Picture this; you rock up bright and bushy-tailed to the airport with your luggage packed and ready for your exciting adventure in the skies only to find that instead of a plane with the logo of the carrier you had booked with, you are staring at one of a different carrier.
Wondering why this has happened? You’ve just booked yourself on a codeshare flight. Read on to know why this is a common practice in the aviation industry, and things you have to take note of when booking a codeshare flight.
What is a codeshare flight?
Codeshare flights offer perks to both travellers and operating carriers, increasing the efficiency and convenience of a preferred airline’s services.
If you’re a budding globetrotter you’ve probably heard the air travel term ‘codesharing’ at least once, but what exactly is a codeshare flight?
Simply put, a codeshare flight is one in which an airline partners another to market and sell seats on each other’s flights.
In the airline industry, codesharing agreements involve two or more carriers who market a flight service as part of their schedule. .
This opens up more routes and destinations for the airline to serve its passengers on routes that it does not serve, by co-selling the seats of another airline that flies to these places. The airline will get a cut of the revenue of the tickets sold for those codeshare routes.
Besides expanding its existing routes through partnering with other regional or international carriers, the affiliated carriers under the codeshare agreement can offer these services without incurring expenses needed to operate these flights. .
For example, Singapore Airlines has a range of codeshare partners that can bring travellers to different destinations around the world: Lufthansa to Munich, Air New Zealand to Auckland and Nadi (Fiji), and Alaska Airlines through numerous destinations in the United States.
What are the benefits of codeshare flights?
Benefits of codesharing for travellers are usually convenience and flexibility, as passengers can cut down on layovers while increasing the number of flight options available.
One of the biggest pros of choosing codeshare flights is the wider set of options that you can have, allowing you to choose flights that suit your preferred departure and arrival times, and budget, through one airline.
For example, if you are looking to get to Munich, Singapore Airlines on its own offers only one flight out of Singapore per day. But through its partnership with Lufthansa, it offers an additional six options at different timings, and different routes, both direct non-stop flights, as well as with a stopover in Frankfurt. The codeshare partnership thus provides travellers with more options.
Convenience and flexibility are the other two advantages that codeshare flights bring. Passengers often book these flights on a single ticket and enjoy seamless baggage transfer. This reduces the fuss and stress of needing to oversee the details like baggage transfers between flights while you are connecting between two flights.
For example, if you’d like to travel to Nice in France, Singapore Airlines will fly you first to Frankfurt, and from there its partner Lufthansa will take over and take you to Nice seamlessly. Without codeshare flights, you would have to book separate itineraries with two different airlines. Flying on two different airlines means you would need to clear immigration checks, collect your luggage, exit the transit area and re-check in with the second airline and clear immigration all over again. This arrangement is also available on airlines which have interlining agreements, which are similar to codeshare flights, except that the airlines retain their respective unique flight numbers for the leg that they are flying.
For rewards accrual, generally you earn them based on the airline you booked your flights with.
Some airlines even go as far as allowing you to earn and redeem miles towards partner carrier flights. For example, as part of the Star Alliance, Singapore Airlines’ Krisflyer members will be able to enjoy benefits such as priority check-in and boarding, as well as lounge access provided by other members of the alliance such as Lufthansa or Turkish Airlines, depending on the traveller’s membership tier.
However, do note that there may be exceptions so it is always wise to check in with the airlines you intend to book on.
Which airline services take part in codesharing?
Singapore Airlines is just one of the many airlines offering codeshare bookings, but you can book a codeshare flight from most airlines operating around the world.
Fortunately, most airlines take part in codesharing.
Singapore Airlines has a longstanding codeshare partnership with 33 partner airlines to offer a greater choice of destinations and convenience of travel.
For example, passengers flying with Singapore Airlines can travel to Gdansk, Poland, via their codesharing partnership with Lufthansa. Travellers can fly out from Changi Airport and opt to transit in either Munich or Frankfurt.
