Hi guys,

 

Anyone Knows how the big companies choose the number of Their flights. Why a flight number is 1809 and not 2543? There is some kind of criteria or is random?

 

Thanks,

 

Fred Matias

Hi guys,

 

Anyone Knows how the big companies choose the number of Their flights. Why a flight number is 1809 and not 2543? There is some kind of criteria or is random?

 

Thanks,

 

Fred Matias

If anyone figures it out, please let me know. I work for a major US airline and we change flight numbers like people change their socks. Best we can figure, it's job security for scheduling. It plays hell with the automated baggage sortation system at DFW.

 

 

There is some kind of criteria or is random?

 

Depends.

 

Different airlines use different numbering systems. Usually you can expect that the single digit numbers will go to the most lucrative flights, double digit to the less but stil lucrative/representative. Other than that... fair game.

 

For a charter airline I know, if a (4 digit) flight number starts with 1, it signifies a regularly scheduled route that is sold to private customers via their LCC brand. (might be sold to travel agencies as well though)

Some airlines will have the first digit denote the base, or type of operation (mainline, regional partner, irregular ops, etc.)

Others will just really have it random.

Some airlines will kind of code a destination into the number (i.e. OK 971 through 978 are KSC flights, same OS 741 through 744). Some not.

Qantas have always had the Kangaroo route (Sydney - London via Asia) as QF1. Just a tradition. I assume at most airlines the 1 flight resembles a flight that is rather popular with the airline and has a bit of history behind it.

 

QF1 used to route through BKK, but it travels via DXB. Technically still Asia

 

 

QF1 used to route through BKK,

 

Wasn't it SIN?

US Airways currently has an interesting system which is necessitated by the fact that they have 2 separate pilot groups, East and West.

 

Quote from Wikipedia explaining it: "Flights operated using former America West aircraft and crews are numbered 1-699, whereas flights operated by pre-merger US Airways aircraft and crews are numbered 700-1999. (Flights numbered 2000-2199 are shuttle services, and those 2200 and higher are operated by express subsidiaries.)" The "shuttle" flights between BOS/LGA/DCA are East operated as well. The shuttle flight numbers aren't exclusive anymore, I recently saw a flight to PHX have a 2000 number, they recently changed a lot of numbers around to prevent duplicate AAL call signs for the impending codeshare. As far as I know the E/W split still applies.

Wasn't it SIN?

Before it was moved through DXB it was BKK. Not sure if before BKK, if it was SIN. The overrun of VHOJH at Don Muang in '99 was operating QF1.

I think quite a few airlines use a system where an odd number is used for a flight from a base and an even number is used for the return flight (or vice versa).

I think quite a few airlines use a system where an odd number is used for a flight from a base and an even number is used for the return flight (or vice versa).

 

All digits are odd or even or just the last digit of the flight number? I thought eastbound(0-179 degrees)

ended in even numbers and westbound were odd numbers. I guess post #2 said it all. Job security.

 

Michael Cubine

In addition, we can have the complication of code sharing and multiple airline codes.

 

BA code shares with a number of other airlines. This means that a flight booking for, say, BA123 may or may not be for a person carried on an airplane flown by BA. If it is, it may operate the flight as BAW456. If it is not, AA (a partner in the oneworld alliance) may operate the flight as AA789, or something.

 

Likewise, an airline like BA operates flights of its own aircraft with BAWxxx and SHTxxx flight numbers (SHT signifying shuttle flight). This means that an airline may operate flights having multiple airline codes.

 

It goes to show that there is little standardisation to flight numbering, except the ICAO rules that a flight must have a flight number denoting the airline responsible for flying the aircraft and the number chosen by the airline for that particular flight on that particular day. This is necessary so that ATC can associate a cleared flight with a specific airplane.

 

Simple, isn't it!

HTH

All digits are odd or even or just the last digit of the flight number? I thought eastbound(0-179 degrees)

ended in even numbers and westbound were odd numbers. I guess post #2 said it all. Job security.

 

Michael Cubine

Not for my airline. Our flights between DFW and PHL are numbered as follows.

552, 557, 2099, 555, 2004, 558. All are operated with Airbus aircraft and are mainline flights. No rhyme or reason that is apparent to us mere mortals working the line.

