AA History: Oldest Flight with Unchanged Flight Number
Jul 23, 2019, 9:29 am
#1
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AA History: Oldest Flight with Unchanged Flight Number
I was watching Clear and Present Danger the other day and they mentioned that Jack Ryan was arriving in Bogota on AA 915 at 7:50 PM. I checked to see what AA 915 currently is and it is still MIA-BOG, though the scheduled arrival is slightly later.
That movie was from 1994.
Got me thinking: what's the oldest flight you can recall where the flight number (and even the timing) is the same?
That movie was from 1994.
Got me thinking: what's the oldest flight you can recall where the flight number (and even the timing) is the same?
Jul 23, 2019, 9:45 am
#2
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I was watching Clear and Present Danger the other day and they mentioned that Jack Ryan was arriving in Bogota on AA 915 at 7:50 PM. I checked to see what AA 915 currently is and it is still MIA-BOG, though the scheduled arrival is slightly later.
That movie was from 1994.
Got me thinking: what's the oldest flight you can recall where the flight number (and even the timing) is the same?
That movie was from 1994.
Got me thinking: what's the oldest flight you can recall where the flight number (and even the timing) is the same?
I think she was flying mostly on DC-6
Jul 23, 2019, 9:47 am
#3
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I was watching Clear and Present Danger the other day and they mentioned that Jack Ryan was arriving in Bogota on AA 915 at 7:50 PM. I checked to see what AA 915 currently is and it is still MIA-BOG, though the scheduled arrival is slightly later.
That movie was from 1994.
Got me thinking: what's the oldest flight you can recall where the flight number (and even the timing) is the same?
That movie was from 1994.
Got me thinking: what's the oldest flight you can recall where the flight number (and even the timing) is the same?
AA1 also has the dubious distinction of having had three fatal crashes -- although the first two were on prop planes before there even was a JFK (or IDL) Airport.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amer...lines_Flight_1
Jul 23, 2019, 10:27 am
#4
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My money is one AA1, which has been a morning JFK-LAX nonstop from at least the early 60's.
AA1 also has the dubious distinction of having had three fatal crashes -- although the first two were on prop planes before there even was a JFK (or IDL) Airport.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amer...lines_Flight_1
AA1 also has the dubious distinction of having had three fatal crashes -- although the first two were on prop planes before there even was a JFK (or IDL) Airport.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amer...lines_Flight_1
Jul 23, 2019, 12:02 pm
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Jul 23, 2019, 12:14 pm
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Jul 23, 2019, 2:23 pm
#9
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I agree that AA 1 is probably the winner. AA 50/51 (DFW<->LHR) has been around since the early 80s, although it was originally to LGW.
When AA added four-digit flight numbers, some long-time flight numbers were changed.
When AA added four-digit flight numbers, some long-time flight numbers were changed.
Jul 23, 2019, 3:03 pm
#11
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BA1 is a new route - until 2013 it was a LHR-JFK Concorde service
Jul 23, 2019, 3:23 pm
#12
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Off topic, but seem to recall that US1 was PIT-LAX. Man, did I love that flight! It was on a 767. I wonder if it was US1 the entire lifespan of that route?
Jul 23, 2019, 4:39 pm
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Jul 23, 2019, 5:54 pm
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Here’s an old timetable dated June 1, 1936 when the DC aircraft started in service and offered sleeper service. Technically lie flat, but more like Pullman bunks than lie flat seats.
And here’s a May 1,1948 depicting an American Overseas Airlines Lockheed L-049 Constellation used in transatlantic service. The technical stop required in Shannon had people getting off the aircraft while it was serviced (100-130 octane aviation gasoline, not nice calm Jet A, you wanted to get off). “All these wealthy people traveling through Shannon,” thought caterer Brendan O'Regan. And Ireland was financially poor but had Whiskey, beautiful lace, Belleek chinaware, Irish woolens, Waterford crystal and more.
Until that time cruise ship passengers were the ones who benefitted from duty free shopping.What are airplanes, he argued, but ships of the air? And what are airline passengers but sailors of the clouds? Why should they pay tax? In 1947, the Irish government agreed and let him try it out here. The rest is history...
(By that time I had flown in an AA DC-3 MEX-MTY-SAT.)
Link to more AA timetables from the World Airline Historical Society.
And here’s a May 1,1948 depicting an American Overseas Airlines Lockheed L-049 Constellation used in transatlantic service. The technical stop required in Shannon had people getting off the aircraft while it was serviced (100-130 octane aviation gasoline, not nice calm Jet A, you wanted to get off). “All these wealthy people traveling through Shannon,” thought caterer Brendan O'Regan. And Ireland was financially poor but had Whiskey, beautiful lace, Belleek chinaware, Irish woolens, Waterford crystal and more.
Until that time cruise ship passengers were the ones who benefitted from duty free shopping.What are airplanes, he argued, but ships of the air? And what are airline passengers but sailors of the clouds? Why should they pay tax? In 1947, the Irish government agreed and let him try it out here. The rest is history...
(By that time I had flown in an AA DC-3 MEX-MTY-SAT.)
Link to more AA timetables from the World Airline Historical Society.
Last edited by JDiver; Jul 23, 2019 at 10:16 pm
Jul 23, 2019, 5:54 pm
#15
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WY is basically the same, WY101 is the better timed of the two MCT-LHR flights.
Random, but I do wish SQ renumbered their EWR-SIN service to SQ1/SQ2. Instead, the comparatively uninteresting SFO-HKG-SIN route holds that number.