Code sharing has been a boon to the airline industry. They get the benefits of an expanded route structure without any of the costs by piggybacking on another airline’s flights. If we applied this concept to other industries, Ford could eliminate their quality control problems simply by slapping their logo on a Honda or Toyota.
Just as we all know a Ford isn’t the same as a Honda or a Toyota, we all know airlines aren’t created equal. A friend related her story about a flight to Phoenix purchased throught Expedia. Code sharing gave her two very different experiences.
She flew Continental on the first leg to Houston and then onwards to Phoenix. Flight attendants were friendly, there was a movie, breakfast (cereal and a banana) was served on the first leg and the flight attendants brought around muffins during the second leg from Houston to Phoenix.
The return leg was on Northwest from Phoenix to Minneapolis and then back home. Flight attendants were disinterested, there was no movie and no meals were served.
In the past (way past), I booked myself on what I thought was to be a KLM flight from Boston to Amsterdam only to find myself on an old Northwest DC-10. The difference in service, meals and aircraft between Northwest and KLM was dramatic. That insured that I focused on which airline is flying which route, especially in these days of code sharing.
Check carefully whenever booking flights. Online travel agencies can often find excellent rates by combining different airlines, even airlines that don’t have code sharing or that are not part of the same airline alliance.
The good deal may come at the expense of easy connections, consistent service and luggage transfers. Make sure to understand which airlines are flying which routes before buying airline tickets. Sometimes it makes a big difference.
All airlines are not created equal
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
