Codeshare flights are good for airlines. They appear seamless and more appealing in search results, an arrangement that can help them sell better than a mixed-carrier itinerary. They are, in many ways, a ruse to sell passengers on a trip without fully explaining what the implications are of the booking. Whether baggage allowance and loyalty program perks or inflight amenities and cabin seating layouts, codeshare bookings are confusing in many ways for passengers. Even knowing where to go for check-in or bag drop at the airport can be difficult for travelers. Codeshare flights are not going away any time soon but multiple parties are hoping to ease the confusion with new products and technology improvements.
Fixing the GDS
GDS platform Travelport wants to see most of the codeshare details hidden from passengers, while highlighting the multi-airline nature of the trips. Mark Lenahan – Head of Propositions (Air and Rail) recently presented this concept as part of the IATA AIR Think Tank.
The Travelport vision brings details from both carriers to the forefront, including the operating carrier name and flight number on codeshare-marketed flights.
Both airlines are represented on the search results (A) and the operating carrier is highlighted for each individual flight (D). These changes more closely align with what passengers will see at the airport, a significant step in smoothing the travel experience.
The approach still leaves some areas unclear, especially around what the inflight experience will offer on the mixed carriers. Routehappy has plans to solve that problem.
Routehappy introduces Codeshare UPAs
When it comes to detailing the inflight amenities and services on board Routehappy’s Universal Product Attributes (UPAs) lead the market. The rich media content allows airlines to highlight their seat and services throughout the passenger journey. Last month those UPAs extended to codeshare flights among Air Canada, United Airlines and the Lufthansa Group JV partners (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss). These airlines came together and requested the ability to deliver marketing details on each others’ flights. Codeshare UPAs are the result of that work.
The Routehappy UPA Hub enables airlines to highlight a partner airline’s codeshare UPAs on airline direct sales channels as well as via sales partners. The UPAs describe the flight experience of each leg of a journey, with jointly created UPAs pushed on codeshare flights. These can explain security procedures, check-through baggage, mileage accrual, and more. The codeshare UPAs always lead with an image highlighting both the marketing and operating airline, similar to the Travelport effort to draw attention to the pair of airlines involved rather than just a single carrier.
Routehappy VP, Client Integration Megan Beardsley explained the value of reassuring passengers from the initial pitch, making it clear that multiple airlines are involved. The offer should be “motivating to passengers but also present the data in a fair and transparent way.” In addition to removing complexity from the passenger view Routehappy’s Codeshare UPAs also reduce implementation complexity for the airlines and booking sites. Beardsley expects to see a strong push of direct sales implementation of the codeshare UPAs in the near future as well as additional airlines adopting the concept. These will join the initial online booking sites (Vayama.com and CheapTickets brands in Europe).
Routehappy is also clear that, while it developed new technology to support this offering, the overall goal is to deliver a “product design solution rather than a technology solution.” Just making the data available is not enough. Making it easily accessible, relevant and targeted to passengers is critical for success of the new product. And now that the company has a solution available Beardsley anticipates significant and quick adoption of the offering across Routhappy’s customers.
Alliances, too!
The global airline alliances also want a chance to help solve the codeshare problems. SkyTeam focused on its SkyLink Digital Spine last year, helping its member airlines better integrate operational efforts for passengers on the day of travel. Star Alliance and oneworld are not to be left behind. Star CEO Jeffrey Goh recently highlighted similar efforts from his group of carriers, with the goal of making critical day of travel functions such as seat selection, check-in and checked baggage tracking available within the app of all member carriers, regardless of which airline a passenger is flying on. That approach does not necessarily remove the codeshare confusion but it does allow a passenger to live in their “home” airline app where they are more comfortable rather than needing to download and learn the new app for every alliance member carrier they fly with.
Goh admits that the group has a ways to go until full realization of that plan, but airlines are starting to adopt it already. United and Singapore Airlines implemented the seat selection, for example, while United and Lufthansa implemented app-based check-in.
Oneworld’s approach is similar. A common platform for online check-in is the first step on that program, with Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways the launch airlines.
What’s next?
None of these technologies solves the codeshare problem on its own. All are important moves in the right direction, bringing clarity and transparency to the passenger. Codeshare bookings benefit airlines disproportionately today. Bringing that closer to parity means a much better passenger experience throughout the travel ribbon, from booking to arrival at the destination. Fortunately for travelers these efforts are starting to show results.
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