Flight number 1:

BN727227Ultra · Sat Dec 31, 2016 1:55 am

I have flown on a 'Flight 1' before--TWA STL-HNL on a 741. I got to wondering about airlines and their Number Ones, why they were chosen, etc.

Trans Global's #1 wasn't mentioned although their #2--the Golden Argosy was Lincoln International-FCO. Shouldn't the outbound be #1 and the inbound #2? And Rome? Didn't TGA fly to LHR?

Anyhow...I spent some time on Flightaware:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1 makes perfect sense--but an A321? Times are a-changing.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL1 why Singapore? I could dig Beijing, and definitely Tokyo, but why not SFO-JFK?

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL1 makes sense, but so much for the Atlanta heritage.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/HAL1 no brainer

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/ASA1 I like this--make the congresscritters feel all warm and fuzzy.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA1 Love to Hobby to Harlingen. Probably been the same route since 1972.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/JBU1 Seems legit.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA1 Makes sense, though YYZ-YUL wouldn't be unusual.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AFR1 Blocked!

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DLH1 Makes sense, but I could see FRA-JFK.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/KLM1 AMS-YVR--four years ago! and a MD-11!

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AFL1 I got nothing, and neither does Flightaware!

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/JAL1 As expected.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/ANA1 Same here.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/LAN1 Go home, LAN--you're drunk...

Gemuser · Sat Dec 31, 2016 2:21 am

QF 1 SYD-DXB-LHR, daily. Return flight is QF2, of course.
Just as an aside QF 3/4 is SYD-HNL & return, a remnant of the SYD-NAN-HNL-SFO flight.

Gemuser

dmanonice · Sat Dec 31, 2016 2:23 am

WestJet has WS1 YYCLGW selected as it was the first destination outside of North America for WS operations out of YYC. It along with WS3 YYZLGW buck the convention of even numbers going eastbound.

rocketPower · Sat Dec 31, 2016 2:26 am

Air Canada #1 can never be local because of their numbering structure. Low numbers are international. I flew that flight recently, it was a 789. Comfy in P.

seabosdca · Sat Dec 31, 2016 2:27 am

UA 1 is the longest flight in the UA network, so it's what passes for a "prestige" route in these days where there are no prestige routes.

I've flown AS 1 many times. The number was definitely chosen to kiss up to the congresscritters who provided the slot exemptions. AS 1-6 are all DCA flights.

seat55a · Sat Dec 31, 2016 2:42 am

NZ1 and 2 LHR LAX AKL and reverse. Westbound is odd numbered by convention.

FlyUSAir · Sat Dec 31, 2016 2:54 am

Interesting to note that AA1 is still around yet has been involved in two separate fatal crashes, AA Flight 1 a DC-3 flying NYC-BUF-CHI-DTW crashed over Canada killing 20, and AA Flight 1 a 707 flying NYC-LAX crashed in Jamaica Bay killing 95.

benbeny · Sat Dec 31, 2016 3:08 am

Garuda callsign is 'Indonesia', GIA 001 is reserved for presidential flight only.
AFR 001 is retired since Concorde is done. It used to be JFK-CDG.

hinckley · Sat Dec 31, 2016 3:13 am

I flew MH1, an A380, from LHR to KUL the same day that MH370 disappeared.

anshabhi · Sat Dec 31, 2016 3:36 am

benbeny wrote:
Garuda callsign is 'Indonesia', GIA 001 is reserved for presidential flight only.
.

Same with Air India AI1

rmp1kxk · Sat Dec 31, 2016 3:37 am

5X 1 is the longest flight segment UPS flies, a 744 from CGN to HKG, 4,978 miles, but does not seem to track on flight aware.
FX 1 is a 77L from MEM to STN, a little bit shorter at 4,561 miles, http://flightaware.com/live/flight/FDX1

steex · Sat Dec 31, 2016 3:56 am

BN727227Ultra wrote:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL1 why Singapore? I could dig Beijing, and definitely Tokyo, but why not SFO-JFK?

