination determines which airline, I use, but the miles all go to one FFer account in a given period.

I think it is a win-win arrangement.

As roadrunner indicated, codeshares are of great benefit to the elite FF.

Since I'm a platinum elite on CO, if I fly a CO codeshare I get many benefits. One being a 125% mileage bonus, and my miles count toward the next years elite status.

Must be a UA thing, then. On a UA codeshare operated by another carrier, I don't get my 1K 100% bonus and I can't use my upgrades.

Does the CO/NW apply on international flights as well, and can you use your CO upgrades on NW?

There are different arrangements among different airlines. The UA *A is the most restrictive. No elite bonus except on translantic LH and no upgrades.

The AA OW arrangement is better. You get elite bonus systemwide but no upgrades.

The NW/CO/KL arrangement is the best. You get elite bonus, and upgrades systemwide. From what I know, only the NW/CO/KL arrangement is close to being "seamless". Too bad you have to fly NW to get it.


[This message has been edited by TerryK (edited 10-01-2000).]

In my case, the value when it happened for me was $100 (the difference between the fare CHA-YWG all "on UA" (CHA-ORD on UA*, ORD-YWG on AC) v. ticketing it as interline).

My experience with UA codeshares is that UA's cost is consistently (read that as "almost always") more than the code share partner's cost. In many cases the costs are significant, perhaps 5-10% or more.

UA's code-shares (same experience as MileKing) cost (whenever I check those fares) more than booking the flight with the real carrier - LH/UA flights starting in Switzerland/Austria/Germany being the exception.

Code-shares (even with UA) allow (by booking all flights on one ticket with the 'same' airline) sometimes to profit from a (multi-segment-) one-ticket-price of the same airline (but different carriers).

A codeshare arrangement allowed me to use a CO credit on a NW flight. Worked out great for me! I don't feel cheated at all as I was (like anyone) advised it was a codeshare when I booked the flight. . . .

The biggest "benefit" of the codeshare is fare structure, without the complications of proper pricing procedures by agents. For example, if you want a UA ticket SFO/(xLHR)AMS and you use a BD codeshare all with UA flight #s, the pricing is very simple. If you do it with the BD flight #, the fare MAY qualify for the same pricing, or it may not. However, even if it does, getting an agent to price it correctly may be difficult if not impossible. This is the single biggest REAL consumer benefit. The rest seems to be fluff. (And we're talking codeshare, not alliances here). A codeshare system also allows you to fly potentially several airlines all for a simplified pricing structure. Say you fly SFO/(xLHR)BRU (UA/BD codeshare) and then FRA(xJFK)SFO (LH codeshare/UA). If UA has a published fare that allows an open jaw in Europe, you will receive a very substantial benefit with codeshare pricing. It allows you to mix/match connections much more effectively. Otherwise, you would HAVE TO use UA on all transatlantic segments to receive any beneficial pricing. (Again, don't get codeshare confused with alliances....different, yet overlapping, creatures)