In essence, a code-share flight is an agreement between airlines where they market and sell seats on each other’s flights. Doing so enables passengers to fly with their preferred airline to destinations the airline wouldn’t usually fly to themselves.

Let’s take the One World codeshare agreement between British Airways, American airlines, Finnair and Iberia as an example:

Here’s the scenario: you live in Madrid and have built up your loyalty with Spain’s flagship airline, Iberia, through their Plus Frequent Flyer programme.

However, business calls and you’re required to attend an event in London before flying to New York for your company’s annual conference.

Due to being an airline based in Madrid, Iberia naturally don’t operate a direct route from London Heathrow – New York.

So, that means you’re going to have to purchase your ticket with BA and miss out on those membership points, right?..

Wrong.

This is where you can benefit from the codeshare agreement.

Although the flight will be operated by a British Airways Aircraft and crew, your seat on this flight can be purchased directly via Iberia.

This way, you will still earn the Avios points on your programme along with a guilt-free feeling of knowing that you’ve stayed loyal to your airline!

Legally, airlines have to state that their tickets are sold via a code-share agreement. Look for small print stating ‘operated by (British Airways)’. Your travel agent will advise you if this is the case with your itinerary.

When you arrive at the departing airport, always remember to check your itinerary for the operating airline’s flight number. For example, using the above scenario, you will be looking for flight BA117 on the boarding information screen, not an Iberia flight number.

Besides the benefits of an expanded loyalty programme, code-share agreements have an array of benefits to offer, contributing towards a simplified journey for passengers.

Here are some of the additional benefits offered through the British Airways / Iberia merger.

• Offering aligned baggage allowances to make the transferral between flights an easier process.
• First and Business class passengers may take the advantage of priority security and boarding at some airports.
• Customer services teams, from either airline, are there to lend a helping hand. If a delay results in a missed connection, you will be offered a seat on either airline regardless of who you booked with.
• Joining together to offer an expanded worldwide network covering Europe, North America, the Far East and Australia, Africa and South America.

**It’s important to note that whilst the majority of code-share agreements between airlines offer similar benefits, they tend to have different rules depending on the agreement. Ask your specialist travel consultant if you have any queries regarding your code-share ticket. **

Keeva Travel is a specialist corporate travel agency with over 20 years of expertise in the industry. We are proud partners of companies across various industries including marketing, NGOs, entertainment and construction. We are dedicated to helping our clients maximise their travel budgets as well as providing an array of travel solutions to suit any demand. Why not contact our team of corporate travel consultants at corporate@keevatravel.co.uk / 020 3478 5280 to see how we can be of assistance to you?