The most obvious answer is that UA doesn't fly to JFK at all, so that's out. I guess they could apply it to SFO-EWR, but that doesn't seem nearly as prestigious or exotic as SFO-SIN to me.

BN727227Ultra wrote:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/LAN1 Go home, LAN--you're drunk...

I think FlightAware is the one which is drunk here, technically. While the FAA has assigned Pontiac, Illinois the 3-character PNT identifier, IATA gave that identifier to Puerto Natales, Chile (ICAO: SCNT). FlightAware is getting the two confused.

ahj2000 · Sat Dec 31, 2016 4:02 am

LA1 is actually to Puerto Natales, Chile from Santiago. You'd think that LATAM 1 would either be to São Paulo or Lima with the pan-national branding (on 787?)

Wingtips56 · Sat Dec 31, 2016 4:04 am

In my early years in the business, working the last commuter flight into SMF from SFO, I used to always take bag reports for misconnects from Pam Am PA1...JFK-SFO. Often the bags stayed onboard PA1 continuing to Asia... NRT and SIN, IIRC, but that was 1979-1980, so don't trust my memory. (The other regular misconnect was National NA 45 MIA-SFO. So when PA and NA merged, well..... )

33lspotter · Sat Dec 31, 2016 4:22 am

BAW1 is the LCY-SNN-JFK A318. I get the aspect of an All-J flight being unique, but I personally would love for it to be an LHR-JFK nonstop.

benbeny · Sat Dec 31, 2016 4:42 am

33lspotter wrote:
BAW1 is the LCY-SNN-JFK A318. I get the aspect of an All-J flight being unique, but I personally would love for it to be an LHR-JFK nonstop.

I think the main purpose of LCY-JFK is to cater businesspeople with service directly to the center of the city, which is defeated by LHR/STN-JFK... Of course you cannot take off with fuel fuel from LCY, so westbound flight must stop in SNN (and for custom preclearance).

LatAmFlyer · Sat Dec 31, 2016 4:53 am

LatAmFlyer · Sat Dec 31, 2016 5:04 am

ahj2000 wrote:
LA1 is actually to Puerto Natales, Chile from Santiago. You'd think that LATAM 1 would either be to São Paulo or Lima with the pan-national branding (on 787?)

Everyone's clamoring to trek in Patagonia (like me). Maybe it's LA's effort to pump even more tourist dollars/pesos in that area, and they're finding that prestige of the LA1 designator is giving the area more visibility?

33lspotter · Sat Dec 31, 2016 5:25 am

benbeny wrote:
I think the main purpose of LCY-JFK is to cater businesspeople with service directly to the center of the city, which is defeated by LHR/STN-JFK... Of course you cannot take off with fuel fuel from LCY, so westbound flight must stop in SNN (and for custom preclearance).

Very much understand the logistics of the flight...I just think it'd make sense to have an LHR-JFK for flight 1 in particular. IIRC BAW1 used to be the westbound Concorde.

KiloRomeoDelta · Sat Dec 31, 2016 5:40 am

Related, which airport sees the maximum number of "Flight 1s"? For example, SFO gets four Flight 1s-
1. UA 001 SFO-SIN
2. JL 001 SFO-HND
3. SQ 001 SFO-HKG-SIN
4. VX 001 SFO-DCA

alggag · Sat Dec 31, 2016 5:42 am

BN727227Ultra wrote:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA1 Love to Hobby to Harlingen. Probably been the same route since 1972.

The DAL-HOU portion probably has been. Harlingen was not one of the original cities however.

