Seat allocation and check in for code shares

[Hartington]

I'm thinking of going to Chile. If I go to the LAN Chile website one of the options it offers is LHR/MAD using a LA flight number operated by BA and then MAD/SCL using a LA flight number operated by IB. Assume for a moment I book it - which web site do I use to allocate my seats? LA, BA or IB or a combination? If I can use the LA website to allocate both seats and given that BA now charge for seat allocation does that mean I'm avoiding the BA fee?

Then we move on to check in. If I ignore the online option then I'll go to the BA desk at LHR and (hopefully) they will give me boarding passes for both flights. If I want to check in online which website do I go to? I would like to think LA but I'm doubtful.

Anyone know the answers?

[raffele]

If you book with LAN, they'll issue the PNR so you should use their website to manage your booking. From there they'll offer whatever services are available for all your flights.

If you check in at the airport yes, you should be through-checked at the departure airport.

[Hartington]

I agree that is the theory (although I believe there are some exceptions particularly when you step outside the alliance of that airline - oneWorld in this case but not relevant in this case). What I'm interested in is whether anyone knows that the theory is the truth.

[Gibon2]

Hello Hartington. For what it is worth, I have a case that is perhaps similar enough to yours: I booked Finnair GVA-HEL-HKG-SYD-BKK-HEL-GVA in J-class. The HKG-SYD and SYD-BKK sectors are code-shares operated by CX and BA respectively. On the Finnair website I could select my seats for the Finnair and CX flights; for the BA flight it seemed to be possible in principle but kept giving an error message. I called Finnair reservations and they were able to get the seats I wanted - but took them a couple of days to confirm (I guess they have to send the request to BA). There was no charge for the BA seat selection, but I think I made the booking before BA introduced its new policy, so perhaps the situation has changed.

[tb10er]

I have 2 long haul flights booked:

AY from MAN-HEL-HKG and vv - unable to pre-select seats on AY but have done so on BA.com using my ff card.

LH from MAN-ORD with LH and United and vv. Managed to book the seats via LH but not United websites (even though UA are supplying the long haul segemnt).

[Hartington]

OK, so it sounds like suck it and see!

[nivsy]

Also is it not true that you need to be careful with some code share flights? For example you book through one carrier where the flight is operated by another yet you pay more for the "code share" rather than booking directly with the airline who is actually operating the flight...if you get my meaning.....