Yaatri

Generally, less travelled routes are assigned 4 letter numbers and most important flights have one or two digit codes. All of NW's TATL and TPAC flights (international only) had two digit codes. I don't ,mind three digit codes as they are not hard to remember. I have a great deal of difficulty remembering 4 digit codes.
Note: By single digit, I mean one significant digit, such 001, 009, etc.
I would like to see some single digit, and two digit (0xx) type flight numbers. The most important routes could be single digit flights.

Lately, DL has changed flight numbers often that I don't remember any of Delta's international flight numbers. KLM has made very few changes on its long haul flight numbers over the last 35 or 40 years. Short, easily memorised flight numbers do have an appeal and encourages repeat business from not so frequent fliers.

Does anyone have any opinions on this?

jimrpa

I think it's really scraping the bottom of the barrel when the criticisms of Delta and why Northwest was superior extend to flight numbering schemes

SOBE ER DOC

My opinion is that there MUST be more important things to complain about.

This remind me of the most common (and expensive) phrase in the English language: "we've always done it this way."

Yaatri

Wow. Have you got some problem with self esteem? What makes you think it's criticism. So I take it you are ok with 3 digit numbers, and that's ok. really it us.
Stating one's opinion and asking for others' is criticism?
Do you scan the forum to see ho is criticising Delta?
Do you get paid to do that or is it voluntary?

You must be a busy man!

Stripe

I agree it is a ridiculous criticism (in the context of so much else that is wrong), but NW's system did have some nice features. For example, if it was a four digit flight number starting with a 2 you knew it was a CRJ with no first class. And usually the outbound flight from a hub differed by one number from the return flight. It offered a poor man's way of doing the "Where is my flight coming from" that is one of the great features that CO offers on its web site.

JSFox

In the scheme of all the things that DL needs to fix to come close to matching their rhetoric, this is massively low. That said, I do much prefer other carriers numbering and more than anything, their consistency. I knew most of NW's TATL flights, at least those I flew regularly, and when needed could call CS and simply tell them the specific flights I wanted. This was particularly useful when I was somewhere without computer access and needed to book/change flights.

Yaatri

Those who think it's a criticism ought to get a life.

Yaatri

My opinion is some people have such a low esteem that any comment looks like criticism to them.

RobOnLI

DL44 operates MSP-LHR
DL6 operates DTW-LHR

There's some single and double significant digit flight numbers.

-RM

BigPicture

For now, the flight numbering scheme after the res cutover goes something like this for international/transoceanic routes:

DL001-299 are all the TPAC (and interport) and TATL flights, together with some random 600+ series flight numbers for some TPAC services.

DL001 - DL229 are pretty much all routes that use pre-merger DL equipment (777, 767, 75E) regardless of whether it was a pre-merger DL or NW route:

Examples:
DL1 JFK-LHR 764 (pre-merger DL route)
DL18 PVG-DTW 777 (pre-merger NW route)
DL70 NRT-PDX 763 (pre-merger NW route)
DL97 GUM-NRT 763 (pre-merger NW route)

DL230 - DL299 and the DL630-DL650 range are routes that use pre-merger NW equipment (744, A330, 75A).
Examples:
DL242 DTW-AMS A333 (pre-merger NW route)
DL281 ATL-NRT 744 (pre-merger DL route)

When the equipment switches, the flight number will also change: E.g.,

NRT-SFO (pre-merger NW route)
Currently an A332, so flight number is DL 634
Switches to a 763ER starting June 1, so flight number becomes DL172

JFK-FCO (pre-merger DL route)
Currently a 763ER, so flight number is DL 148
Switches to an A333 for summer, flight number changes to DL 246

buckeyefanflyer

Regarding flight numbers for most airlines, westbound and southbound flight numbers were always odd numbers and eastbound and northbound flight numbers were even.
That has changed, not sure why. I wounder which flight numbers have existed flying the same route for 29 or 30 years. AA 1 JFK-LAX has been around a while. UA 711
was ORD-LAX for many years not now. CO likes to use 1492 IAH-CMH.

UAL awesome

Are the NW DC-9 7XXX flights going to be changed to more normal numbers anytime soon?

StayingHomeIsBetter

My only frustration with the changes in flight numbering is that it makes it harder to identify the barbie jet flights (intentional obfuscation???).

dgreen12

I just wish DL would communicate its flight number pattern to AS accurately so I don't have to constantly put in a request to AS for miles when I'm flying DL mainline metal.

DL 2437 (formerly a NW-operated and numbered flight) operates from MCO to MSP. It's outside the "flight number range" under the old DL numbering system, but under the new numbering system it's mainline aircraft that should give me AS miles without question. AS, though, indicates that they give AS miles based on the flight number range that DL provides them, which is outdated at best.

I'm getting tired of having to request manual credit for situations like this.

jimrpa

Nope. My self-esteem is fine, thanks
Your written tone seemed critical of the flight numbering scheme Delta has and the changes that Delta makes in flight numbers. You also compare it to Northwet's scheme with the implication that Northwest had a superior scheme because they had fewer digits in their flight numbers or something.
Thanks. To be honest, I really don't care about flight numbers at all. Admittedly, if there is a very significant flight, I'd say it deserves 001. Prime example was the AF001 JFK-CDG. That was their "headline" flight as it was Concorde. To be best of my knowledge, Delta doesn't really have anything extraordinary in their fleet or on their schedule.
Nope, but I think I'm entitled to offer my view on criticism others offer. Sadly, around here, it seems that if I can't make a comment along the lines of "Delta sux because...", then I'm expected to just shut up.
Nope, I'm in Philadelphia and, given the weather, there's not really much else to do
You mean I could get paid to read Flyertalk?
Nope, pretty bored right now