QUESTIONS & ANSWERS : Code Sharing by the Airlines Raises One Query

Question: I recently booked a flight on a major airline but found I was flying on a smaller one with which it has an agreement. Is this legal?

Answer: Agreements by which two airlines share a common code or identification are legal. However, travel agents or the carriers are required to tell consumers which airline is providing the service.

Q: Is there another Soviet railroad besides the Trans-Siberian that carries tourists?

A: The Soviet Union has several train services, including the Baikal-Amur main line (BAM), a northern alternative to the Trans-Siberian. There is also an express between Moscow and Leningrad.

Q: You recently mentioned a Guinness World’s Record Museum in New York City. Isn’t it in Las Vegas?

A: The Las Vegas counterpart of the New York City museum opened in April, offering a variety of displays on weather, space, sports, animals, entertainment and the mechanical world. There are others in San Francisco, London, Niagara Falls and Gatlinburg, Tenn.

Q: The American Automobile Assn. says there has been a big increase in complaints about housekeeping in domestic hotels. Isn’t there a rating service such as Europe’s Guide Michelin?

A: AAA rates thousands of hotels and publishes its findings for association members. The Mobil guidebooks, available at bookstores, also grade hotels and motels, and various other guidebooks provide travel writers’ appraisals of accommodations.

Q: My travel agent says that only a doctor’s certificate will get me a refund on a nonrefundable ticket. Doesn’t a non-medical emergency qualify?

A: In addition to health reasons, most airlines also will accept proof of other extenuating circumstances for refunds of tickets that cannot be canceled.

Q. Does anyone operate a luxury freighter and if so, where does it sail?

A. The 19,500-ton, 88-passenger Americana makes 48-day round trips between New York City and South America. It has 52 cabins and various public rooms. Fares start at $6,480 round trip. Contact Ivaran Lines at (800) 451-1639 or your travel agent.

Q. Where is the European bird facility that teaches falconry and allows tourists to photograph birds of prey at close range?

A. Falconry Center, Newent, Gloucestershire, England, has the largest collection of falcons, eagles, buzzards, hawks, kites, owls and vultures. Visitors can photograph birds from a few feet. Falconry instruction also is given. The center is open six days a week (closed Tuesdays) from February through November.

Q: There used to be cruises on the Great Lakes. Are there any this summer?

A: Except for one-day boat excursions from some cities, no extended Great Lakes sailings are scheduled.