Metal

The term Metal is commonly used in aviation and corporate travel to indicate the physical airline operating a flight. For example, if a traveler books a flight with American Airlines but the actual aircraft and crew are from British Airways, then British Airways is considered the ‘metal’ operating the flight.

This concept is crucial in codeshare agreements where multiple airlines sell tickets for the same flight but only one airline actually operates it. Understanding metal is also important for loyalty program benefits, as some rewards and upgrades may only apply when flying on a specific airline's metal.

For corporate travel managers, knowing which airline operates the flight helps with travel policy compliance, cost optimization, and ensuring employees receive loyalty perks based on their preferred airline.