How to Get Compensation for “Operated by” (Codeshare) Flights

Written By Joanna Teljeur

4 minutes read
Last Updated: February 25, 2025

Have you ever booked a flight with one airline and, at the airport, realise your flight is actually operated by a different airline? This is called a codeshare flight. It can be even more confusing if your flight is delayed or cancelled, and you want to file a compensation claim. Because two airlines are involved, you might wonder which one is responsible and where to send your claim. Let’s dive in.

What are Codeshare Flights? 

They are very common between partnering airlines or airlines belonging to the same alliances or networks, such as Oneworld or Star Alliance.

How do Codeshare Flights work?

Codesharing is a partnership between carriers where one airline (the marketing carrier) will market and sell a flight while a different airline (the operating airline) will actually operate it. These arrangements are helpful to airlines because they increase the number of routes they can offer. Passengers can benefit because they can build loyalty status and collect points and miles, even when they are taking a flight with another airline. 

Codeshare flights also offer convenience. They allow you to book an entire trip with a single airline even though you might have multiple connections. You can go to the airport and check your bags to your final destination without having to recheck them at one of the connection points. 

How to Know if Your Flight is a Codeshare Flight

In the United States, the US Department of Transportation requires airlines to clearly state when a flight is part of a codeshare by stating “operated by” followed by the operating airlines name as you can see in the photo below. 

The European Union’s EU Air Services Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005) and its UK counterpart, both require this of airlines. You can also see who is operating your flight on the airline’s website when you’re searching for flights, in confirmation emails, and on airport arrival and departure boards that will sometimes show the marketing and operating airline flight information.

So for example, you book a flight through American Airlines from London to New York, operated by British Airways. You would find that your booking confirmation says you are confirmed for flight AA123 (operated by BA123).

Before traveling, check your e-ticket or booking confirmation email. It usually specifies which airline operates the flight. If compensation is needed, always contact the airline that physically operated the flight, not the one you booked with. - Anton Radchenko, Esq, International Aviation Lawyer

Which Airline is Responsible for Compensation?

If your flight is cancelled or delayed in a country where compensation is legally mandated, like Europe or the UK, the operating airline is responsible for the compensation payout. So, if you booked your flight with British Airways, and it was operated by Finnair, you would file the claim with Finnair. 

In the United States, you could only get compensation if your flight was overbooked, and you were bumped as a result. In this case, you would still lodge the claim with the operating airline since they were responsible for overselling your flight. 

Operating Airlines can Affect Compensation Eligibility

It’s especially important to know which airline is operating your flight if you are flying internationally, particularly if you are flying to Europe or the UK from the United States.

In these cases, a flight disruption could be eligible for compensation, but only if the operating airline is based in Europe or the UK. Here’s an example:

If you have a Delta flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam that is delayed by 3+ hours, you will not get compensation because Delta is a US airline. But, if your delayed flight to Amsterdam was booked through Delta and operated by KLM, you could be eligible for compensation since KLM is based in the EU.

So, if you’re flying to Europe or the UK from the US, be sure you know who is operating your flight and try to choose a carrier based in your destination country or region.

How to File a Compensation Claim for a Codeshare Flight

So, what happens if your codeshare flight is delayed or cancelled? Well, the first thing you should do is identify which airline operated the flight. One quick way to determine this is to look at your boarding pass or ticket receipt. The operating airline will be clearly stated.

Next, check to see if your flight is eligible for compensation. You can do this on a compensation calculator by entering your basic flight details. If you are eligible for compensation, begin collecting supporting evidence to back up your claim with booking receipts, your boarding pass, and anything that can confirm the cancellation or delay. 

The goal is to prove that the operating carrier was, in fact, responsible for the flight disruption. It’s not uncommon for airlines to pass the blame back and forth from the operating to the marketing airline to avoid taking responsibility, but this can be avoided with plenty of supporting evidence. 

Finally, go to the operating carrier’s website and submit your claim for compensation. If you need help, let us know! We can file the claim for you or pick up where you left off.

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