What is the Difference Between Marketing Carrier, Operating Carrier, and Validating Carrier?

Marketing carriers, validating carriers, and operating carrier - If you’re a frequent traveller, you must have heard of these terms. Thanks to the Codeshare Agreement among the airlines, these terms have become quite common and beneficial for both the airlines and the passengers.

But there’s always room for confusion and we’ve seen passengers wander around the airport not finding their way to the flight. It all ends here.

In this post, we’ll go over the differences between the three carriers and give you a comprehensive understanding of how these carriers work. But before that happens, we’ll briefly go over the Codeshare agreement as well. Without further ado, let’s get started.

What is the Codeshare Agreement?

Before we go right into the differences between a marketing carrier, a validating carrier, and an operating carrier, it’s important to understand why are these terms relevant for you. That’s where Codeshare Agreements comes in.

The Codeshare Agreement allows multiple airlines to work in harmony. An airline can sell and book tickets under their own codes while the flight might be operated by some other airline. The airline company that sold you tickets is the marketing carrier. And the actual flight that you are going to take will be the operating carrier.

The operating carrier provides the aircraft, the crew, the ground handling services, and everything related to the flight. In most cases, there’s just one operating carrier while there could be multiple marketing carriers. The scenario might change based on the location and duration of the flights.

The validating carrier, on the other hand, is the airline that issues and validates the ticket. It’s common for a marketing carrier and a validating carrier to be the same airline, but it could be different if the business model allows it. The airline you are buying your ticket from doesn’t need to be always responsible for issuing the ticket. There are a lot of logistical steps to the process that most consumers don’t know about.

Let’s take the example of Singapore Airlines and United Airlines. If you’re buying a ticket from Singapore Airlines, you might not fly in a Singapore Airlines plane at all. You might very well fly in a United Airlines aircraft. In this case, Singapore Airlines is your marketing carrier, while United Airlines is your operating carrier.

Let’s mix another airline in the mix, Delta. Now, Singapore Airlines might have sold you the ticket while Delta held on to your money until the day of the flight. On flight day, Delta reimbursed the money to United Airlines for operational costs. Here, Delta is your validating carrier.

Why is Codeshare Beneficial for Airlines?

The Codeshare agreement has resulted in an amazing synergy between the airlines. The race to sell the most tickets has settled over the years. Now, all of the airlines under the Codeshare agreement can book, sell tickets, and operate flights for one another.

Now, why is this beneficial for the airlines? Firstly, it allows different airlines to improve market share and increase visibility in the industry. It’s a form of cooperation where everyone helps the other one out, in return for a profit, of course.

Another reason is the convenience and scope of the operations. A small airline company operating locally could never get the visibility it wanted if it wasn’t for Codeshare. The small company can now work as a marketing carrier and sell tickets for large airlines all over the world.

So, what’s the benefit for large airlines? They get more passengers. There are Airline Alliances like Star Alliance, SkyTeam, Oneworld, etc. that effectively connect all the major airlines in the world.

While small airlines might not be part of the alliance itself, but they contribute to bringing in more passengers from all over the world. It’s a win-win situation for everyone, and it increases the profit margin to a great extent.

Why is it Beneficial to the Passengers?

If the Codeshare Agreement was only beneficial to airlines, it wouldn’t be fair for the passengers. Luckily, the Codeshare Agreement has something for everyone. As a passenger, you can enjoy numerous benefits for all your flights and travels.

Earning Miles

The first and most important benefit for you as a passenger would be your opportunity to gather more miles. Most airlines offer programs like frequent flyers to reward recurring passengers. Before the Codeshare Agreement, it was hard for a passenger to sign up for these programs as the destinations and flight availability were always unpredictable.

But with Codeshare, you can easily earn miles under one marketing carrier every time you book a flight. The operating carrier might vary from time to time depending on the airlines’ internal logistics but you can book your tickets through one specific airline all the time.

With the increased miles under your belt, you can fly for cheaper the next time or go for business class for your next trip.

Save Money

The Codeshare Agreement allows you to buy your entire itinerary at once, and it results in huge savings. For example, if you want to fly through an operating carrier, not under the Codeshare Agreement, you might be looking at more than double the price for your tickets and glossary than you would on a Codeshared flight.

Total Itinerary in One Go

One of the most important benefits of Codeshare flights is convenience. The moment you book your ticket through a marketing carrier, you are getting your total itinerary at once. You don’t have to worry about connecting flights, luggage transfers, or airport lounge access.

Your job is to show up at the airport and go through your designated terminal. The rest will be taken care of by the operating carrier. If there is a validating carrier in between, it will check for the validity of your ticket and ensure that everything is in order.

In most cases, the operating carrier might be different from the marketing carrier you bought the ticket from. If there’s a layover in between, the operating carriers can change as well. But you don’t have to get confused! The flights and terminals will be marked according to your tickets, and it’s all possible for the Codeshare agreement.

Are there Disadvantages?

No service comes without drawbacks. The same goes for the Codeshare Agreement. While it offers tremendous benefits for both the airlines and the passengers, there are some disadvantages.

Wrong Terminal

It’s one of the most common issues faced by Codeshare flight’s passengers. It mostly happens when the passenger is not aware of what their marketing carrier is and what their operating carrier is. They might follow the directions from their marketing carrier and arrive at the wrong terminal.

In such cases, make sure you know which one your operating carrier is. If you’re not sure, you can contact your marketing carrier or validating carrier before the actual day of the flight. If you’re a new traveller, getting acquainted with the Codeshare flight rules might take a few attempts.

No Upgrades

You rarely get an upgrade at the last moment in a Codeshare flight. As multiple marketing carriers might sell tickets for one operating carrier, the possibility of vacant seats are close to none. And as there are no empty seats, you can’t get an upgrade.

Increased Airfare

Generally speaking, the Codeshare Agreement has been a blessing for both airlines and passengers. But when we think deeply, we can realize that the airfare has gone up a lot since the introduction of the agreement.

The synergy between the airlines has resulted in reduced competition and the lack of competition is bound to affect the prices.

How Do I know If My Flight is Codeshare?

While booking a ticket, the website should clearly indicate your marketing carrier and operating carrier. If you don’t see such markings, chances are it might not be a Codeshare flight. Most domestic flights and common international routes are covered by the Codeshare Agreement. If you’re taking an unusual route, it might not codeshare.

Conclusion

The Codeshare Agreement has given birth to concepts like marketing carrier, operating carrier, and validating carrier. In this post, we’ve tried to cover everything regarding these terms and their actual differences.

Agreements like Codeshare and Interline are put in place to make the lives easier for both airlines and passengers. Airlines get the benefit of streamlining their logistical process and reduced competition while passengers reek the benefits of convenience and lower price tags.