It goes to show that there is little standardisation to flight numbering, except the ICAO rules that a flight must have a flight number denoting the airline responsible for flying the aircraft and the number chosen by the airline for that particular flight on that particular day. This is necessary so that ATC can associate a cleared flight with a specific airplane.

 

The flight number sold to the travelling public doesn't have to be used as part of the ATC Flight Number Callsign at all.

 

In fact, you will find that in Europe, most flights use a completely different number (that may also include letters). For example, LH123 might use DLH12G for ATC purposes. This is an initiative between airlines and ANSPs to reduce the incidence of similar callsigns (both aurally and visually) to reduce the possibility of callsign confusion.

My first post ever here, just want to give a quick shout to PMDG, I have purchased many of their products and the 777 will be no different. Thank you for such an amazing product line and please continue the great work on whatever you have coming down the pipeline.

 

At my airline Air Canada where I work in operations, there is somewhat a pattern to the coding of flight numbers. None have been replaced in ages but new ones popping up due to increasing routes. The following is a generalized breakdown.

 

This is from the Hub, YYZ

 

Odd #'s West

Even #'s East

 

Example for our 777 forum AC033 Westbound from YYZ-YVR-SYD, then AC034 SYD-YVR-YYZ... AC015 YYZ-HKG, AC016 HKG-YYZ... AC872 YYZ-FRA, AC873 FRA-YYZ. 

 

AC001-099 - Asia, Australia, Middle East, South America, 

AC100-199 - West Canada

AC200-299 - Central Canada

AC300-399 - USA Central Northeast

AC400-499 - Rapidair (Hourly to YOW/YUL)

AC500-599 - USA West/Central

AC600-699 - Canada East

AC700-799 - New York Area (LGA/EWR), West Coast USA (LAX/SFO) basically US Star Hubs

AC800-899 - Europe

AC900-999 - USA Florida, Caribbean Year Round

AC1000-1999 - Caribbean Seasonal, Air Canada Vacations Charters and USA Seasonal

AC2000-2999 - Number 2 added for a flight that has been under heavy delay and will be flying roughly at or close too the same time as the primary flight the next day

AC3000-6999 - These generally show up as code sharing flights. Ex. AC5079 could be UA100 to wherever it goes.

AC7000-7999 - Ferry, AC JETZ (Charters for NHL, NBA), Training, MTC Checks

 

Hope this helps from our little airline!

 

Blake K.

Oh...this kind of thing makes my head spin.

 

So, one thing that always makes my head spin is flight number structure, because each airline has their own way of working their own system.  I'm not saying it should be standardized, but in the realm I've been working in (traffic management), the only way they currently determine flight "ownership" is through flight number tables.  What "ownership" means is "who is allowed to make decisions for that flight."

 

Example:

-Atlantic Coast Airlines used to fly for both United(ental*) and Delta(west*)

-ACA would file flight numbers under their own ICAO of BLR, but with various numbers

-In order to determine which major carrier could cancel those flights on behalf of ACA, they had a table of flight number ranges for each carrier

-BLR4028-BLR6072 were DAL flights, and BLR2043-BLR4027 were UAL flights (made up those numbers, but you get the point)

 

Point:

It's a giant mess and when I suggested an alternate way, it was like an epiphany to some, and others just plain didn't understand what I was saying (so I had to dodge some flak about "that would never work because [technologically ignorant opinion here]!")

 

TL;DR:

It depends on the airline  :lol:

 

*If you don't get it, you don't get it (TM The Washington Post, which is now technically Bezos I guess).

All digits are odd or even or just the last digit of the flight number? I thought eastbound(0-179 degrees)

ended in even numbers and westbound were odd numbers. I guess post #2 said it all. Job security.

 

Michael Cubine

 

Just the last one. E.g. Qantas SYD-HRW is QF001 and HRW-SYD is QF002 (or the other way round).

KL1311 leaves AMS at 14:40, arrives in TLS at 16:30, then KL1312 leaves TLS at 17:10, arrives at AMS as 19:10, KL1313 leaves AMS at 20:25, arrives at TLS at 22:15 and so on.