Loyalty Register glossary
Codeshare
An agreement that lets one airline sell seats under its own flight number on a flight operated by another airline.
A codeshare flight is a flight one airline sells under its own flight number while another airline operates it. The airline that sells the seat under its code is the marketing carrier; the one that flies the aircraft is the operating carrier. A single flight can carry several flight numbers from different airlines. Codesharing is a core part of most airline alliances: Delta Air Lines, for example, says its SkyTeam arrangements include reciprocal codesharing and loyalty program participation.
Updated · By Loyalty Register Editorial TeamRelated terms
How can you tell if a flight is a codeshare?
Look for “Operated by” next to the flight. US rules (14 CFR 257.5) require online search results to name the operating carrier beside each code-share flight, require sellers to say so when the flight is first offered, and require written disclosure at purchase. The two-letter code in the flight number shows the marketing carrier: Delta’s example is that DL2368 is marketed by Delta and VS18 by Virgin Atlantic.
How do codeshare flights earn miles?
That depends on each program’s rules, and they differ. Some programs credit by the marketing carrier’s code and booking class. Others use the operating carrier and a partner earning chart, which can give a different result for the same seat. Delta says any eligible flight that is not Delta-marketed earns under its partner airline rules. Malaysia Airlines’ Enrich earns on Malaysia Airlines marketed, Firefly operated codeshares and treats other codeshares separately. A few arrangements are with airlines that are not loyalty partners at all, and those flights may earn little or nothing. Members often find out only when the miles post.
How do codeshares affect status, check-in and award seats?
Status credit follows similar rules, and some programs count codeshare flights differently toward elite thresholds. Check-in and baggage rules vary, so members should confirm them with both airlines. Award seats are a separate matter: codesharing lets an airline sell paid seats on a partner flight, but the operating carrier decides how many award seats to release to partner programs. Members can see a flight under their airline’s number and still find no award space on it.
What does it mean for a loyalty program?
Codeshares extend a program’s network without adding aircraft, giving members more places to earn and use miles. They also create confusion that lands on the program’s service team: missing miles, unexpected earning amounts and disputes about status credit. Clear rules and good partner data reduce that cost.
What should a program disclose?
- How codeshare flights earn: by marketing or operating carrier.
- Which codeshare partners do not earn, or earn at a reduced rate.
- How codeshare flights count toward status.
- The operating carrier at the point of booking, along with what the ticket will earn.