Bye bye VA WP ! Trap for new players re: ‘partner’ airline SC’s.

[strance]

A few months ago I notice I will be 120 SC’s short of retaining VA WP with current travel plans. So I book a full first class ticket on the Delta website LAX-YVR-LAX, get issued with Delta itinerary, delta flight number etc. But of course I now discover it doesn’t earn SC’s, only ‘Delta Connection’ services including a myriad of other airlines do, but not AS. Ridiculous. OK so the fine print in itinerary read ‘operated by Alaska airlines’ but so what? I mean really. This isn't discount economy. This isn't expedia or some dodgy consolidator, it’s the main landing page and flight search engine for your partner! Why even mention a fictitious delta flight number?!?!?

So just cancelled a $1k J revenue ticket as the SC’s are superfluous now and will push discretionary travel to the airline I will retain WP with. Review date of 11 Sep, no time or energy for SC run before then.

So be warned – if you’re like me and think you know it all booking an F class ticket on a partner airline flight number and expecting points or SC's – think again !!

Just devo’d.


Ps. oh and I was stood up by a VA FA in Vegas last month – could our relationship get any worse ….

 

[Fruitcake]

I'm sorry to hear of your misunderstanding. But hopefully the experience will be helpful for you in whichever program you choose to fly with in the future - most programs have similar pitfalls. For example, QFF does not allow status credits to be earned on most partner coded flights operated by non-oneworld partners.

 

[serfty]

...
So be warned – if you’re like me and think you know it all booking an F class ticket on a partner airline flight number and expecting points or SC's – think again !!
.….

To be fair, such can happen with codehares services on many airline programs, including the major alliances such as *O, *A and *S.

I am always wary of codeshares and it's not just because of point/SC earning. One tip is that codeshares often have "high" flight numbers.

Look here for examples with QFF: Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Terms & Conditions

[TABLE="class: grid"]
[TR="class: alt"]
[TD]Cathay Pacific Airways (CX), including Cathay Pacific Airways' affiliate Dragon Air (KA)[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 10"]Status Credits are earned on all eligible booking classes.
Excluded: Points and Status Credits are not earned on joint venture flights or Codeshare Flights operated by airlines other than oneworld[SUP]®[/SUP] alliance airlines.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[legalistic]

Sorry to hear about Vegas

 

[erkpod]

I got stung on exactly the same thing.

PDX - SFO in F, booked direct via DL. DL flight number. But because it's AS metal, no SC (40) for me.

 

[trooper]

This could happen with any airline... after all, what is more important to MOST people?

The ability to book itineraries simply, on one site... regardless of whether that airline flies its OWN aircraft on every route desired.... OR.. the ability of (let's face it) a minority of travellers to get status credits/miles/points/whatever?

I'll admit I've been "bit" too of course.... a UA flight number operated by a small airline (which codeshared with just about all the majors as it turned out - I think the flight had nearly as many flight numbers as seats!) did not credit... but it was a lesson learned...

 

[Milboo]

I have this coming up for LAX to MEX - booked direct with Delta and with a DL flight number but operated by AM.

 

[roby]

To be fair, such can happen with codehares services on many airline programs, including the major alliances such as *O, *A and *S.

I am always wary of codeshares and it's not just because of point/SC earning. One tip is that codeshares often have "high" flight numbers.

Look here for examples with QFF: Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Terms & Conditions

When you say major alliances such as *O, *A and *S, you know * stands for Star, don't you? So I can't really agree with your shorthand.

 

[Danger]

When you say major alliances such as *O, *A and *S, you know * stands for Star, don't you? So I can't really agree with your shorthand.

Not in GDS parlance , apparently. However, on this board, Serfty is the only one that uses *O to refer to oneworld. Personally, I think the terminology is best left to the GDS to avoid confusion.

 

[serfty]

When you say major alliances such as *O, *A and *S, you know * stands for Star, don't you? So I can't really agree with your shorthand.

Whether you or I like it or not it IS of industry standard - well and truly defined before the turn of the century.

Also noted in the "Abbreviations" thread and a little more here: Brief Discussion on *O/*A/*S

... and on FT: lax new TBIT lounges ? - FlyerTalk Forums

 

[Newk]

When you say major alliances such as *O, *A and *S, you know * stands for Star, don't you? So I can't really agree with your shorthand.

two people here who are nearly always right: serfty and tony hancock. Question them at your peril

 

[Deleted member 29185]

When you say major alliances such as *O, *A and *S, you know * stands for Star, don't you? So I can't really agree with your shorthand.

Hi roby,

I scratched my head for about 5 secs before realising the an asterick is used for meanings than "star". Given the context of the post, "major alliances" x 3 is somewhat self explanatory! We all learnt a bit!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

two people here who are nearly always right: serfty and tony hancock. Question them at your peril

Yeah right!

Tony Hancock reckons he's not a frequent flyer...... pffft.