Definition
An arrangement where an airline sells seats, under its own flight number, on a flight operated by another airline. Your ticket might show an IndiGo 6E number while Qatar Airways flies the plane, so check-in, seats and onboard service follow the operating airline.
How to spot a codeshare
Look for the words "operated by" next to a flight on your booking. Airlines use codeshares to sell destinations beyond their own network. IndiGo, for example, sells seats on Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines flights beyond Doha and Istanbul, and Air India codeshares with several Star Alliance partners.
What follows the operating airline
- Check-in: you check in with the airline operating the first flight, at its terminal and counters.
- Seats and special meals: Jain, vegetarian or child meals must reach the operating airline. Request them at booking, then confirm on the operating airline's website a few days before you fly.
- Cabin product: the seat, food and entertainment are the operating airline's, not the one on your ticket.
- Baggage: on international itineraries, the allowance is set by industry rules and can differ from what the selling airline's website shows. Trust the allowance printed on your e-ticket.
An example
Say a Mumbai couple books Mumbai–Doha–Barcelona on IndiGo's website. IndiGo flies them to Doha, and Qatar Airways operates the Barcelona leg under an IndiGo flight number. Their bags are checked through on one ticket, but in Doha they board a Qatar Airways aircraft, so the onward seat and meal come from Qatar Airways' system.
Why it matters
A codeshare gives you one ticket, through-checked bags and rebooking if the first flight is late, which is far safer than separate tickets. Before paying, compare the same route on the operating airline's own site: fares and baggage can differ. If you collect frequent-flyer miles, check which programme credits the flight, since earning on partner flights depends on the fare class.