Anyone know about flight numbers?

[bwilcox]

I have a huge fear of flying (yes, admittedly irrational). We actually drove 20 hours both ways with toddlers our last trip because of my fear. This time, I have decided to suck it up and face my fear. Here is the problem: the flight I want to book is much cheaper than the others. However, when I googled the flight number (I know, I know) I came up with an article about the same flight in 2007 having to make an emergency landing because one of the engines exploded during the flight. This is the same flight number with the same origination and destination cities, and it mentions in the article that the passengers were headed to WDW. My question is, how likely is it that this is the same plane? Are the flight numbers attached to a particular aircraft? Because I will pay more for another flight if this is the same plane.

 

[DebbieB]

I have a huge fear of flying (yes, admittedly irrational). We actually drove 20 hours both ways with toddlers our last trip because of my fear. This time, I have decided to suck it up and face my fear. Here is the problem: the flight I want to book is much cheaper than the others. However, when I googled the flight number (I know, I know) I came up with an article about the same flight in 2007 having to make an emergency landing because one of the engines exploded during the flight. This is the same flight number with the same origination and destination cities, and it mentions in the article that the passengers were headed to WDW. My question is, how likely is it that this is the same plane? Are the flight numbers attached to a particular aircraft? Because I will pay more for another flight if this is the same plane.

Flight numbers are not attached to a particular plane. It may not even be the same model of plane. So was anyone hurt in that 2007 incident? Probably not. I'm sure they replaced the engine. I heard a recent statistic that your odds of being in an accident each time you board is 1 in 35 million. But here's the surprise - even if you are in an accident (or incident), your chance of survival is 95%. Relax.

 

[jsilvers]

You do realize that if you drove, you will be passing over a wide variety of spots on the road where there have been accidents, deaths, etc.?

And even if a plane once had a problem, why does it matter? Do you abandon a car that has a minor accident rather than repair it?

I realize that fear isn't logical, but if your goal is to avoid any place where anything bad has ever happened, you're rather limiting your opportunities to leave the house. (And there's a chance that something bad once happened to a former resident too...)

 

[sjs314]

I have a huge fear of flying (yes, admittedly irrational). We actually drove 20 hours both ways with toddlers our last trip because of my fear. This time, I have decided to suck it up and face my fear. Here is the problem: the flight I want to book is much cheaper than the others. However, when I googled the flight number (I know, I know) I came up with an article about the same flight in 2007 having to make an emergency landing because one of the engines exploded during the flight. This is the same flight number with the same origination and destination cities, and it mentions in the article that the passengers were headed to WDW. My question is, how likely is it that this is the same plane? Are the flight numbers attached to a particular aircraft? Because I will pay more for another flight if this is the same plane.

I have no clue about flight numbers, but I do know where you are coming from with your fear of flying. I was the same way in fact we also drove to WDW 3X 10 hours each way because I refused to fly.

Long story short the last year we drove, was the most terrifying driving expierence I have ever encountered. We had torrential rain follow us from the time we left Ct until we reached Florida and the same coming back home again. We had to pull over on the highway, could not see a thing, semi's were pulling over , I was sure someone was going to slam into us and we were going to die. Do to the bad weather the drive took longer than our two previous trips, in fact, we lost so much time that we arrived home @ 6 in the morning and I had to be to work for 8am.

We flew the next trip to WDW I vowed I would never make the trip by car again and it was such a joy to arrive in Florida in a little over 2 hours, I have never looked back. But I have to tell you when I booked our flights they put us in row 13, I called back and changed our seat( yes I am superstitcious) but this year we are flying home on the 13th, not thrilled but I have to get over my fear.

BTW this will sound crazy perhaps but that first time I flew, I told myself it was just like being on a bus and I made sure I did not sit or look out the windows of the plane. I love the window seats now

You will be fine and arrive in WDW rested and not stressed out from a long drive.

 

[francie57]

As other have said, if you do enought research you will never leave your home. If the anxiety of flying is going to overwhelm you, talk to your doctor and ask for something to take the anxiety away. There are several medicines out there that take the edge off but you are still able to function without being extremely tired.

 

[Aimros]

I highly recommend the book "This is Your Captain Speaking". It's written by a SW pilot and has REALLY helped me become more relaxed while flying. So do the anti-anxiety and anti-motion sickness drugs that put me into a relaxed stupor, but that's a different story Seriously though, I was afraid to take anti-anxiety anything even though I would have a panic attack the entire time I was on a plane, I'm SO glad I finally talked to my doctor about it. Keep that in mind.

 

[nbs2]

To get back to your original question - a flight number is an airline's designation of a route and timing. Sometimes you will see "symbolic" flight numbers that reference major events in world or airline history or business. While flight numbers may be retired if there is a significantly tragic event associated with them, they are usually only changed for business purposes.

That your flight number remains the same suggests that the incident was not tragic. More than likely, one engine blew out and the plane had to make an emergency landing because of safety requirements. Nevertheless, the aircraft should have remained airworthy to reach a safe landing point - redundancy requirements would have a plane able to reach a landing strip on one engine.

 

[crashbb]

The odds that the same plane from 3 years ago is flying the exact same route is rather small. Heck, the same flight today and tomorrow and likely to be on different airplanes (depending on the airline and their fleet).

