American Airlines Codeshare Flight? Check Who Actually Operated It
Booked through American Airlines but the flight was run by British Airways, Finnair, or another oneworld partner? Who you claim against depends on who operated the aircraft.
American Airlines sells tickets on flights it never actually flies, through codeshare agreements with oneworld partners like British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, and Qantas. Your booking confirmation might say "AA" next to the flight number, but the plane, crew, and legal responsibility for delay compensation can belong to a completely different airline.
Why this matters for your claim
Under UK261 and EU261, the airline that owes you compensation is whichever one operated the flight, not whichever one sold you the ticket. If American Airlines' booking system issued your ticket but British Airways' aircraft and crew actually flew the route, a delay or cancellation claim needs to be pursued against British Airways, not American.
How to find the operating carrier
Your e-ticket or booking confirmation usually lists an "operated by" line beneath the flight number when a codeshare applies. If it's not obvious there, the boarding pass and the airport departure board will show the operating airline's branding and flight number, which is the one that actually matters for a claim.
Does UK261 coverage change with a codeshare?
Coverage still depends on the operating carrier's nationality and the departure airport, applied normally. A codeshare flight operated by British Airways departing Heathrow is covered by UK261 the same way any British Airways flight would be. A codeshare operated by American Airlines itself, departing a UK airport, is covered on the same UK261 basis as a standard American Airlines flight, US carrier, but covered outbound because of where it departed.
Connections that mix operating carriers
A single American Airlines booking with a connection, say London to Dallas via a codeshare leg, then a domestic US leg on American's own metal, can involve two different operating carriers across the same ticket. Each leg is assessed separately for compensation purposes, and a delay on the first leg is judged against whichever airline actually operated it.
How to claim
Klaimly checks your ticket and boarding pass to identify the true operating carrier before filing, so the claim goes to the airline that's actually liable. We handle the process for a flat 5% fee, only if we win. No VAT, no minimum fee, and nothing to pay unless your claim succeeds.