Originally Posted by
jrl767
not just Delta: TWA was notorious for "change-of-gauge" services on their European services to/from JFK ... it was always amusing to see TW 701 or TW 873 coming in from LHR or CDG or FCO as a 747 or L-1011, knowing that a 727 would carry the same flight number to DCA
not "more important" per se; when doing business over the phone and across the desk, travel agents just tended to tell the customer the first flight or two that showed up on their displays ... even though it involved a stop and a change of aircraft, the fact that it had a single flight number "promoted" it and the airlines figured that the TAs were more likely to sell a seat on the first option they presented
TWA did this out of LAX as well, even when there was no change of gauge.
In my mid-teen years I was traveling alone from LAX to CDG. The flight was stopping at IAD, but I was led to believe that the plane would be the same and I didn't need to get off the plane. Both planes were 1011s I believe. Most people at IAD got off the plane...except for me and a few dozen French. The FAs came back and asked if we were going to leave. I said no, I was going to CDG, and was trying to translate for the French.
FAs told us that we had to leave. As we were in remote parking, they had to then get another people mover to take us back to the terminal. I and the others had no idea what was going on...and I was completely unfamiliar with IAD and the set up. Putting single flight numbers on flights that have connections is lame, and no pax benefits...just the airline.