Airliners.net

As I write this, there are 2 AA1604 flights en route to the same destination. Due to a (I think weather) diversion, yesterday's AA1604 from MIA to EGE was diverted to DFW. The flight appears to have continued this morning. At the same time, today's scheduled AA1604 from MIA to EGE is also en route.

I'm basing this off of flightaware. I'm just curious how this is handled by ATC.

Some airlines file their flight plans as “1604A.” That would be the crew’s call sign with ATC all the while the communication with the passengers would be “1604.” I’ve also seen some dispatchers use entirely different call signs like “(insert airline) 9932.” It gives appearance of a charter or repo but it’s just a technic to prevent multiple flight plans in the system at the same time with the same call sign.

The different carriers have different policies. One might add a letter to the call-sign (so AA1604 might become "American 1604C") and another might add a certain number (so AA1604 might become AA6604 (1604+5000)). Other airlines might change the number entirely (so AA1604 becomes AA8129).

Did you check AA's website, FlightAware or...?

FlyHossD wrote:

The different carriers have different policies. One might add a letter to the call-sign (so AA1604 might become "American 1604C") and another might add a certain number (so AA1604 might become AA6604 (1604+5000)). Other airlines might change the number entirely (so AA1604 becomes AA8129).

Did you check AA's website, FlightAware or...?

On flightaware they both showed as AA1604. On AA's website they also both show as 1604 but you have to search yesterday to find the one that continued today.

FlyHossD wrote:

The different carriers have different policies. One might add a letter to the call-sign (so AA1604 might become "American 1604C") and another might add a certain number (so AA1604 might become AA6604 (1604+5000)). Other airlines might change the number entirely (so AA1604 becomes AA8129).

On AA, flight numbers <1000 add a "P" to the end. Flight numbers in the 1000s drop the 1 and add a "Q" to the end, and 2000 flight numbers have an "R" suffix. So one of these flights was 604Q.

The airline here usually just adds a 2. For example, if there are two flight 307s in one day the first one will call themselves 307 and the second one will call themselves 2307.

Adding a “D” is my personal favorite. I mean you got 26 frickin letters to choose from and you gotta choose a damn D.