Flight #'s: Re-Numbering and Re-Education
May 1, 2017, 7:32 am
#16
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: AC, AA, AS, UA, WN, IHG, Hilton
Posts: 174
Haha, you guys are even bigger nerds than me 
!
I memorize WS flight numbers because I've worked under them for years, but never really memorized much of the AC sked despite being a frequent passenger. I mean AC 156 has always been YVR-YYZ red eye for me and always departing the same gate. But beyond that, and AC 963, or was it 962, was the flight to BOG for a long time.
On this topic, I had a bit of a chuckle twice in the past couple weeks with flights/numbers.
At SFO the other night, I noticed SQ 1 to SIN and then UA 1 also to SIN departing close to each other. Then at EWR I noticed UA had 2 flights so San Jose departing both at exactly 1630, of course one was to SJO and the other SJC, but try explaining that to the people flying to SYD that end up at YQY.
!I memorize WS flight numbers because I've worked under them for years, but never really memorized much of the AC sked despite being a frequent passenger. I mean AC 156 has always been YVR-YYZ red eye for me and always departing the same gate. But beyond that, and AC 963, or was it 962, was the flight to BOG for a long time.
On this topic, I had a bit of a chuckle twice in the past couple weeks with flights/numbers.
At SFO the other night, I noticed SQ 1 to SIN and then UA 1 also to SIN departing close to each other. Then at EWR I noticed UA had 2 flights so San Jose departing both at exactly 1630, of course one was to SJO and the other SJC, but try explaining that to the people flying to SYD that end up at YQY
.
May 1, 2017, 9:21 am
#17
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 8,002
May 1, 2017, 10:05 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Toronto - YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan/Hilton Gold/Marriott Bonvoy Titanium/Accor/Hyatt Gold Passport
Posts: 5,899
Good point since HND is now effectively the "Flagship" flight to Tokyo. I'm still surprised that NRT can't support sustainable year-round traffic -- however, I rarely operate this route.
May 1, 2017, 10:31 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Toronto - YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan/Hilton Gold/Marriott Bonvoy Titanium/Accor/Hyatt Gold Passport
Posts: 5,899
Busy day at YYZ today (complete with gate festivities) as 3 routes takeoff:
YYZ-SAV
YYZ-MEM
YYZ-SAT (Complete with Mariachi Band)
YYZ-SAV
YYZ-MEM
YYZ-SAT (Complete with Mariachi Band)
May 1, 2017, 1:34 pm
#20
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: YYZ most of the time
Programs: AC SE100K MM, Princess Elite
Posts: 3,921
May 1, 2017, 2:05 pm
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Toronto - YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan/Hilton Gold/Marriott Bonvoy Titanium/Accor/Hyatt Gold Passport
Posts: 5,899
May 1, 2017, 8:42 pm
#22
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Body in Downtown YYZ, heart and mind elsewhere
Programs: UA 50K, refugee from AC E50K, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 5,132
May 1, 2017, 8:42 pm
#23
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,767
ACYYZ/SD, thanks for posting!
962 YYZ-BOG, 963 BOG-YYZ
I'm surprised they rouged that route. I work for a company with a lot of business in Colombia. Everyone at our company has essentially stopped taking AC, as have those I talk to at a few of our peer companies.
As for memorizing WS flights, I'm with YoYUL, I think that's quite the feat. Plus WS flight numbers seem to change a lot more and do a lot of segments on one flight number from time to time (e.g. YMM-YEG-YYC-YUL).
I memorize WS flight numbers because I've worked under them for years, but never really memorized much of the AC sked despite being a frequent passenger. I mean AC 156 has always been YVR-YYZ red eye for me and always departing the same gate. But beyond that, and AC 963, or was it 962, was the flight to BOG for a long time.
I'm surprised they rouged that route. I work for a company with a lot of business in Colombia. Everyone at our company has essentially stopped taking AC, as have those I talk to at a few of our peer companies.
As for memorizing WS flights, I'm with YoYUL, I think that's quite the feat. Plus WS flight numbers seem to change a lot more and do a lot of segments on one flight number from time to time (e.g. YMM-YEG-YYC-YUL).
May 1, 2017, 9:53 pm
#24
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
Anything thats 4xxx is a rescue flight.
Anything that's 3xxx is WS Encore.
