Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Travel&Dining > TravelBuzz
Reload this Page >

Is this the Pope's flight?

Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Is this the Pope's flight?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 20, 2008 | 10:13 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
All eyes on you!
25 Years on Site
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: San Francisco
Programs: Alaska 75K
Posts: 1,522
Thumbs up Is this the Pope's flight?

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AZA4001
boycruz is offline  
Old Apr 20, 2008 | 10:32 pm
  #2  
KVS
FlyerTalk Evangelist
All eyes on you!
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Worldwide
Posts: 12,952
Interesting flight -- just 2 booking classes and almost-empty seat maps:

[KVS Availability Tool 3.1.0/Platinum - Apollo: ITN/US-ARL]
Code:
JFK  New York John F Kennedy Int'l NY US [KJFK]
CIA  Rome Ciampino IT [LIRA]
SUN  20 Apr 2008

Carrier   Flight From Depart    To   Arrive    A/C  St   Availability
--------- ------ ---- --------- ---- --------- ---- ---- ------------- 
AZ        609    JFK  16:05     FCO  06:15 +1       0    PAST SCHEDULE
AZ        643    EWR  17:40     FCO  08:00 +1       0    PAST SCHEDULE
AZ        4001   JFK  20:30     CIA  10:45 +1  772  0    J0 Y0
AZ        611    JFK  21:05     FCO  11:30 +1       0    PAST SCHEDULE
[KVS Availability Tool 3.1.0/Platinum - Amadeus Seat Map: 20 Apr 2008/AZ 4001/JFK-CIA/772/J]
Code:
       A   C    |   D   H    |   J   L       
 1     +   +        +   +        +   +       
 2     +   -        +   +        -   +       
 3     +   +        +   +        +   +       
 4     +   +        +   +        +   +       
 9     -   -        +   +        +   -       
10     +   -        +   +        -   +       
11     +   +        +   +        +   +       

[+] Available   [-] Unavailable   [W] Wing   [E] Exit Row
[KVS Availability Tool 3.1.0/Platinum - Amadeus Seat Map: 20 Apr 2008/AZ 4001/JFK-CIA/772/Y]
Code:
       A   B   C    |   D   E   G    |   J   K   L       
14                      +   +   -                        
15     -   -   -        +   +   +        -   -   -       
16     +   +   -        -   +   -        -   +   +       
18     +   +   -        -   +   -        -   +   +       
19     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
20     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
21     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
22     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
23     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
24     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
25     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
26     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
27     +   +   -        -   +   -        -   +   +       
28     +   +   -        -   +   -        -   +   +       
29     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
30     +   +   +                                         
31     -   -   -                         -   -   -      E
32     +   +   +        -   +   +        +   +   +       
33     +   +   -        -   +   -        -   +   +       
34     +   +   -        -   +   -        -   +   +       
35     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
36     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
37     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
38     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
39     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
40     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
41     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
42     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
43     +   +   +        +   +   +        +   +   +       
44                      +   +   +                        

[+] Available   [-] Unavailable   [W] Wing   [E] Exit Row
KVS is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 2:04 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sxm
Programs: Aeroplan, AAdvantage, Flying Blue, TrueBlue
Posts: 253
Originally Posted by boycruz
I'm pretty sure it is! I've never seen an commerical intercontinental flight land at CIA before! I find it quite weird that it appears as a scheduled flight. I guess it must be because it's operated by Alitalia (ie a commercial carrier) and it was easiest for them to put it on their system like a regular flight.

I wonder if also the flight the pope took to the US appeared as a scheduled flight. It landed at some military base outside of DC, though. Do military bases have airport codes?
Aelx2k is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 2:18 am
  #4  
KVS
FlyerTalk Evangelist
All eyes on you!
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Worldwide
Posts: 12,952
Originally Posted by Aelx2k
I wonder if also the flight the pope took to the US appeared as a scheduled flight. It landed at some military base outside of DC, though. Do military bases have airport codes?
The one he landed at does:

http://worldaerodata.com/wad.cgi?id=US29095
KVS is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 6:42 am
  #5  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
10 Countries Visited
20 Countries Visited
30 Countries Visited
25 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 20,405
So I'm starting to question the integrity of all this Pope stuff...I mean, shouldn't a higher power have told him NOT to fly on Alitalia?
UNITED959 is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 7:37 am
  #6  
10 Countries Visited
20 Countries Visited
30 Countries Visited
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: SAN
Posts: 2,426
Doesn't the pope traditionally fly on an Alitalia plane from Rome to his international destination and then return to Rome on a plane from the country he visited?

