Codeshares can potentially be good for the consumer; but at least one reason exists as to why you should not trust Main Cabin fares with codeshares — especially if you have not earned elite status with the airline of which you are booking your itinerary.
Why You Should Not Trust Main Cabin Fares With Codeshares
The definition of codesharing is the practice of two or more airlines applying their own flight numbers to the same flights or itineraries, thereby sharing the flights. This business arrangement is officially known as a codeshare agreement between airlines, which helps to save money for all airlines involved in the arrangement because they are able to pool their resources instead of operate independently with their own equipment and employees. For example, one airline can market the flights of a codeshare partner as if it were its own flight.
One positive aspect of codesharing is when one airline does not serve a particular airport; but if one of its partners does, the consumer can book the entire itinerary without having to book separate flights with each airline.
However, I did discover one disadvantage with codesharing that I have personally never encountered before.
My Recent Experience
American Airlines recently advertised an airfare of approximately $685.00 round trip between Atlanta and Brisbane in its Main Cabin. I spent hours trying to book that airfare with no success; but after several days of effort, I was able to finally book an airfare for $687.11 — even though that original airfare of $685.00 still could not be booked.
Because the airfare was Main Cabin and not the more restrictive Basic Economy — which was not available for purchase anyway — I automatically assumed that I could simply select my seats at no additional charge.
To my surprise, I was incorrect.
Of the six flights in my itinerary:
- Three flights will be operated by American Airlines
- Two flights will be operated by Qantas Airways
- One flights will be operated by Jetstar
I could select the seats aboard the airplanes that are operated by American Airlines with no problem. However, I was unable to select the seats aboard airplanes that are operated by Qantas Airways. One of those flights is American Airlines flight 7263, which is operated by Qantas Airways. A high flight number is usually a telltale sign of a codeshare flight.
I was instructed to “Call or visit our partner airline’s website to check in, manage or see details about your flight.” I clicked on the Qantas Airways button and entered my Qantas Airways confirmation code…
…but individual seat selection is not available for this flight or the other flight that is operated by Qantas Airways. The best that I could do is select a window seat as my seat preference.
I used social media to contact Qantas Airways and received the following choices in United States dollars:
- Los Angeles to Brisbane: $35.00, with the seat configuration at 2-4-2. Seats can be assigned in a row of two seats.
- Melbourne to Dallas-Fort Worth, with the seat configuration at 3-3-3:
- $40.00 in row 50 by a window.
- $45.00 in row 41 by a window — and I was told that this seat is located towards the front of the cabin, which will allow me to disembark quicker.
If I am going to pay for selecting seat assignments, I would at least like to be able to use a seat map to choose the seats on my own — but I have no way of accessing that option.
The seats for the flight that will be operated by Jetstar were not offered, as Jetstar is the ultra-low-cost subsidiary of Qantas Airways and operates as a separate airline. I would prefer to have an assigned seat with that flight segment as well; but at two hours and 25 minutes for the duration of the flight, paying for a seat assignment is not all that important to me.
Regardless, I was not expecting to pay an extra $75.00 to $80.00 for seat assignments.
The following rules are posted at the official Internet web site of Qantas Airways…
Standard seat selection is available for a charge if you’re:
-
- a Bronze Frequent Flyer and your itinerary is originating outside of Australia, or
- travelling on an international Economy sale fare on Qantas operated flights.
…but seriously: how many people who book international Main Cabin flights through American Airlines are going to search for that — let alone find it?!?
Final Boarding Call
Back on Wednesday, July 12, 2017, I wrote an article called Flight Codeshare Agreements: Beneficial or Deceptive? Although I never really had any problems with codeshared itineraries in the past, score one point this time for deceptive, in my opinion.
I sent a complaint to American Airlines to let them know that I found this practice to be deceptive, as one should not be required to pay for seat assignments with Main Cabin fares — plus I was not warned or informed before or during the process of booking the ticket that the selection of seats would cost extra on flights that are operated by Qantas Airways. I received a letter of apology and 7,500 AAdvantage miles as a response. I suppose that is okay; but that does not resolve the issue…
…so I am posting this article in the event that you face a similar situation. Watch out: that Main Cabin fare you book on a codeshare itinerary may not have all of the benefits which Main Cabin is supposed to offer…
Photograph ©2019 by Brian Cohen.
