A flight attendant has revealed five secrets that they claim “airlines don’t want you to know”, including a handy tip which could save you money when booking your next flight. The cabin crew member, speaking with Ski Vertigo, explained that you might be able to snap up the exact same seats for your flight for a cut of the price when booking through a “code-share” or “partner” airline.
“Code-sharing is a common practice where airlines share the same flight, allowing them to offer more destinations,” explained the flight attendant, who opted to stay anonymous.
A code-sharing deal allows an airline to market its routes via another airline.
For example, British Airways often lists many codeshare services on ba.com operated by its oneworld partners as well as Aer Lingus, airBaltic, Airlink, Bangkok Airways, China Southern, Fiji Airways, IndiGo, Kenya Airways, Loganair, Vistara and Vueling Airlines.
Code-sharing allows airlines to increase connectivity and also allows partner airlines to offer destinations they themselves might not offer flights to.
Code-sharing helps to provide passengers with a wider choice of flights and can also help when booking connecting flights.
“Discrepancies in pricing between different airlines selling seats on the same flight can indeed exist due to various marketing strategies, sales channels, or target customer segments,” continued the crew member.
“Travellers and travel advisors often recommend checking prices across multiple airlines for the same code-shared flight to find the best deal.”
When booking with a budget airline, the cabin crew member also urged passengers to be aware of how their pricing works.
While a flight may looks extremely cheap at first, if you are required to pay for hand luggage, checked baggage, seat selection and food, you could be facing a higher bill at the end.
“Getting to know the nuances of code-sharing arrangements and the operational quirks of low-cost carriers can lead to more informed travel choices,” the crew member explained.
“It’s important to calculate the total cost of your journey, factoring in baggage fees, seat selection, and those sneaky add-ons to sidestep any unpleasant surprises that can inflate your budget with low-cost carriers.
“Being detail-oriented about your flight details, including which airline is actually operating your flight under a code-share agreement, could unlock even better deals.”