 

[AlexDurrani]

I think many of the PPs have summed up that flying is safer then driving in general. You have a higher chance of getting in an accident while driving then you are flying.

I would not worry about the same flight number same route issue regarding the accident in 07, it's not the same. Depending on the airline they have a number of aircraft in their fleet that rotate through routes on a regular basis. It just depends on the location of the aircraft and how many seats are needed to make a flight revenue positive.

 

[bwilcox]

Thanks for the info everyone. No, no one was injured on the flight. It just made me nervous to think I may be flying on the same plane that had problems in the past. If my car had a history of mechanical problems, I wouldn't drive it all the way to Florida either. And for people who have a fear of flying, it doesn't matter if the statistics are a gazillion to one that you will have an accident, your fear is that your plane will be the one.
I took a free online fear of flying course and am doing much better with the thought of flying than I used to. Thanks for the info and suggestions-I am going to book the flight now!

 

[drew64]

Have confidence.

The same flight number definitely does not mean the same plane phyisically. The same flight number and route can have 5 different actual planes flying it on 5 different days in the same week. The number refers only to the route.

 

[skiingfast]

IThis time, I have decided to suck it up and face my fear. Here is the problem: the flight I want to book is much cheaper than the others. However, when I googled the flight number (I know, I know) I came up with an article about the same flight in 2007

This is the same flight number with the same origination and destination cities, and it mentions in the article that the passengers were headed to WDW.

That's interesting because the odds are rather low.

Flight number are based on when a flight is planned to depart for each particular airline on a given day. So United flight #1 and Delta flight #1 and American flight #1 are just the first flights of the day for each airline. It doesn't have anything to do with the route, that is more or less coincidence.

But in the example I used flight one is likely to be the same each day. Particularily if United has a daily flight on the easy coast departing each night at 12:01am, while flights leaving LAX for united are still on the previous day. That may be your case, but more or less it was just dumb luck.

As airlines adjust thier schedules based on any given passenger load, the routes get different numbers at different times as flights are added or removed.

 

[crashbb]

That's interesting because the odds are rather low.

Flight number are based on when a flight is planned to depart for each particular airline on a given day. So United flight #1 and Delta flight #1 and American flight #1 are just the first flights of the day for each airline. It doesn't have anything to do with the route, that is more or less coincidence.

But in the example I used flight one is likely to be the same each day. Particularily if United has a daily flight on the easy coast departing each night at 12:01am, while flights leaving LAX for united are still on the previous day. That may be your case, but more or less it was just dumb luck.

As airlines adjust thier schedules based on any given passenger load, the routes get different numbers at different times as flights are added or removed.

I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you are talking about.

Airlines don't change their flight numbers all that much. United flight #1 (which is not the first flight of the day) has been Chicago to Honolulu for years.

If I googled UA flight #1, I'd expect the articles/websites to be about the ORD-HNL route.

The fact that the OP found that the flight number (and, presumably the airline) was the same route in 2007 as it is now, is totally expected, in my opinion. And, given the flight is into MCO, I would also expect that many of the passengers were going to WDW.

Perhaps I just misunderstood you post?

 

[bumbershoot]

That's interesting because the odds are rather low.

Flight number are based on when a flight is planned to depart for each particular airline on a given day. So United flight #1 and Delta flight #1 and American flight #1 are just the first flights of the day for each airline. It doesn't have anything to do with the route, that is more or less coincidence.

But in the example I used flight one is likely to be the same each day. Particularily if United has a daily flight on the easy coast departing each night at 12:01am, while flights leaving LAX for united are still on the previous day. That may be your case, but more or less it was just dumb luck.

As airlines adjust thier schedules based on any given passenger load, the routes get different numbers at different times as flights are added or removed.

I'm not sure that's true. The flights out to Korea from Seattle have the same flight numbers pretty much every day. And when DH and MIL were heading out to Korea (hubby for business, MIL to visit her family while hubby was there), their flight number was the same one, same time, same destination etc, as one that had to make an emergency landing a few years before. So it really seems that they keep the same flight numbers for the same time/destination etc, regardless of what other flights are going on...

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Flight number are based on when a flight is planned to depart for each particular airline on a given day. So United flight #1 and Delta flight #1 and American flight #1 are just the first flights of the day for each airline. It doesn't have anything to do with the route, that is more or less coincidence.

I agree with the others posting before me that this is just not true. Flight numbers are assigned to routes, not to time of day of departure!

 

[skiingfast]

Let me reword my post then. Flights are sequential per airline.

In the last twenty years and the last ten years and the last five years the numbering of a particular flights has had to change, for two reasons. One flexibility by airlines to change the number of flights per day. Two by consolidation in the airline industry.

As airlines have become more sophisticated and fuel consience they have focused on adapting the number of flights per day to meet demand. If you flew in 1985 you could of picked a booklet up from Delta showing all the flights for the year. Now you have people posting on this board everyday saying my flight time was changed. This is because day to day airlines will now adjust thier schedule. These flight numbers are assigned on a much shorter notice.

Also UA can't have two flight #1s. But It just took on a merger with Continental that may of had a #1 so one of these flight numbers must of had to be changed.

In the end depsite a few instances flight numbers are in fact dynamic.

One could choose to pick out the slightest flaw in anothers post or help the OP. Why is Disboards a site?