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Southwest flight numbering methodolgy?
What is the logic behind Southwest's flight numbering methodology? Since their flight numbers range from 1 to 6XXX, is their any significance to explain what they are (ie. subfleets, crew pairings, bases, marketing, etc.)?
Re: Southwest flight numbering methodolgy?
As far as I know, the only significance in the flight numbers has to do with the HOU-DAL route; these flights mostly get single and low double-digit numbers that count up as the day goes on, odd numbers southbound and even numbers northbound. Some of the numbers get skipped now as frequency on the route has gone down; flights are hourly mid-day now as compared to every half hour all day long in the past, but the flight numbers haven't changed.
Re: Southwest flight numbering methodolgy?
ScottB wrote:As far as I know, the only significance in the flight numbers has to do with the HOU-DAL route; these flights mostly get single and low double-digit numbers that count up as the day goes on, odd numbers southbound and even numbers northbound. Some of the numbers get skipped now as frequency on the route has gone down; flights are hourly mid-day now as compared to every half hour all day long in the past, but the flight numbers haven't changed.
I believe that’s correct, but those numbers seem as likely to be used on long thru routes as any other, so your LGA-BNA or SAN-SJC flight that routes LGA-BNA-DAL-HOU-LAS-SAN-SJC might have one of those numbers.
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- BWIAirport
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Re: Southwest flight numbering methodolgy?
Southwest has so many different flights distributed sporadically it's near impossible to maintain a system. Flight numbers frequently creep up into the 6xxx range, which other carriers have reserved for charter ops or regional flights.
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- September11
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Re: Southwest flight numbering methodolgy?
I think we'll eventually notice more similar outbound and inbound flight numbers on same aircraft on a given particular day
For example:
Southwest #3333 DAL-STL 30JUN 700AM 900AM
Southwest #3333 STL-DAL 30JUN 1000AM 1200PM
For example:
Southwest #3333 DAL-STL 30JUN 700AM 900AM
Southwest #3333 STL-DAL 30JUN 1000AM 1200PM
Re: Southwest flight numbering methodolgy?
Some are a year WN started at a station or a route but that is a small number. At the STL-CUN inaugural they numbered it after the first year WN came to STL.
As above said they have a lot of continuation numbers now also. could have 6 or 7 legs before it changes.
As above said they have a lot of continuation numbers now also. could have 6 or 7 legs before it changes.
Re: Southwest flight numbering methodolgy?
WN also, AFAIK, changes ALL flight numbers at every new schedule release ("optimization") so that also means more numbers need to be available.
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Re: Southwest flight numbering methodolgy?
ScottB wrote:As far as I know, the only significance in the flight numbers has to do with the HOU-DAL route; these flights mostly get single and low double-digit numbers that count up as the day goes on, odd numbers southbound and even numbers northbound. Some of the numbers get skipped now as frequency on the route has gone down; flights are hourly mid-day now as compared to every half hour all day long in the past, but the flight numbers haven't changed.
Only a few WN flight numbers between 1 and 99 currently do not have a DAL-HOU or HOU-DAL nonstop segment, including the following:
- WN 2 (MCI-LAX-LAS-OKC-HOU) - currently operates only on Saturdays
- WN 10 (MCO-BWI-SAT-SAN-SMF) - currently operates only on Saturdays
- WN 66 (SAT-DAL-LAS)
Of the WN nonstop flights between DAL and HOU, the 6:00 AM DAL-HOU nonstop flight, the 6:00 AM HOU-DAL nonstop flight, and most of the weekend DAL-HOU nonstop flights have flight numbers that are outside of the 1 to 64 range. The WN DAL-HOU nonstops that have flight numbers outside of the 1-64 range usually have flight numbers greater than 1000.
WN does not currently use flight numbers 67 through 99, and WN has not used flight numbers 67 through 99 in more than 2 years. WN also no longer uses flight numbers 1248 and 1380 since both of those incidents had resulted in fatalities (even though the fatality in WN 1248 was to a 6-year-old boy in one of the cars that the plane crashed into).
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- ctrabs0114
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Re: Southwest flight numbering methodolgy?
What I do know is that anything that's in the 80xx-82xx range are charters, 85xx are ferry/repositioning flights and 87xx have been used as delivery flights from Boeing to WN. I've also seen a few WN90xx flight numbers on scheduled service, for what that's worth.
Re: Southwest flight numbering methodolgy?
84xx are charters also. 86xx are ferry/repo flights to.
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