Why do websites list flights under one airline when they know it's going to be operated by a different airline?

Sometimes when booking you'll see something like "ANA (All Nippon Airways)
NH7763". Then next to it, it says "Operated by United". Why don't the booking sites just list the actual United flight instead of listing the ANA flight?

I've even seem some itineraries where the first flight is listed as an ANA flight but operated by United. The next flight is THAI but operated by ANA. Next flight is EVA but operated by Air Japan which isn't even the same alliance as EVA.

Because sometimes it matters who you buy the ticket from. The same itinerary could be priced differently depending on who sold the seats.

It is called "code share" and airlines have been doing it for decades.

Because you're buying the ticket from ANA and the price can be different from the cost of the same seat from United.

Those web sites check and compare data and prices from different airlines.

However, each airline offers both its own flights and flights of codeshare partners, A flight may be codeshared with several airlines (actually all members of the same Airlines Alliance)

Since each airline has its own commercial policy, the price from the seller may be (and is mostly) different from the price of the operating airline. Sometimes, it may be cheaper.

Therefore, comparison's results include flights that are operated by partners airlines. Otherwise, comparisons would fail to show you the cheapest deals.

By the way, the information that the flight is operated by another airline is quite useful for the traveler since the aircraft, the staff, the food, the entertainment facilities and so on are those of the operating airline (not those of the seller airline). This may also avoid misunderstanding when check-in.

Airlines regularly share flights with other airlines.

Mysterious websites list what they list because that is the information they have.
WHY does a flight have many possible flight numbers? Because it does.
The Airplane for the flight is just operated by ONE Airline. The way it is.
That you do not comprehend the system is to mean what?

You DO NOT need to know all the details. The Airline accountants do.

Airlines have agreements with each other to share ticket sales and passengers.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO KNOW the details of their agreements.
Every Airline does not fly everywhere. Get over it.

Airlines are attempting to make it possible for the passenger to make ONE booking from start to finish of their journey. They make up flight numbers so that the individual segments show up to you as the same Airline for your points card and total fare.
What each Airline eventually gets paid for their part of the journey is none of your concern. The accountants have figured it out.

Can this be important if their is a problem? YES.

You have paid Airline A for your ticket. You are flying on Airplane B operated by Airline B. You are not an Airline B direct customer. Airline A pays Airline B a portion to haul you around. You deal with Airline A if you have problems as they are the Airline you PAID for the ride in some situations.

Airline B will first deal with Airline B paid passengers and then Airline A guests.

Each Airline can charge what they want to their passengers. There's no law that requires each Airline to charge exactly the same for the ride. Up to you to search out if the fares are cheaper purchasing from one Airline or the other the combination for your travel day.

Simple

code-share
A commercial arrangement between two airlines whereby one sells seats on a flight operated by the other, with each airline using their own flight number.

WHY and the details are the Airlines business on a flight by flight basis. It does not mean EVERY FLIGHT on each others Airline is a code share.

There are about 150,000 flights per day with about a million possible connections for one change of plane add in a second change and you move to tens of millions of possible routings. Just an attempt to simplify your itinerary to ONE Airlines flight numbers where possible.

Add Comment