Flight numbers?

[Keola]

Ok.. Some of you will probably think im stupid for asking, but i've always been curious how airlines chose their flight numbers? Is it chosen randomly or is certain numbers used for certain routes?

 

[MT]

Each airline has their own system for the entire operation, but as a rule of thumb..

Anything less than 100 is likely a long haul international route
Anything from 100 - 2xxx is likely a mainline international or domestic flight. (Higher the number, higher likely hood of it being domestic.)

3xxx - 7xxx are assigned to regional airlines operating for the mainline

8xxx - 9xxx are charters, repositions, and code share flights (sold by the airline but operated by another)

 

[womanpilot73]

Huh...that's interesting tidbit of info

 

[PlaneFan82]

Odd numbers go westbound, Even's go East.

 

[Keola]

Odd numbers go westbound, Even's go East.

Thats what i thought, but "cactus 31, 125 & 23" all east bound flights.. Maybe its just a us air thing...

 

[PlaneFan82]

Through flights would be my guess. However looks like AWE uses those for flight to Hawaii back to the mainland. Don't know the logic on that one....weird.

 

[F9DXER]

Also remember that the FAA has somewhat of a say in it. They really dont like the same flight numbers between the same city pair in the same airspace at the same time. Something about safety or what not - . Besides then we'd have to train the crews to listen to the whole call sign versus just the last couple of numbers.

 

[Hondo Calrissian]

Each airline has their own system for the entire operation, but as a rule of thumb..

Anything less than 100 is likely a long haul international route
Anything from 100 - 2xxx is likely a mainline international or domestic flight. (Higher the number, higher likely hood of it being domestic.)

3xxx - 7xxx are assigned to regional airlines operating for the mainline

8xxx - 9xxx are charters, repositions, and code share flights (sold by the airline but operated by another)

The above is true....When I flew back home on Sunday, I was on Delta as 2059, an odd number going eastbound. If you have two legs assigned to the same flight number, for example 123 ATL-DFW-LAX, if the DFW-LAX flight is on time and ATL-DFW is delayed, then they will file the flight plan as with a letter at the end (I believe) but this may depend on your company.

 

[SteveCostello]

What about double digit flight numbers? I've had a few of those recently, namely international flights on AA.

 

[Hondo Calrissian]

Each airline does it differently, It is safe to say that a good number of international flights are double digits with AA, UA and DL.

You can check out a lot of these flights on flightaware.com

 

[Hondo Calrissian]

Here is an example of an international flight on Virgin Atlantic

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/VIR43