If I set up a via route A-B-C, and I have a route already defined for A-C, does the system use the pricing and service for this route, or does it use the pricing and service for A-B and B-C? If neither of these, how do I define the pricing and service for the via route?
A to B and B to C, via flight is always accounted for the same way as two separate flight numbers.
Separate price, separate service, separate ratings, final rating calculated the same way as two connecting flights.
Via flights are cumbersome and it's always best to use two flight numbers, so you can easily add/move the second leg.
Via flights only make sense if you fly A - B - C - B - A and you are in big markets such as EU, USA or China where you have traffic rights on both legs, AND you are so big that you are running short of flight numbers. (maybe 5% of all companies).
Other than that, it makes no sense to use via flight and better to use two separate flight numbers instead. Other than a different flight number, everything else will be the same compared to a via flight.
I thought the Africa/Caricom treaties required the use of continuous flight numbers in order to grant traffic rights on the fifth freedom segments, can it be done with separate flight numbers? Not that I’ve ever operated an airline in a treaty region, but those two only grant the fifth freedom, rather than the 5th, 7th & 8th freedoms granted by the EU/AuNZ treaties.
Now that might be a valid point, but I do not have answer to that as I never operated Caricom/Africa flights
I thought the Africa/Caricom treaties required the use of continuous flight numbers in order to grant traffic rights on the fifth freedom segments, can it be done with separate flight numbers? Not that I've ever operated an airline in a treaty region, but those two only grant the fifth freedom, rather than the 5th, 7th & 8th freedoms granted by the EU/AuNZ treaties.
You are correct. To secure traffic rights for these treaties, you need via flights. That's why they are in the game.
Other than that, it makes no sense to use via flight and better to use two separate flight numbers instead. Other than a different flight number, everything else will be the same compared to a via flight.
But what happens if airport B is "transfer impossible" ? Surely that's the point of having via routes?
Even with transfer impossible, passengers can always continue on the same aircraft - no via flights required for that.
But what happens if airport B is "transfer impossible" ? Surely that's the point of having via routes?
“Transfer Impossible” only applies to a change of aircraft. Passengers and cargo can remain aboard the aircraft during turnaround and continue to the next segment.
Edit: What Spezialist said.