Anything that's 7xx to YVR is from YYZ.
Anything 18xx is from various Hawaii.
Anything 2xxx is Mexican.
I digress.
962 YYZ-BOG, 963 BOG-YYZ
I'm surprised they rouged that route. I work for a company with a lot of business in Colombia. Everyone at our company has essentially stopped taking AC, as have those I talk to at a few of our peer companies.
As for memorizing WS flights, I'm with YoYUL, I think that's quite the feat. Plus WS flight numbers seem to change a lot more and do a lot of segments on one flight number from time to time (e.g. YMM-YEG-YYC-YUL).
I'm surprised they rouged that route. I work for a company with a lot of business in Colombia. Everyone at our company has essentially stopped taking AC, as have those I talk to at a few of our peer companies.
As for memorizing WS flights, I'm with YoYUL, I think that's quite the feat. Plus WS flight numbers seem to change a lot more and do a lot of segments on one flight number from time to time (e.g. YMM-YEG-YYC-YUL).
2. Can I please work for you
? I keep trying to figure out a way to work down here (as I post this from Medellin). TBH I liked the AC flight, though it was a bit far to go from YVR. Then I had a paid ticket which got rouged, so I got it refunded. I'm fine with Rouge, flew it to DUB and as long as you know what to expect it's not so bad. But I paid for mainline, I wanted mainline. They did seem to lower the average price. It's routinely $750ish from YVR now, as 962 it never dropped below about $800. Right now, the best/cheapest option seems to be Aeromexico, it's dirt cheap when bought in advance. Not the best airline, or best service and MEX is a steaming pile, but hey, for $575 I'll take it vs flying UA/AC.
May 2, 2017, 1:56 am
#25
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 6,222
From a project I'm working on:
Significant (coded) part (think flight) numbers use letter/number combinations to classify item characteristics into groups. These classifications are used for sorting and handling of components. These systems were often necessary for managing product data when few other efficient methods were available.
...
Significant digits are used to provide insight to an item's physical, functional and/or management attributes. Physical and functional attributes range from type of material to performance ratings. Management attributes range from the company that owns the design to the plant where the item is produced.
...
The problem with coded numbers is they restrict the organizations ability to improve and change processes related to the design, manufacture, supply and management of the items they identify. Because change is inevitable in any organization, no matter how well defined the numbering system is devised, it will break down over time.
...
... over time, the significant numbering systems tend to break down. Companies with more
simplistic products take longer to break down than those with more complex products. Significant numbers, thus, tend to loose their significance. They no longer do the classification coding function intended by their inventors. This is the prime reason for recommending as little significance as possible.
...
Significant digits are used to provide insight to an item's physical, functional and/or management attributes. Physical and functional attributes range from type of material to performance ratings. Management attributes range from the company that owns the design to the plant where the item is produced.
...
The problem with coded numbers is they restrict the organizations ability to improve and change processes related to the design, manufacture, supply and management of the items they identify. Because change is inevitable in any organization, no matter how well defined the numbering system is devised, it will break down over time.
...
... over time, the significant numbering systems tend to break down. Companies with more
simplistic products take longer to break down than those with more complex products. Significant numbers, thus, tend to loose their significance. They no longer do the classification coding function intended by their inventors. This is the prime reason for recommending as little significance as possible.
May 2, 2017, 11:32 am
#26
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,324
Let's say domestic transcons were 100-199. 1-99 were already in use, and 200-299 were already in use.
Then they add a 101st domestic transcon.
What happens then? You end up with 1176, or worse, 1308.
Passengers don't care about flight numbers. My mom books a flight, gets an email, makes sure the times are correct. Then day of departure, she has a printout of that email, and hands it to the check-in agent.
Using OLCI, you enter name and origin, but never your flight number.
The only people who really need to know flight numbers are the employees, and I suspect this makes it much easier for them.
May 2, 2017, 9:20 pm
#27
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
AC 1085 from TLV?
The wiki says this for flights in this number range
1000-1099 US All Haul Types
So I just saw AC 1085 on the FlightAware AC aircraft map
Is this a charter? Overflow? Ferry flight?
.
1000-1099 US All Haul Types
So I just saw AC 1085 on the FlightAware AC aircraft map
Is this a charter? Overflow? Ferry flight?
.
May 2, 2017, 9:27 pm
#29
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