Don't know how I know this.
schwarm is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 9:57 am
  #7  
Moderator: Information Desk, Women Travelers, FlyerTalk Evangelist
2M
50 Countries Visited
All eyes on you!
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 16,214
Originally Posted by schwarm
Doesn't the pope traditionally fly on an Alitalia plane from Rome to his international destination and then return to Rome on a plane from the country he visited?

Don't know how I know this.

I was also under the impression that the pope always flies on the national airline (or equivalent) of the country from which he's departing.
chgoeditor is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 9:59 am
  #8  
10 Countries Visited
20 Nights
500k
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Programs: Chick-Fil-A Red, Wawa, Red Cross blood donor
Posts: 4,858
Originally Posted by chgoeditor
I was also under the impression that the pope always flies on the national airline (or equivalent) of the country from which he's departing.
Do you really want the pope flying US Air?
bitburgr is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 10:17 am
  #9  
All eyes on you!
15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Body in Downtown YYZ, heart and mind elsewhere
Programs: UA 50K, refugee from AC E50K, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 5,169
Originally Posted by UNITED959
So I'm starting to question the integrity of all this Pope stuff...I mean, shouldn't a higher power have told him NOT to fly on Alitalia?
One of the Pope's primary concerns is the afterlife. So it's fair for him to be travelling on AZ.

Besides which, I don't think anyone would have the gall to shut down AZ while the Pope is flying. Even if it's not your faith, there are certain things which shouldn't be done if for no other reason than the risk for Eternal Bad Karma!
RCyyz is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 2:08 pm
  #10  
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 45
Originally Posted by bitburgr
Do you really want the pope flying US Air?
Wouldn't that be American Airlines?
lisan is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 2:14 pm
  #11  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL AC*E50
Posts: 23,584
Originally Posted by schwarm
Doesn't the pope traditionally fly on an Alitalia plane from Rome to his international destination and then return to Rome on a plane from the country he visited?

Don't know how I know this.
It indeed is usually the case. This press release will explain it all

Maybe he has been reading up on FT and decided to stick with one alliance for both legs of the journey...although if thats the case, he'd be going back JFK-ATL-MIA-MXP-AMS-PRG-CIA not direct to maximize mileage
rankourabu is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 5:49 pm
  #12  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
50 Countries Visited
5M
100 Nights
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Seat 2A
Programs: AA EXP LT GLD 1MM, BA GLD, NH/UA*G, Hyatt GLB, Marr Tit LT PLT, IHG Dia, HH Dia, MGM NOIR, Hertz PC
Posts: 10,595
Originally Posted by rankourabu
It indeed is usually the case. This press release will explain it all

Maybe he has been reading up on FT and decided to stick with one alliance for both legs of the journey...although if thats the case, he'd be going back JFK-ATL-MIA-MXP-AMS-PRG-CIA not direct to maximize mileage
Haha... the pope on a MR

By the way, the press release doesnt explain anything ! It's just usual PR bla bla
skywalkerLAX is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 6:40 pm
  #13  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: OOL Australia
Programs: QFF (Gold), Skywards, Rapid Rewards,United, Velocity, Hilton Silver
Posts: 2,440
Originally Posted by skywalkerLAX
Haha... the pope on a MR

By the way, the press release doesnt explain anything ! It's just usual PR bla bla
I thought it stated quite a lot. Being an Italian by Act of State I am proud of the National Airline. American Airlines are in and out of bankruptcy as often as the Papal Tours.
Lonely Flyer is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 6:42 pm
  #14  
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 808
Apparently no airline in the US was willing to fly the Pope back to Rome.

The rumour for his trip to Sydney for World Youth Day is a non-stop flight Rome to Sydney, which at 10,155nm will be something like the very first 747-400 flight of QF from LHR to SYD with only a few people on board.
I had heard QF will be providing both legs for that journey. The return journey will be interesting because of the prevailing winds, though the jetstream should be fairly to the north (in the northern hemisphere) at that time of year.
I very much doubt that CIA will be the departing airport as the runway there would not be long enough for a fully fuel laden widebody, so my bet would be FCO. I'm assuming that QF will use a 747-400ER which has the longest legs in the QF fleet.
goback is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 7:23 pm
  #15  
Moderator: Information Desk, Women Travelers, FlyerTalk Evangelist
2M
50 Countries Visited
All eyes on you!
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 16,214
Originally Posted by Lonely Flyer
American Airlines are in and out of bankruptcy as often as the Papal Tours.
Not to get OT, but American Airlines is the only legacy carrier in the US that's never filed for bankruptcy. Now, if you're actually referring to airlines in America, as opposed to American Airlines, that's a different story.
chgoeditor is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.