SFOA380 · Sat Dec 31, 2016 5:44 am

How about which airports serve the most flights 1&2... must be either JFK or LHR... SFO has four: UA SFO-SIN, SQ SFO-HKG-SIN, JL SFO-HND & VX SFO- DCA...

steex · Sat Dec 31, 2016 6:32 am

SFOA380 wrote:
How about which airports serve the most flights 1&2... must be either JFK or LHR... SFO has four: UA SFO-SIN, SQ SFO-HKG-SIN, JL SFO-HND & VX SFO- DCA...

This may not be an exhaustive list, but I'm seeing at least 8 applicable flights at LHR (9 depending on your feelings about the caveat below):

BG1 DAC-LHR
DL1 LHR-JFK
EK1 DXB-LHR
*GF2 LHR-BAH
MH1 LHR-KUL
NZ1 LHR-LAX-AKL
QF1 SYD-DXB-LHR
QR1 DOH-LHR
VS1 LHR-EWR

*Gulf Airways doesn't operate a Flight 1, but they utilize their lowest pair (2 & 3) on LHR flights.

qf2220 · Sat Dec 31, 2016 6:36 am

Gemuser wrote:
QF 1 SYD-DXB-LHR, daily. Return flight is QF2, of course.
Just as an aside QF 3/4 is SYD-HNL & return, a remnant of the SYD-NAN-HNL-SFO flight.

Gemuser

Interesting pattern with the QF flights is how they alternate west/east

QF1/2 - SYD-LHR
QF3/4 - SYD-HNL (formerly to SFO)
QF5/6 - SYD-SIN (formerly to LHR)
QF7/8 - SYD-DFW
QF9/10 - MEL-LHR
QF11/12 - SYD-LAX
QF13/14 doesnt exist (im assuming because of the 13
QF15/16 - BNE-LAX

From here it doesnt comply with the pattern

QF17/18 - SYD-LAX
QF19/20 - SYD-MNL

etc etc

ZincSaucier · Sat Dec 31, 2016 6:53 am

BN727227Ultra wrote:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1 makes perfect sense--but an A321? Times are a-changing.

True, but those 321T's are pretty nice...

PatrickZ80 · Sat Dec 31, 2016 12:14 pm

Some more number ones:

Ryanair 1: London Stansted - Dublin (as expected, connecting their two major hubs)

Lufthansa 1: Hamburg - Frankfurt

Transavia 1: Minneapolis St. Paul - Minneapolis St. Paul (very odd since Transavia never flew there)

Norwegian 1: Oslo - London Gatwick

Wizzair 1: Milan Bergamo - Bucharest

EasyJet 1: St. Mawgan - Newquay (same airport, but renamed)

SAS 1: Lulea - Stockholm

Jet2 1: Leeds Bradford - Amsterdam

LOT Polish Airlines 1: Warsaw - Chicago

DLHAM · Sat Dec 31, 2016 10:09 pm

PatrickZ80 wrote:
LOT Polish Airlines 1: Warsaw - Chicago

Thats interesting, I wonder why its not NY. More Polish living in Chicago?

vhtje · Sat Dec 31, 2016 10:41 pm

qf2220 wrote:

Interesting pattern with the QF flights is how they alternate west/east

QF1/2 - SYD-LHR
QF3/4 - SYD-HNL (formerly to SFO)
QF5/6 - SYD-SIN (formerly to LHR)
QF7/8 - SYD-DFW
QF9/10 - MEL-LHR
QF11/12 - SYD-LAX
QF13/14 doesnt exist (im assuming because of the 13
QF15/16 - BNE-LAX

From here it doesnt comply with the pattern

QF17/18 - SYD-LAX
QF19/20 - SYD-MNL

etc etc

QF do not number their international flights (QF1-QF499) based on east/west direction, rather, on being outbound from or inbound to Australia.

Outbound flights are odd-numbered; inbound flights back to Australia are even-numbered. So QF 1 is outbound to London, QF2 inbound back to Sydney.

