I can probably count the number of codeshare flights I have taken on both hands. Most of the time I tend to book and fly with the airline operating the service, as do most people.
My latest booking is with Turkish Airlines to Australia, booked due to really competitive business class fares. The final sector from Kuala Lumpur to Australia and back happens to be with Malaysia Airlines under a TK codeshare flight number.
No seat selection on codeshare flights?
For those wondering, a codeshare is where an airline sells seats on another airline’s flight. This is all to improve the network and enhance connectivity and choice for passengers.
Once I had made my booking, I telephoned Malaysia Airlines to select my seat. The agent couldn’t find my booking until she spoke to a supervisor, but it was found in the end.
After the call, some searching online revealed this in the Malaysia Airlines seating Terms & Conditions. “1.2. Seat Selection is available for all Malaysia Airlines flights, both domestic and international. It is not available for codeshare flights.” Crap!
Overall Thoughts
Malaysia Airlines, is it 1925 or 2025 here? The inability to select a seat for a business class passenger is astonishing to say the least. Codeshare or no codeshare, it should be available.
Interestingly, the booking reference in the MH system is not a proper PNR. It’s six digits, nary a letter to be seen. I can pull it up online and in the app (where, by the way, you can find it by entering the Turkish Airlines ticket number), but there is no seat map to choose a seat.
That leads me to believe the booking is in some internal system and not in their GDS. A cost saving measure? Who knows. What I do know is that I’m probably going to be stuck with some middle seat instead of my preferred window. The calamity! On the flipside, I am going to get to try the famous Malaysia Airlines satay as well as the delicious Nasi Lemak once more. Silver linings and all that!
What do you think of the lack of seat selection on codeshare flights at Malaysia Airlines? Have you ever come across anything like this before? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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