2 Flights Same Number, Different Cities

[Art at ISP]

I usually check my scheduled flights for performance for few days before taking them. In this case I am scheduled on 1953 Wednesday. I did a lookup of status for today and here is what it gave me:

Flight # 1953
Depart Charlotte, NC
Date 10/9/2006
Gate B14
Scheduled 2:10 PM
Actual 2:09 PM
Status Departed
Arrive Tampa, FL
Date 10/9/2006
Gate F87
Scheduled 3:45 PM
Actual 3:35 PM
Status Estimated Arrival


Flight # 1953
Depart Pittsburgh, PA
Date 10/9/2006
Gate
Scheduled 3:15 PM
Actual
Status
Arrive Charlotte, NC
Date 10/9/2006
Gate
Scheduled 4:41 PM
Actual
Status


Flight # 1953
Depart Charlotte, NC
Date 10/9/2006
Gate
Scheduled 5:35 PM
Actual
Status
Arrive Miami, FL
Date 10/9/2006
Gate
Scheduled 7:32 PM
Actual
Status


2 separate 1953's neither code share, both going through CLT within an hour of each other? Not even East and West...

Is this another web error or are there really 2 1953's?

If so how would the ATC system handle? Sounds much too confusing if you ask me....

Just checking--found it interesting.

My best to you all.....

 

[flyingcat]

The only 1953 in sabre is CLT TPA

PIT-CLT and CLT-MIA is a 1 stop #1675

 

[JAXPax]

Additionally the flight numbers you see on the website or in a GDS aren't necessarily the same flight number used by ATC. Of course it's rare they are different, but no rule that says what a flight is marketed as must be used as ATC callsign.

Sometimes when there are consequtive or similar flight numbers operating in the same airspace, one may have a phonetic letter added.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Sometimes when there are consequtive or similar flight numbers operating in the same airspace, one may have a phonetic letter added.

Although this sounds like a website issue, there are also times when an inbound flight is running late so they dispatch another plane/crew on the outbound to keep it on schedule - both having the same flight numbers from the customer's perspective. One of them will have a letter affixed to the end for ATC purposes - don't want two flights with the same number in the ATC system at the same time.

For example, flyingcat's 1675 PIT-CLT-MIA. If the PIT-CLT segment is running behind, another plane/crew could be dispatched to fly 1675 CLT-MIA on schedule. For ATC purposes, the CLT-MIA flight would have the ATC callsign 1675A.

Jim

 

[USFlyer]

For example, flyingcat's 1675 PIT-CLT-MIA. If the PIT-CLT segment is running behind, another plane/crew could be dispatched to fly 1675 CLT-MIA on schedule. For ATC purposes, the CLT-MIA flight would have the ATC callsign 1675A.

Can each airline decide on their own how to handle this? When I've flown UA and listened to Channel 9, sometimes our ATC call sign becomes something like "United 9082" in lieu of "United 56". This seems especially common on the domestic leg of a flight number that continues onto an international destination with a change of gauge at the stop point.

 

[US1YFARE]

I did the same thing and the same thing happened:

Flight # 1417
Depart Philadelphia, PA
Date 10/9/2006
Gate B9
Scheduled 9:55 AM
Actual 10:09 AM
Status Departed
Arrive Los Angeles, CA
Date 10/9/2006
Gate 12
Scheduled 12:46 PM
Actual 12:44 PM
Status Arrived


Flight # 1417
Depart Philadelphia, PA
Date 10/9/2006
Gate
Scheduled 7:55 AM
Actual 8:28 AM
Status Departed
Arrive Orlando, FL
Date 10/9/2006
Gate
Scheduled 10:26 AM
Actual 10:26 AM
Status Arrived

The above was obviously not a scheduling problem because the flight from MCO was scheduled to arrive AFTER the flight to LAX departed from PHL. Something is screwed up again.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Can each airline decide on their own how to handle this?

I would assume so. Basically, anything that keeps two planes from being in the ATC system with the same flight number should work.

It's not that unusual to hear a flight on the radio with a letter suffix, though we have no idea if it's the situation I described, an extra section, or whatever if it's another airline.

UA may just use a completely different flight number, or maybe they use a different flight number internally while having it listed in the res systems as the same flight number as the international leg for GDS display purposes.

I remember cases where US (and PI before that) would have several flights into CLT that were listed as having the same flight number as the CLT-LGW flight (for example), but also had their own individual flight numbers. Passengers in TPA (example, again) connecting to LGW would have flight 123 on their boarding pass while everyone else had flight 987 (which was the "real" flight number). The same would be true for passengers boarding a MIA-CLT or MCO-CLT flight. It allowed showing "direct" service from several cities to LGW in the GDS displays (predominately travel agents at that time) even though there wasn't true direct service - it was a change of gage.

Jim

 

[US1YFARE]

I remember cases where US (and PI before that) would have several flights into CLT that were listed as having the same flight number as the CLT-LGW flight (for example), but also had their own individual flight numbers. Passengers in TPA (example, again) connecting to LGW would have flight 123 on their boarding pass while everyone else had flight 987 (which was the "real" flight number). The same would be true for passengers boarding a MIA-CLT or MCO-CLT flight. It allowed showing "direct" service from several cities to LGW in the GDS displays (predominately travel agents at that time) even though there wasn't true direct service - it was a change of gage.

Jim

TWA did that all the time. When you would take their afternoon PHL-JFK flight, the board would show that the MD80 you were boarding was going to ATH or AMS or LHR.

 

[qwerty]

Could it be a cache issue with your pc?

 

[Hope777]

I did the same thing and the same thing happened:

Flight # 1417
Depart Philadelphia, PA
Date 10/9/2006
Gate B9
Scheduled 9:55 AM
Actual 10:09 AM
Status Departed
Arrive Los Angeles, CA
Date 10/9/2006
Gate 12
Scheduled 12:46 PM
Actual 12:44 PM
Status Arrived


Flight # 1417
Depart Philadelphia, PA
Date 10/9/2006
Gate
Scheduled 7:55 AM
Actual 8:28 AM
Status Departed
Arrive Orlando, FL
Date 10/9/2006
Gate
Scheduled 10:26 AM
Actual 10:26 AM
Status Arrived

The above was obviously not a scheduling problem because the flight from MCO was scheduled to arrive AFTER the flight to LAX departed from PHL. Something is screwed up again.

This is a Web Site Problem. 1417/9oct operated PHL-LAX

 

[USFlyer]

This is a Web Site Problem. 1417/9oct operated PHL-LAX

What a shock. I apparently tried a very difficult function two days ago ... changing my e-mail address. I literally had to try about 10 times before the system just magically worked. Whoever is responsible for QA on that thing needs to be fired.

 

[jimntx]

TWA did that all the time. When you would take their afternoon PHL-JFK flight, the board would show that the MD80 you were boarding was going to ATH or AMS or LHR.

I once worked an MD-80 flight SAN-ORD with continuing service to CDG! And, they said the MD-80 didn't have long legs.