As always though, flights and connections to the various destinations offered through these codeshare arrangements may be subject to change. Thus, it’s always good to check with the website of Singapore Airline partners for the specific terms and conditions that cover the Conditions of Carriage on their leg of the journey.
For more information about Singapore Airlines and their codeshare partners, along with the routes they offer, visit their website here.
How can you tell if a flight is a codeshare?
When you book tickets for a flight, be sure to check the carrier code and whether the flight is ‘operated by’ a specific carrier to see if it’s a codeshare.
The first and easiest way to figure out if a flight is a codeshare is if you are paying attention to the fine print to see the words ‘operated by’ followed by the name of the airline carrier.
Another way is to look for the unique carrier code – a two-character alphanumeric code assigned by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – followed by the flight number.
If this doesn’t match up with the code of the carrier you are booking with – just like how AK is the code for AirAsia and MH is for Malaysian Airlines – this will be a giveaway that the flight isn’t being operated by the carrier you are booking with.
If you’re already at the airport, a sign of codeshare flights is when the airline names and flight numbers listed on the flight board at the airport cycle through even when the destination and time details stay the same.
For Singapore Airlines’ codeshare flights with Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airways, EVA Air, JetBlue Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic to/from various US cities, the flight will have a four-digit flight number starting with ‘SQ’ even though it’s operated by another airline. Singapore Airlines’ own flights typically contain only two or three digits.
When in doubt, you could always double-check with a customer representative at the counter.
What are the cons of codeshare flights?
Codeshare flights aren’t all benefits – they have disadvantages too. This can include variations in baggage policies, limited access to airline member benefits, and more.
Passengers on codeshare flights will need to be aware that things like baggage allowances and in-flight services may differ from their regular flight experiences. This means that things like frequent flyer programs, access to airport lounges, or other airline-specific benefits may not be available on codeshare flights.
Certain privileges like fast-track boarding, mileage-based points accrual, or even priority seating and meals when onboard may also be unavailable on those flights. It’s always good to educate yourself on the specific terms and conditions of partner carriers. That way you can plan to reduce any stress that may come from not being able to tap into these creature comforts.
There will also be a risk of confusion during an emergency. When things go wrong, you need to know who to deal with. With codeshare flights the lines of who is in charge of what can get blurred.
With codeshare flights, you’ll also have to take note if your flights have issues that need professional help. For example, Singapore Airlines may handle a Scoot flight due to their partnership, and this could affect things like where passengers go to check in for their flights and who to turn to in case of delays and cancellations.
When such mishaps happen, just note that the ticketing carrier is the one responsible. This means that whoever’s counter you’re checking in for your flight with is the one responsible for looking after you.
Why book codeshare flights?
Codeshare flights have their pros and cons – ultimately, what matters most is that your flight choice meets your needs and enables you to have a safe, seamless experience on your travels!
Saving money and opting for specific preferred flight times are pretty big reasons to travel on codesharing flights.
For those who prioritise airline mileage programs and elite statuses when they travel, codesharing flights does not mean giving up on your benefits.
Passengers on certain codeshare flights can enjoy discounts on ticket prices or even airline-specific perks while they travel, depending on the terms and conditions of the route.
Strategically booking codesharing flights means you can use your memberships to still earn miles and gain access to loyalty awards even when you are not flying with the carrier that the loyalty program belongs to.
Codeshare flights are, in a nutshell, what the airline industry does to streamline the travel process for the airlines and the passengers. When decoding codesharing flights, it is important to be as informed about what it is and how it can affect your travels. Codeshare flights can be beneficial to your travels and could be your secret weapon for unlocking hidden travel deals and flexibility.
You must take the time to weigh out every angle of booking a codesharing flight. Depending on the earning structure of the operating airline, and the cost of the ticket, taking a few extra steps can open up a world of opportunities you otherwise may never have had access to before. Would one codeshare flight offer better arrival and connecting times? Or does one codeshare flight offer perks that only one specific airline would give? That’s all in the fun of it. Good luck!
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