Any thoughts on first UA-US codeshare flights?

USFlyer

Veteran
Aug 19, 2002
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Just curious what folks think the first codeshare flights will be -- any thoughts? I believe Siegel said the first flights would be in January, so I would think they would need to load those in the schedule relatively soon (if that date is sticking).
 
Non-stop service to bankruptcy.
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So, for a codeshare flight on UA, you cannot check-in with US?! Suppose it's a mixed itinerary -- some on US, some on UA. Does anyone know how CO-NW handle this?
 
An example they gave in a res bulletin last week was ORD-EWR where UNITED displays in CRS first as nonstop service, but US sells them as a 6000 flt series. No sales training guidance on whether a US rep is supposed to sell the preferential nonstop first (on UNITED thus giving them most if not all the revenue), or sell a US via PIT further down the screen,and keep the revenue for ourselves, such as it is. Then we are supposed to follow up with a short sentence advising the passenger to check in with UNITED(and expect no long drawn out questions as to WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE WHY, since they're calling US?)Would be nice to know how CO NW effectively do this and in a timely manner without the passenegr being totally confused showing up at the wrong counter and end up missing the flight irate.
 
CO/NW agents advise pax to check in with the operating carrier. If that doesn't work, e-ticket receipts often have a note under the flight number stating the flight is operated by another airline. If all else fails, nearly all airports of size have signs at the CO/NW ticket counters indicating that if you're traveling on a particular flight number, you need to check in with the other carrier.
 
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On 11/18/2002 6:29:06 AM avek00 wrote:

CO/NW agents advise pax to check in with the operating carrier. If that doesn't work, e-ticket receipts often have a note under the flight number stating the flight is operated by another airline. If all else fails, nearly all airports of size have signs at the CO/NW ticket counters indicating that if you're traveling on a particular flight number, you need to check in with the other carrier.
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Unfortunately, many general public unseasoned travelers cannot read/decipher an e-tkt receipt properly,it's hard enough to get the ticket number outta these folks when we need it. Are the receipts that hard to understand? I didn't think so. And too much to hope they remember the advisement in course of conversation.I suppose it will take one bad experience of checking in @ wrong counter to remember it next time.

Still doesn't tell us who to sell first, based on svc,U or UA?
 
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On 11/18/2002 9:41:31 AM UAL777flyer wrote:

I can tell you that here at UA, many people are working tirelessly to get the codeshare flights started as quickly as possible. Still shooting for January I believe. But there are a lot of issues to work out in order to roll it out to the public as seemlessly as possible.
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Cool, I'm curious to see how they phase this in and what flights are initially included, particularly with the UAX/USEX carriers. I'm looking forward to flying US to SFO, LAX and/or SEA and then connecting on UAX when I need to go to a second-tier west coast city. Also, are international routes also being included, or are they limiting this to domestic cities only?
 
USflyer,

I can tell you that here at UA, many people are working tirelessly to get the codeshare flights started as quickly as possible. Still shooting for January I believe. But there are a lot of issues to work out in order to roll it out to the public as seemlessly as possible.
 
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According to a briefing put out in res the first connections will be through DEN and ORD to 5 cities hopefully for sale in Dec for travel in mid Jan.
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That makes sense, since I'm sure there will be IT issues that come up once they go live with the codeshare. Better to start small I guess. [img src='http://www.usaviation.com/idealbb/images/smilies/1.gif']
 
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International cities are included with the exception that US cannot code-share as part of STAR. I believe that is planned for down the road a couple ----------------
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What does this mean exactly? That US can codeshare with UA but not the others (such as LH)?
 
International cities are included with the exception that US cannot code-share as part of STAR. I believe that is planned for down the road a couple of years. But yes, US customers will be able to codeshare to UA's international network.
 
What it means is that US customers can codeshare on UA international and domestic flights, but not on flights operated by UA's STAR partners.

As for codesharing being a smoke and mirrors game, I completely agree. But even though I dislike it, I recognize the need for it today because it generates a substantial amount of revenue for the carriers involved. US codesharing on UA flights and vice versa will generate additional revenue for both airlines. There is no sharing of that revenue. US pockets all the revenue from the passengers they carry on their flights, and UA pockets the revenue from the passengers they carry on their flights. So it's a mutually advantagious relationship. Does it confuse the consumer? Yes, it does. But it also offers the consumer access to an extensive network of city pair options that can be seemlessly ticketed, as well as offering customers the ability to earn miles and enjoy the perks of each carrier's offerings. I don't view this as UA taking advantage of US. Both carriers are struggling. The incremental revenue that will be gained is needed by both airlines.

KCflyer,

The same example you gave would work in the reverse in a market like, say, PIT-DFW, where US is the nonstop carrier and UA has the one-stops. Does a UA res agent sell the nonstop and give the revenue to US, or sell the one-stop and give the revenue to UA. It's going to depend on price and schedule convenience most of the time anyway. More often than not, you'll end up selling the nonstop irregardless of UA or US being the operating carrier. That is how codeshares succeed. Each carrier contributes to a bump in load factor that translates into additional revenue for both carriers. Or at least, that is the idea.