I am not certain how it works for domestic flight numbers, QF500 and above.

aerolimani · Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:25 am

Interestingly, AFR2 - AFR12 are all flights between JFK and CDG. Some of them are very recent, and some are from up to 13 years ago (AFR2), and 8 years ago (AFR4). The last flight (on flightaware) of AFR3 was in March of 2016.

qf2220 · Sun Jan 01, 2017 11:47 am

vhtje wrote:
qf2220 wrote:

Interesting pattern with the QF flights is how they alternate west/east

QF1/2 - SYD-LHR
QF3/4 - SYD-HNL (formerly to SFO)
QF5/6 - SYD-SIN (formerly to LHR)
QF7/8 - SYD-DFW
QF9/10 - MEL-LHR
QF11/12 - SYD-LAX
QF13/14 doesnt exist (im assuming because of the 13
QF15/16 - BNE-LAX

From here it doesnt comply with the pattern

QF17/18 - SYD-LAX
QF19/20 - SYD-MNL

etc etc

QF do not number their international flights (QF1-QF499) based on east/west direction, rather, on being outbound from or inbound to Australia.

Outbound flights are odd-numbered; inbound flights back to Australia are even-numbered. So QF 1 is outbound to London, QF2 inbound back to Sydney.

I am not certain how it works for domestic flight numbers, QF500 and above.

Yep im aware of the outbound/inbound - but there is definately a pattern (coincidental or not) of west/east in the first few flight number pairs which i find interesting.

angusjt · Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:48 am

SCO1/TZ1 - SYD-SIN (first ever route operated by Scoot)
VOZ1/VA1 - SYD-LAX

balair863 · Mon Jan 02, 2017 10:16 pm

FlyUSAir wrote:
Interesting to note that AA1 is still around yet has been involved in two separate fatal crashes, AA Flight 1 a DC-3 flying NYC-BUF-CHI-DTW crashed over Canada killing 20, and AA Flight 1 a 707 flying NYC-LAX crashed in Jamaica Bay killing 95.

American 1 used to be "The Mercury", American's prestige flight from NYC-LAX. Great YouTube documentary on it with a DC-7 being used.

Joelatbsl · Mon Jan 02, 2017 10:30 pm

PatrickZ80 wrote:
Ryanair 1: London Stansted - Dublin (as expected, connecting their two major hubs)

FR1 is being used for Learjet 45 M-ABEU that tends to shuttle around crews, technicians or management when required ...

Btblue · Tue Jan 03, 2017 1:57 pm

Flew BA1 London City to JFK in 2012 but to have flown BA1 Heathrow to JFK I guess was the ultimate of the flight number 1, designated as it meant a ride on concorde. I do not think any other flight matches it. To have concorde BA1 on your list of flights is tops.

CrimsonNL · Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:30 pm

Sun Express has XQ1 on AYT-FRA

Martijn

xaapb · Tue Jan 03, 2017 6:46 pm

AM flight 1 from MEX to MAD

Greetings.

ER757 · Wed Jan 04, 2017 12:34 am

UA flight #1 used to be ORD/HNL on a 747. Took it twice back in the late 80's

UgandAir · Wed Jan 04, 2017 12:34 pm

33lspotter wrote:
BAW1 is the LCY-SNN-JFK A318. I get the aspect of an All-J flight being unique, but I personally would love for it to be an LHR-JFK nonstop.

It's harking back to the exclusive nature of the concorde flights, which were BAW001. As somebody who has flown on the new BAW001 A318, it does feel 'special', especially because of the Concorde heritage, the small almost private-like experience, and the low flight number just puts the cherry on top of the bakewell!

FlyboyOz · Thu Jan 05, 2017 1:29 am

Cathay Pacific starts CX 100/101 (pax flight) between HKG and SYD. CX 1 is for cargo flight though.

unrave · Thu Jan 05, 2017 4:01 am

Spicejet flight number 1 is a daily midnight Chennai - Colombo service on a Q400. Wonder if any other airline operates a flight number 1 on a turboprop

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