Originally Posted by
Dave Noble
They just seem to be flight numbers - are you reading more into it than there actually is? they don't seem to be 'gone' based on your description, just used on other routes
The flight numbers are easter eggs conveying hidden meaning related to the city pair.
1492 - year Columbus "discovered" America
1776 - year America declared independence
777 - jackpot on a slot machine
I'm guessing there's not much of a sense of fun at American airlines these days to appreciate humor like this (not to mention all of the disruptions to schedules).