Here is what actually happened and what it means for your next booking.
The Codeshare Chain
Flying Miami to Barcelona, a Qantas booking put me on a British Airways ticket operated by Level, a Spanish low cost carrier I had never encountered before. Three airline names, one flight. That is a codeshare in practice.
You book with one airline, the flight may be sold under a different airline’s code, and a completely different carrier actually operates it. Each step in that chain can have its own rules and none of them are automatically the same.
Why It Matters
Baggage allowances, check-in processes, seat selection, and what is included in your fare can all differ depending on which airline is actually operating the flight. The rules that apply at the airport are the operating carrier’s rules, not the airline you booked with or the one whose code is on your ticket.
Turning up with a baggage allowance based on your booking airline and discovering the operating carrier has a different policy is an avoidable and expensive surprise.
The Simple Fix
Before any flight, look up the operating carrier specifically. It is listed on your booking, sometimes in small print, but it is there. Check their baggage policy and check-in process directly, because those are the ones that will apply when you arrive at the airport.
The name on your booking and the name above the gate are not always the same.
Has a codeshare flight ever caught you off guard? Comment below.