Identical Flight numbers?
Mar 10, 2009 | 8:44 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: YYZ most of the time
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Posts: 3,921
Identical Flight numbers?
Hi.
Just getting back to flying DL after quite an absence and I have a question.
Why does DL use identical flight numbers for some flights? I know about say DL56 NRT-ATL(B777)-CVG(MD88). That I can accept, but why this example DL5050 ATL-YYZ (and back) DL5050 YYZ-ATL ??
Just getting back to flying DL after quite an absence and I have a question.
Why does DL use identical flight numbers for some flights? I know about say DL56 NRT-ATL(B777)-CVG(MD88). That I can accept, but why this example DL5050 ATL-YYZ (and back) DL5050 YYZ-ATL ??
Mar 10, 2009 | 8:57 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: The best state in the USA - Florida!
Programs: Marriott Titanium/LT Plat, AS Titanium, Disney AP
Posts: 14,532
Saves on the number of flight numbers that need to be used.
Airline GDS systems can only accomodate up to four digit flight numbers, and with codesharing (and now the merger), flight numbers do get eaten up pretty fast.
It's pretty common to see with the Delta Connection carriers now...I know I've seen it on a good number of Comair flights.
Airline GDS systems can only accomodate up to four digit flight numbers, and with codesharing (and now the merger), flight numbers do get eaten up pretty fast.
It's pretty common to see with the Delta Connection carriers now...I know I've seen it on a good number of Comair flights.
Mar 10, 2009 | 8:59 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: YYZ most of the time
Programs: AC SE100K MM, Princess Elite
Posts: 3,921
I am surprised, I've seen triangle flights before SLC-FAT-RNO-SLC, but never direct return flights. More things I'm going to have to learn about DL 
Thanks
Thanks
Mar 10, 2009 | 9:14 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DTW or FNT
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 635
I was on an itinerary, PHL-CVG-BNA-CVG-DTW (bought as a multi-city) where the CVG-BNA and BNA-CVG flights were the same flight number (5775?) operated by Chautaqua. It was the cheapest option for a one-way ticket from PHL to DTW. It was a 20 minute turnaround in Nashville, but I convinced one of the Comair agents in CVG to just put me on the next flight to Detroit. (There were weather delays in Cincinnati and Nashville) I did wonder if I would have gotten the 1000 miles or 0 since the "direct flight" was CVG-BNA-CVG.
Mar 17, 2009 | 4:24 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: LHR / BHX / MAN / ATL
Programs: DL DM 2MM - IHG Diamond
Posts: 4,075
This caused me to miss some miles/MQMs on a MR a few years back. The CVG-IND and IND-CVG DL cx flights that I took back-to-back had the same flight numbers. I never argued over the 500 miles/MQMs because it soon became clear I would requalify, even without them. Besides, it was worth losing the 500 miles to watch the expression of the FA as I reboarded in IND. 
Mar 18, 2009 | 12:58 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Programs: DL DM; UA; AA
Posts: 446
Come to think of which, I did once take a regular scheduled flight KTM-KTM! Well, I'm not sure the airline (Buddha Air) had a frequent-flyer program... :-)
Mar 18, 2009 | 7:36 am
#7
Join Date: May 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta DM/2MM, Flying Blue Gold, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 1,950
They tried this with Song for a while... one flight number would actually be a roundtrip like, say, MCO-LGA-MCO.
It seemed to confuse the agents (and the gids monitors) much more than it helped...
It seemed to confuse the agents (and the gids monitors) much more than it helped...