Thu
Jul
30
United vs. Air Canada?
Does anyone know if there is a difference between booking through Air Canada or United for the same flight? Air Canada seems to be about $15 more expensive, not much, but is there a reason to pay the extra? Does United make you pay for checked luggage or something?
United does make you pay for checked baggage, but it’s only for flights operated by United, not flights with UA flight numbers that are actually operated by Air Canada. Likewise, even if Air Canada sells you a flight with an AC flight number, if it’s operated by United, you’ll have to pay a checked baggage fee. (Air Canada is pretty upfront about this on their website.)
There’s no difference who you book with; for a given flight, you check in at the same desk (that of the operating carrier) and are eligible for the same frequent flyer miles regardless of who sold you the ticket. The only hiccup is that sometimes if you book with a carrier who isn’t actually operating the flight, you can’t choose your seat until you check in.
