Codeshare agreement facts for kids
Codesharing is when two or more airlines work together to sell seats on the same flight. Imagine one plane flying, but tickets for that flight are sold by different airlines. This means that each airline can sell more tickets for their flights.
Sometimes, airlines join big groups called airline alliances. These alliances are like clubs where all the member airlines agree to sell each other's tickets. For example, United Airlines and Lufthansa are both part of the Star Alliance. This lets Lufthansa sell tickets for United flights, and United can sell tickets for Lufthansa flights. It helps them reach more places and offer more choices to travelers.
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History of Codesharing
The idea of airlines working together on flights started a long time ago. In 1967, a person named Richard A. Henson teamed up with Allegheny Airlines, which was a company that later became US Airways. This was one of the first times airlines shared flights in the United States.
The actual term "codesharing" was created in 1989 by two big airlines: Qantas and American Airlines. By 1990, these two airlines started offering their first codeshare flights. These flights connected cities in Australia with cities in the U.S. Since then, codesharing has become very common in the airline world, especially as more large airline alliances have formed. These alliances often have many codeshare agreements and also link up their frequent flyer programs.
Why Airlines Use Codesharing
Airlines use codesharing for several good reasons. It helps both the passengers and the airlines themselves.
Benefits for Travelers
- Easier Connections: Codesharing makes connecting flights much simpler. You can book a trip from one city to another, even if it involves changing planes and airlines, all under one flight number from your main airline. This means you don't have to book separate tickets for each part of your journey. Airlines also try to make sure their schedules match up, so you have enough time to connect.
- More Choices: When airlines codeshare, it can seem like one airline offers more flights to a certain place. This gives you more options for flight times and routes.
Benefits for Airlines
- Reaching New Places: Codesharing allows an airline to sell tickets to cities where it doesn't actually fly its own planes. This helps them offer service to more destinations without having to buy new planes or start new routes.
- Increased Flight Frequency: For routes where both airlines already fly, codesharing makes it look like one airline has more flights available. This can attract more customers.
- Lower Costs: When an airline sells seats on another airline's flight through a codeshare, it doesn't have to pay for the plane, fuel, or crew for that part of the journey. This can help reduce their operating costs.
Images for kids
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An information display showing code-shared flights (indicated by multiple flight numbers in a single time slot), at Fukuoka Airport.
See also
In Spanish: Código compartido para niños
