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Thread: Can Someone Explain AA's Flight Numbers
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Old Dec 31, 2006 | 10:20 am
  #8  
jrhone
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,176
Originally Posted by martin33
The only reliable guide is 1-2999 for mainline, 3000-5999 for Eagle, and 6000-9999 for codeshares.

The 1-digit numbers are rooted in AA's history. AA1 & AA2 are JFK-LAX and LAX-JFK.

The 2-digit numbers are used on Europe (eg ORD-LHR) and the flagship transcons (eg LAX-JFK). Not all such flights have 2-digit numbers however.

The 3-digit numbers just have vague tendencies-- lots of 9xx to S America, 6xx to the Caribbean, 1xx JFK to Heathrow or JFK-transcon again.

I never tried to spot any patterns in the 4-digit numbers. The high ones 2xxx were TW-operated before the certificates merged.
3000-5999 is also broken down as 3000-5199 is Eagle, 5200-5599 is Connection, and 5600-5999 can also be AA on other carriers. 6000 upwards is used for code shares, charters and non-rev ops (positioning and ferrying etc)
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