Which airline do I check in with on codeshare flights?
I have a fairly complex itinerary in terms of ticketing which left me stumped in terms of codeshares and the process around checking in, which is potentially applicable across multiple airlines. (For what it's worth, this is all with Oneworld carriers which could make a difference as they are part of the same airline alliance.)
My itinerary was booked through Expedia - with Japan Airlines as the primary carrier as far as I understand - which is something as follows:
- Outbound
- LHR-HEL: JAL codeshare operated by British Airways
- HEL-KIX: JAL codeshare operated by Finnair
- KIX-HND: JAL flight (on JAL metal)
- Inbound (10 days later)
- NRT-HEL: Finnair codeshare operated by JAL
- HEL-HLR: Finnair flight (on Finnair metal)
The associated Oneworld frequent flier number associated with the itinerary is my British Airways Executive Club number, and I have the individual airline-specific PNRs for each carrier as well.
When I initiate the web checkin flow with any of the three airlines, it throws me to the BA website to continue with check-in. (Only for outbound leg, of course.) Unfortunately, this is where the checkin process seems to end, as British Airways checks me onto the first flight on BA metal (but JAL codeshare) and then lists the following flights as "not available" for check in.
In a scenario like this, where the airline-specific PNRs are available, which airline should a traveller check in with to be able to check in to all flights in a leg of the itinerary?
Best Answer
Always check in with the airline operating the initial flight in your itinerary. In this case, you'll check in with British Airways for your outbound flights, and with JAL for your inbound flights.
Whether you can check in to all flights on the itinerary will depend a little on the arrangements the airlines have with each other, but typically (and in my own experience), you can check into all flights with the initial checkin, although sometimes you may not be able to select a seat with codeshare airlines. I've also run into the issue where I had to print or get a boarding pass at a connecting airport.
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Which airline do you check in for codeshare?
For a codeshare flight, which airline do I check in with? For a codeshare flight, you'll check in with the operating airline at their desk at the airport or online. Refer back to your flight confirmation email, which will have a confirmation number or record location number associated with your reservation.Do I have to check in separately for connecting flights?
When arriving at the connecting airport all you have to do is to go to your next gate and wait for the next plane, your next flight. There might be a security check in the terminal at the connecting airport. But mostly you don't have to do anything about your luggage. It's being taken care of by the airport personnel.Do you check in with operating airline?
You always check in with the operating carrier of the first flight.Can I check in with a partner airline?
Check in at our partner airline's website or counter. Has a 3 or 4-digit flight number with another airline's flight code (e.g. OZ 384), and is operated by our partner airline. Check in at our partner airline's website or counter.Airlines - Codeshare Agreement
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