In the early 90s, UA used to fly a DC-10 ORD-MKE and back, about 80 miles each way.

It would come into ORD on a red-eye at 5am and not be needed back at a gate until 9:15am to start boarding for a 10am flight back to the West Coast. Since they didn't want it sitting around for four hours, they had it put it to use. But where?

The MKE flight was the only one where the plane could get out and back in time to a destination with a big enough runway to handle the DC-10. If the redeye was late getting in, they'd just cancel the MKE run or swap in a smaller plane.

British Midland fly daily from GLA - EDI and vice versa on a Fokker 100 or Fokker 70 jet aircraft as part of their service through to Copenhagen. This is around 40 miles, flight time (in the air) around 12-15 minutes. No service offered (Even the hard working British Midland cabin crew up in Scotland couldn't serve a hot breakfast in that short a time!!!)

That said, does BM hold the record for full meal service on the shortest flight? If you define 'Full Meal Service' as a hot meal, then BM offers a hot breakfast (with beverages and tea and coffee) in both C and Y class on the LHR - MAN route - just 151 miles. Unless you count the mileage for all that holding pattern flying coming into Heathrow of course! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Samuel

[This message has been edited by SamuelS (edited 11-26-2000).]

Aloha flys OGG Maui to KOA Kona with about 40 miles - 16 minutes flight time several times a day.

Actually, the KOA-OGG run is 83 miles.

There is an AWESOME website that gives very accurate mileage info for you to check out:
http://www.chicago.com/airliners/gc.html

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Addicted to airline miles? Check out: The Airline Mileage Workshop

Some years ago DL use to fly OAK-DFW via SJC 29 miles.
BWIA flies POS-TAB very many times a day 51 miles.
Interesting side-note on this flight is that the $48 rt fare has no (read $0) taxes, fees, airport charges, etc., etc.

POS-TAB is actually 69 miles.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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Addicted to airline miles? Check out: The Airline Mileage Workshop

I'm going to make an educated guess that the current domestic JET aircraft short ride champion is:

Detroit to Flint on a NW DC-9 for 55 miles or....

if you include Alaska/Hawaii...

Petersburg to Wrangell on an Alaska Airlines 737 at 31 miles.

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Addicted to airline miles? Check out: The Airline Mileage Workshop

[This message has been edited by MileageAddict (edited 11-26-2000).]

I did this Friday night on Skywest/UA on EMB120, total 36 miles, flying time 12 minutes! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif not a mainline jet flight though. shortest "big plane" flight I've done was CLT-GSO which is about 80 miles and took about 18-20 minutes flying very low with the landing lights on.

NW has a MSP-RST which is 76 miles on DC9s.

I just flew FAY-CLT-RDU and had my wife pick me up at RDU and drive me back home at FAY. (odd milage run I guess)

The FAY to CLT was 37 minutes on a Fokker 100 and the CLT to RDU was 23 minutes, just over 100 miles on a 737-400. These weren't connecting flights, just regular routes.

AA used to fly from FAY to RDU before they moved out of RDU as a hub. That's like flying ORD to MDW. I think they used a jet...perhaps not.

Does CO still do jets between IAH and HOU?

Yes.

[This message has been edited by Flying Dutchman (edited 11-27-2000).]

According to ITN the distance is 51 miles.
Also a quick perusal of my hard copy National Geographic Atlas of the World shows the distance from Piarco Airport(POS) to Crown Point Airport (TAB) to be approximately 51 miles.
It seems that either ITN and National Geographic are incorrect or is incorrect.
You be the judge but 18 miles one way or the other is going to dump you in the Caribbean Sea or Western Atlantic. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif


[This message has been edited by magic111 (edited 11-27-2000).]

[This message has been edited by magic111 (edited 11-28-2000).]

USAirways operates jet and prop service between Canton-Akron (CAK) and PIT. US gives 70 DM for the trip and various calculators show 60+/- nm and 70+/- statute miles.

This flight lasts about 15 to 20 minutes in the air and has never flown above 10K feet in my experience--technically we could open the windows!

And please add your positive comments to: http://www.saveskymiles.com

You guys forgot the China Southern hop from Guangzhou - Hong Kong... a couple flights a day in the 777-200, the rest usually in A320s. Distance is 59 miles. One of the 777-200 flights is a continuation of the LAX-Guangzhou service.

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preez mine da pratform gahp.

Reviewing the board, there seem to be two candidates for shortest domestic flight currently served by a mainline carrier in a jet aircraft:

ITH-ELM on US (F100, flts. 305, 526, 1175)
WRG-PSG on AS (737, 1 RT daily)

Both check in at 31 miles according to http://www.chicago.com/airliners/gc.html Haven't seen any int'l flights shorter than this but I didn't look that hard.

I once took the USAir flight ELM-ITH about 8 years ago; it was on a DC-9.

I think ZRS might have a good one above -- I once was sent by CO from IAH to hobby Airport, which I presume is the HOU he speaks of? It was only minutes in the air!

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~ Glen ~

Originally posted by Scott the flier: Actually, this flight was scheduled as a non-stop. Most of the time it could take off with enough fuel to make the flight. But if passenger (or cargo) loads were high, or if headwinds were anticipated to be a problem, it's true: the flight often flew to Oakland so it could "fill up" and use Oakland's longer runways.

But you couldn't purchase just SJC-OAK, since it wasn't scheduled.