Sensible Pointers: Keep away from this mileage mishap when flying with companion airways

TPG reader Cindy Thomas just lately flew round-trip from Boston to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR). She booked the journey via American Airways’ web site, however the flights have been aboard American’s Oneworld alliance companion, British Airways.

A Platinum Professional member on American, Thomas hoped to earn AAdvantage miles for her transatlantic journey — and he or she did earn them on the outbound flight.

When checking in for the return flight, although, Thomas determined so as to add her British Airways Govt Membership quantity to her reservation.

Sadly, she was upset to seek out she had earned British Airways Avios — not AAdvantage miles — for the return journey.

As worldwide journey has ramped again up in 2022, there are much more alternatives to fly with a global companion of your favourite airline when touring overseas. Abroad flights, after all, are an incredible alternative to earn miles and work your manner towards the following elite standing tier.

As Thomas discovered, although, while you fly with companion airways, you’ll need to watch out about ensuring your miles get credited to the place you need.

Tip: Watch out which loyalty quantity you add to a codeshare reservation

When flying on a companion airline via a codeshare settlement, you’ll all the time need to contemplate which loyalty program you’d prefer to credit score the miles to.

Whereas loyalty foreign money earned with worldwide service packages could be worthwhile and assist you with reserving future journey, in a variety of circumstances, you could favor to only credit score the miles you earn to the loyalty program you utilize most frequently.

For instance, loyal Delta SkyMiles members would possibly discover higher itinerary choices aboard Delta’s SkyTeam companion, Air France. United MileagePlus members might discover a higher worth on a flight to Toronto or Montreal aboard United’s Star Alliance companion service Air Canada. But when the traveler solely makes use of these companion airways occasionally, they might merely favor to credit score miles they earn to their SkyMiles or MileagePlus account.

In Thomas’ case — which has similarities to many different vacationers — the miles she earned for her worldwide journey would assist her extra when pooled with all her different AAdvantage earnings as a result of she flies American extra usually. Plus, an abroad flight credited to her AAdvantage account might assist her make progress towards Govt Platinum standing.

Reserving a companion flight via a home service

Let’s say you’re seeking to e book a flight on American from New York to London. You choose your itinerary and see that the flights are operated by British Airways.

At checkout, as you enter your info you’ll have an opportunity to pick your loyalty program.

It might default to this system of the airline web site you are on (on this case American’s AAdvantage program) however you’ll be able to select from an entire host of American’s Oneworld companions — in addition to different non-alliance companions, similar to Etihad’s loyalty program.

Whichever airline you select might be the place your mileage earnings go, so when you’d prefer to earn AAdvantage miles, you’ll need to choose AAdvantage. There’s no want so as to add your British Airways Govt Membership quantity to the reservation until you’d favor to earn Avios.

It’s the identical story reserving a United Airways flight from Washington, D.C., to Frankfurt that’s operated by Star Alliance companion Lufthansa.

Likewise, when you’re attempting to earn MileagePlus miles to work your manner towards Premier standing, you may need to choose United MileagePlus when reserving. When you click on Lufthansa Miles and Extra, you are going to earn miles with the Germany-based service’s loyalty program.

Reserving via a companion web site

You may as well earn miles in your loyalty program of alternative when reserving via a companion service’s web site, offered there’s a partnership in place.

Let’s say you are a Delta SkyMiles member seeking to journey from Boston to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). Chances are you’ll discover a flight you want on Air France’s web site.

As soon as you choose the itinerary and go to take a look at, you’ll need to click on “I need to add a frequent flyer quantity.”

There, you’ll be able to scroll down and click on “SkyMiles.” By doing this, you can earn Delta SkyMiles and make progress towards Delta elite standing, whereas leveraging reciprocal SkyPriority advantages.

It is a related course of while you’re reserving codeshare flights on home airline companions, and there are loads. For example, American and Alaska Airways are each members of the Oneworld alliance.

Backside line

When flying companion airways, it’s best to contemplate which program you’d prefer to accumulate loyalty foreign money in. When you’re not on the highway to elite standing with both airline or do not care which miles you may earn, you’ll be able to verify on the worth of the miles that will help you resolve.

On the finish of the day, although, you’ll need to choose a loyalty foreign money you are more than likely to make use of. So, as you e book and verify into your flight, make certain the loyalty variety of your alternative is hooked up to your reservation. And don’t change the quantity until you’d prefer to redirect your earnings to a unique program.