Thinking of flying from Singapore to far-flung places like North America or Europe? You might find that part of your journey is on an aircraft belonging to an airline other than the one you booked your trip with.

These are called codeshare flights, and they are collaborative agreements that allow airlines, including home-grown names Singapore Airlines and Scoot, to offer connections to a far wider range of destinations than they actually serve. So, if your trip from Singapore involves a stopover, understanding how codeshare flights operate will be really useful for a smoother journey.

A codeshare flight essentially means you've booked a flight with one airline, say Singapore Airlines (or SIA), but the actual aircraft and crew belong to a partner airline. 

For example, if you’re planning a trip from Singapore to Budapest, you might find that SIA doesn’t fly directly there. However, through their codeshare agreement with Lufthansa, you could take SQ26 to Frankfurt and then connect to Budapest on what might be listed as SQ2104, but is actually operated by Lufthansa. 

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Typically, major airlines like Singapore Airlines frequently engage in codeshare agreements with partner airlines. Budget carriers like Scoot also participate in these arrangements with their parent airlines and other partners. 

Airline alliances, such as Star Alliance, OneWorld, and SkyTeam, facilitate many of these airline codeshare agreements, allowing passengers to enjoy seamless connections. However, airlines can also have codeshare agreements outside of these alliances. 

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As mentioned previously, codeshare flights enable airlines to offer more routes without having to operate flights to every single destination themselves. This significantly boosts the number of flight options for passengers and makes booking tickets much easier.

For us in Singapore, this opens up access to places that Singapore Airlines or Scoot don't fly to directly. So, if you're considering a less common European destination, such as Bilbao, or a city in the US like Portland, you'll likely find a codeshare flight with a partner airline, all conveniently booked under one Singapore Airlines flight number.

How codeshare flights benefit customers

As a passenger, codeshare flights bring several benefits. You'll often find a wider variety of routes available under a single booking, which simplifies planning trips with multiple stops. 

Plus, when you have connecting flights, your baggage is usually transferred seamlessly between airlines. This means that for most codeshare journeys, you won't have to deal with collecting and re-checking your bags, making your connections much smoother and saving you valuable time during international travel from Singapore.

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Can you earn miles or status on codeshare flights?

If you're a frequent flyer, the chance to earn loyalty miles or elite status when flying with a partner airline on a codeshare flight is a real plus. However, keep in mind that whether you earn miles and how many depend on a few key factors. 

These include the fare class of your ticket, whether both airlines are part of the same alliance (such as Star Alliance, for Singapore Airlines), and whether you booked directly with your primary airline or through their partner airline. You may still earn miles on codeshare flights, but the rate may be lower than if you had booked directly with the airline operating the flight.

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Booking a codeshare flight is generally straightforward. You can search for flights on the airline's official website or through online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Expedia or Skyscanner. 

In the search results, look for the "Operated by..." line, which indicates that part of your journey will be operated by a partner airline. It's always a good idea to double-check the baggage policy and seat selection options with the operating airline, as these might differ from your original airline’s usual policies. 

You can often still earn KrisFlyer miles even when flying on a Scoot codeshare deal booked through Singapore Airlines.

Here’s a quick recap of what you need to know about codeshare flights:

• Codeshare simply means a partner airline is operating the flight you booked.

• Always note who operates the flight, as this affects check-in and boarding procedures. Baggage rules and the in-flight experience can vary depending on the operating airline.

• You can often still earn elite miles and points on codeshare flights, but always check the fine print of your loyalty programme.

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