Originally Posted by
kebosabi
If it has the same flight number it is a transit stop rather than a connection.
AA already does this for a number of US domestic flights. It would be like those AA domestic flights that has one flight number but goes to two destinations.
A good example would be like AA1843 AUS-LAX-LAS. Those that go from AUS-LAS is treated as a single flight and earns miles as if it were a non-stop flight. The LAS bound passengers can remain in their seats when the plane does a transit stop at LAX. Passengers whose final destination is LAX can get off and AA can pick up passengers for the LAX-LAS portion of this flight.
Really? They can stay on board? I don't fly these flights very often, but IME, these one-stop "direct" flights that pass through a hub almost always involve a change of aircraft. (and the crew might change with you, or it might be a new crew) Same type of aircraft, but a different tail number.
Internationally, in the post-9/11 world, I can't imagine they would allow you to stay on board at major airports, given local customs/security checks as well as catering/cleaning. In fact, IME with international-USA-international equipment turns, in most cases not even the FAs are allowed to be on board until the aircraft is "cleared" by customs and/or security. Only the onward
pilots may board to begin their checks and walkaround. Hence why there so often delays on the late-afternoon ex-USA departures to Europe that use aircraft from inbound European flights the same day.
(IME, it is much better to choose a Europe-bound flight that typically uses an aircraft coming from the hanger, having arrived from Deep South America at the crack of dawn, rather than one that is dependent on an on-time arrival of an ex-Europe flight that same day)
(woe betide any FTer who regularly takes whatever flight that typically uses the 763 from BCN-JFK....as we know, that flight is notoriously late!)