Watch out when flying!

Watch out for the corprate con-trick called code-sharing. 

I am in a Finnair plane. That was not what I booked. I very rarely book Finnair. 

 In fact, on this trip with four legs I have travelled with four different airlines, even though I booked a ticket with only one of them. When I booked, it said nothing about code-sharing. So much for transparency. 

Code-sharing has been used by airlines for a long time but it is getting worse. As a lifetime globetrotter I know my airlines & what I prefer in relation to service levels, 

punctuality, airplane types, comfort & price etc. 

The airlines are ranked by various bodies & there are huge differences between them in relation to e.g. service levels. 

So I buy a ticket, very conscious about what airline it is & what type of aircraft I will travel in. 

The problem with code-sharing is that airlines sell a ticket including several airlines – without telling the customer. 

The clients end up selecting a specific airline for a certain price, then they have to travel for the same price with another airline, in another (sometimes older) airplane type, with a considerably lower service level (believe me when I say that difference on long hauls is terrifying)  & punctuality – for the same price. 

Magic! The rabbit pulled out of a hat. For the airlines. Not for the customer. Not for me. 

It should at least be fully transparent what you will get. So I as customer also can start de-selecting those airlines that do this too much. And I will start doing that. You should too. 

This time I bought a ticket with the airline ranked #2 but I travelled with airlines ranked #9, #12 & #15. 

I will not fly with the airline #2 again. You now lost me. 

For the record, I have really nothing against Finnair. There are many worse, like SAS. It is just not my favorite.