audidudi From United States of America, joined Oct 2007, 260 posts, RR: 0 Posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 3002 times:
I notice that Delta flight DL2396 from CVG to SFO has the same flight # on the return from SFO to CVG the same evening. I happened to notice this as I'm on DL2396 from SFO to CVG tonight!
I am curious to know why the return flight doesn't have a different #.
nws2002 From United States of America, joined Feb 2008, 781 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 2914 times:
Flights into and out of a hub often have the same flight #.
FURUREFA From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 762 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 2909 times:
At DL, a lot of our flights have the same flight number, especially DCI turns. I know that, for one thing, DL is a little short on flight numbers at the moment, which is why they "cleaned up" their flight numbers a little bit ago to increase the number of available flight numbers.
RJLover From Canada, joined Dec 2006, 567 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 2865 times:
Quoting nws2002 (Reply 1): Flights into and out of a hub often have the same flight #.
Depending on the airline, of course. AC/QK does have a few flights that are the number same inbound from an outstation and outbound to another outstation (or from hub to hub), but they are in the minority. And unlike some of the major US airlines, all of AC/QK's "thru flights" are planned on the same aircraft, in and out (although that can change, pending operational requirements!).
Last Flight(s): YHZ-EWR-FLL // MIA-YYZ-YOW-YHZ.....Next Flight(s):
IAHFLYR From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 4723 posts, RR: 25 Reply 4, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 2718 times:
CO has started using the same flight number on some turns as well over the last month or two. I have seen it from IAH-AUS-IAH, IAH-RSW-IAH, IAH-PHL-IAH, IAH-TPA-IAH to name a few city pairs. The same flight number in both directions is sporadic, but am sure it has to do with the merger.
Any views shared are strictly my own and do not a represent those of any former employer.
CitationJet From United States of America, joined Mar 2003, 2235 posts, RR: 3 Reply 5, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 2705 times:
B747forever From United States of America, joined May 2007, 16575 posts, RR: 11 Reply 6, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 2702 times:
Maverick623 From United States of America, joined Nov 2006, 4744 posts, RR: 6 Reply 7, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 2655 times:
Quoting audidudi (Thread starter): I am curious to know why the return flight doesn't have a different #.
Simplicity and limited flight number ranges.
Most major airlines will use the same flight number for certain turn-based routings for aircraft (as opposed to a thru routing)
Quoting nws2002 (Reply 1): Flights into and out of a hub often have the same flight #.
This is a little different: most airlines have what's called "thru" or "direct" flights, where say a DL flight XXX will fly SFO-CVG-MCO
What the OP refers to is a flight YYY which flies SFO-CVG-SFO, where the flight number operates a turn instead of a thru routing.
reifel From Germany, joined Feb 2005, 1135 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 12 hours ago) and read 2602 times:
It's also some kind of playing games with customers.
i.e. UA has flights with one flight number from FRA to HNL. They have "1 Stop in LAX". So they will show up higher in the GDS, since non stop flights (or direct flts) will show higher than flights with a "real" connection.
Furthermore pasengers usually think they do just land, people get off and on, and then they're in the air again. They usually don't realize that they're actually in need of connecting flights. I work for a IATA agent, people (at least in Europe, where it is quite unusual that different flights have same flt numbers) really think this. I do understand it may be different in the US, and also for us people here who know how this work, but for the average traveller this isn't the case.
And again, on some GDS those flights will show with higher priority, so I guess airlines using this are quite happy with "same flight number for different fligths".
vhqpa From Australia, joined Jul 2005, 1382 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 1 hour ago) and read 2564 times:
The only instance in Australia I can find of this practice is Skytrans flight Q680. Cairns - Pormpuraaw - Kowanyama - Cairns. Everything else has different flight numbers out and in.
"There you go ladies and gentleman we're through Mach 1 the speed of sound no bumps no bangs... CONCORDE"
isitsafenow From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 4984 posts, RR: 26 Reply 10, posted (1 year 9 months 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 2488 times:
I have a few of these under my belt but the one I'm proud of is:
June 25 1961....CO flight 12 MKC-ORD B707-120
Oct 30 2009 ....CO flight 12 HNL-LAX B737-800
safe
If two people agree on EVERYTHING, then one isn't necessary.
blueflyer From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 3125 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (1 year 9 months 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 2372 times:
Using the same flight number on turn routings is a low risk affair anyway as there's no chance whatsoever of two aircraft being in the air at the same time with the same flight number since the flight inbound to the hub is to be operated with the outbound aircraft. So why not save a flight number for other purposes, especially when the mainline carrier assigns "blocks" of flight numbers to its regional affiliates and a block gets close to being fully used.
IAHFLYR From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 4723 posts, RR: 25 Reply 12, posted (1 year 9 months 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 2363 times:
Quoting blueflyer (Reply 11): Using the same flight number on turn routings is a low risk affair anyway as there's no chance whatsoever of two aircraft being in the air at the same time with the same flight number since the flight inbound to the hub is to be operated with the outbound aircraft.
It is a very low risk for sure however, I have seen it happen where the flight departing the HUB was involved in a long delay and for whatever reason there was a crew and airplane at the out station with a few hour sit that was swapped out and had them changed so they flew inbound earlier. So rather than have two delayed flight and a pile of missed connects at the HUB, they only had one delayed flight and simply changed the flight number on the filed flight plan and the folks at the outstation got to the HUB on time. Pretty unusual for sure.
Quoting blueflyer (Reply 11): So why not save a flight number for other purposes, especially when the mainline carrier assigns "blocks" of flight numbers to its regional affiliates and a block gets close to being fully used.
Exactly.
Any views shared are strictly my own and do not a represent those of any former employer.
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Exactly.
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