United Airlines and Aer Lingus will halt their codeshare operations at the end of this week. In place since 2008, the codeshare agreement allowed each to sell flights on certain routes operated by the other, but with their own airline code. This is a mechanism used by airlines to appear larger than they really are, and to place better in search results from some legacy booking engines. Plus, each airline has more and different partners on both sides of the Atlantic now to offer up that way.
But the two airlines will still remain partners.
In a statement to PaxEx.Aero United confirms that the frequent flyer programs will remain linked, both for earning and redeeming points:
United MileagePlus members will continue to be able accrue/redeem miles when flying on Aer Lingus, and Aer Lingus Aer Club members will continue to be able to accrue/redeem miles when flying on United.
Aer Lingus does not yet have frequent flyer reciprocity with American Airlines, despite its growing role in the transatlantic joint venture that includes American. It does, however, have a blanket codeshare agreement with American in the transatlantic market.
It also has a codeshare with JetBlue, though it moved out of JetBlue’s terminal at JFK earlier this Spring.
All of which is to say that the Irish carrier appears to still be sorting out its role in IAG and with partners in the US markets. This is a small change on that front, one that shouldn’t cause too much trouble for either party.
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