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Delta Transatlantic Flight Numbering

TWA902fly From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 3048 posts, RR: 4
Posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 1551 times:

Just sort of picked up on this random thing and figured I'd ask... it seems like all of DL's transatlantic network the eastbound flights are Even number and the westbound flights are Odd numbers: eg

JFK-SVO DL30
SVO-JFK DL31

ATL-STR DL116
STR-ATL DL117

SLC-CDG DL170
CDG-SLC DL171

etc...

so I ask why is

JFK-LHR DL1 and DL3 and
LHR-JFK DL2 and DL4 ?

any specific reason?

'902

life wasn't worth the balance, or the crumpled paper it was written on

7 replies: All unread, jump to last

Transpac787 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 3139 posts, RR: 14
Reply 1, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 1495 times:

I've often wondered that myself and find it a ridiculous system as well.

I think it goes back to when DL acquired a few LHR slots from UA. In the excitement of the moment (or so it would seem) they decided to make JFK-LHR their flight number 1. Incidentally, Open Skies happened not long after, making LHR slots remarkably easier to obtain for any airline.

Kinda shot the prestige of the route straight to hell Wink

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Jkj777 From United States of America, joined Aug 2007, 397 posts, RR: 0
Reply 2, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 1464 times:

I have typically noticed that DL flights going to the east were even numbered and the flights coming back west were odd numbered.

[Edited 2009-06-11 12:20:46]

TWA902fly From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 3048 posts, RR: 4
Reply 3, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days ago) and read 1450 times:

Quoting Jkj777 (Reply 2):
I have typically noticed that DL flights going to the east were even numbered and the flights coming back west were odd numbered.

For the most part i've noticed this as well... which again throws things off with JFK-LHR because that flight number originates in SLC... so you have all the SLC-JFK flights being even numbered (currently DL94 DL1002 and DL1830... and then DL3...)

'902

life wasn't worth the balance, or the crumpled paper it was written on

Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21491 posts, RR: 24
Reply 4, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days ago) and read 1411 times:

Quoting Transpac787 (Reply 1):
I have typically noticed that DL flights going to the east were even numbered and the flights coming back west were odd numbered.

Most airlines have applied that flight numbering practice for decades. There are some exceptions. For example LH, LX and a few others use even numbers for flights FROM their hubs, and odd numbers for flights TO their hubs. That's why LH/LX transatlantic flights have even numbers westbound and odd eastbound, opposite of the usual practice.

I'm sure the DL exception on JFK-LHR (originally JFK-LGW) was to give the JFK-origin market the "prestigious" DL1 number.

Sflaflight From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 1182 posts, RR: 1
Reply 5, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 1354 times:

...because there is no flight 0. I'm serious! Since zero is an even number the first number then would be 1. The option would be for DL to start at 2, but traditionally 1 was the flagship route of the carrier. So flight 170 leaves the US and 171 returns. I always like AC old numering system (before merger with CP) where flight numbers started at 100. Flights below 100 were special Touram chartered flights back in the days.

Nickofatlanta From Australia, joined May 2000, 1457 posts, RR: 0
Reply 6, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 1333 times:

Quoting Sflaflight (Reply 5):
I always like AC old numering system (before merger with CP) where flight numbers started at 100. Flights below 100 were special Touram chartered flights back in the days.

For many years, DL was similar - they started at 10. DL10 ATL-LGW and DL11 LGW-ATL.

OA412 From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 4980 posts, RR: 25
Reply 7, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 1302 times:

Quoting Transpac787 (Reply 1):
I think it goes back to when DL acquired a few LHR slots from UA. In the excitement of the moment (or so it would seem) they decided to make JFK-LHR their flight number 1. Incidentally, Open Skies happened not long after, making LHR slots remarkably easier to obtain for any airline.

That's not what happened. DL did not purchase LHR slots from UA. DL purchased NYC-London authority from UA. Prior to openskies, the flight operated JFK-LGW.

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