QFi flight numbers 1-12

[jpp42]

I agree it is irrational just like in many western buildings there is no floor 13 (or its a plant floor for air con) and in many Asian countries it is no level 4

Places like Hong Kong or Singapore cater to both cultures, so some hotels have no floor 4, no floor 13, not even 14,24, etc, and skip from 39 straight to 50. Makes it a bit of a maths problems to sort out how many floors there actually are - 50 isn't nearly has high as you'd think!

 

[SYD]

Places like Hong Kong or Singapore cater to both cultures, so some hotels have no floor 4, no floor 13, not even 14,24, etc, and skip from 39 straight to 50. Makes it a bit of a maths problems to sort out how many floors there actually are - 50 isn't nearly has high as you'd think!

and a pleasant surprise during a fire evacuation…. (Possibly from the actual 13th floor )

 

[RichardMEL]

Any reason a flight number can’t just be more alphanumeric than it already is, ie: AA1046a could be the first leg and AA1046b could be the return? I know of no reason why letters couldn’t be used. Certainly we see QFnnnD often enough.

Remember many of the legacy airlines are operating with some VERY legacy systems - and things like the GDS's I believe only have a 4 character flight number limit, so that would be an issue. Probably plenty of other systems too that all need to place nice together.

I think all the codeshares out there tying up entire blocks of numbers is a huge factor too.

 

[Quickstatus]

Will there be less Chinese people on QF4 than if it were Re numbered? Maybe some of them might prefer QF8 which is an auspicious number

 

[jb747]

I don't have rosters that go back that far, but I think that when I first joined QF, 3 & 4 was a SYD/HNL/SFO service. In 2000, it was a Vancouver trip.

In the 80s' I think it was 1 & 2 London.
3 & 4 SFO.
5&6 Frankfurt
7&8 LA
9&10 London
11&12 LA
13&14 ?
15/16 Europe (remembering that QF used to go to Athens, Rome, Belgrade, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, and Manchester. Paris slipped in at some point too).

 

[Rangalad]

QF98 HKG-BNE
QF68 HKG-PER?
QF78 HKG-SIN-PER?

AN887 SYD/HKG
AN888 HKG/SYD

 

[Quickstatus]

7&8 LA

Did that change to 107/108 when it tagged on JFK?

 

[Rangalad]

I don't have rosters that go back that far, but I think that when I first joined QF, 3 & 4 was a SYD/HNL/SFO service. In 2000, it was a Vancouver trip.

In the 80s' I think it was 1 & 2 London.
3 & 4 SFO.
5&6 Frankfurt
7&8 LA
9&10 London
11&12 LA
13&14 ?
15/16 Europe (remembering that QF used to go to Athens, Rome, Belgrade, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, and Manchester. Paris slipped in at some point too).

mid 80s...
QF7 PER/SIN
QF8 SIN/PER
QF9 continued to MAN
QF10 Started in MAN
QF15/16 correct various European ports (via milk runs)

Early 90s
QF17 /18 SYD/NAN/LAX v.v
late 90s
QF 17/18 SYD/SIN/CDG v.v

Also:
QF33/34 MEL/AKL/MEL
QF43/44 SYD/AKL/SYD
QF53/54 BNE/AKL/BNE

QF35/36 MEL/CHC/MEL
QF45/46 SYD/CHC/SYD
QF55/56 BNE/CHC/BNE

QF37/38 MEL/WLG/MEL
QF47/48 SYD/WLG/SYD
QF57/58 BNE/WLG/BNE

 

[Rangalad]

Any reason a flight number can’t just be more alphanumeric than it already is, ie: AA1046a could be the first leg and AA1046b could be the return? I know of no reason why letters couldn’t be used. Certainly we see QFnnnD often enough.

SQ and MH used an A in their flights numbers to/from Australia in the early to mid 80s.

SQ21A LHR/DXB/SIN/SYD/MEL
SQ22A MEL/SYD/SIN/DXB/LHR
(Operated via AUH or BOM instead of DXB on certain days)

MH1A LHR/FRA/DXB/KUL/MEL/SYD
MH2A SYD/MEL/KUL/DXB/FRA/LHR
MH3A LHR/FRA/KWI/KUL/MEL/SYD
MH4A SYD/MEL/KUL/KWI/FRA/LHR

(IIRC)

 

[AIRwin]

Early 90s

QF31/32 SYD/KUL/SIN/KUL/SYD
QF41/42 SYD/CGK/SIN/CGK/SYD
QF61/62 CNS/DRW/SIN/DRW/CNS (or was it TSV?)
QF77 PER/SIN/HKG
QF78 BKK/HKG/SIN/PER (aircraft from QF85/87)
QF81/82 SYD/ADL/SIN/ADL/SIN
QF85 BNE/HKG/BKK
QF86 HKG/BNE (aircraft from QF77)
QF87 MEL/HKG/BKK
QF88 HKG/MEL (aircraft from QF77)

late 90s

QF67/68 MEL/DPS/SIN/DPS/MEL

 

[RichardMEL]

AN887 SYD/HKG
AN888 HKG/SYD

You just beat me to mentioning these, as came straight to mind.

For most airlines the lower flight numbers tend to be the most premium routes of course.

AN1/2 was MEL-SYD-MEL
QF1/2 SYD-LHR-SYD
BA1/2 (was) London (most recently LCY of course)-JFK
back in the day UA1 was a RTW routing. I flew i on a few sectors. IIRC it (and UA2 in reverse) flew something like ORD-LHR-DEL-HKG-ORD (there may have also been a LAX in there too) iirc.

many other examples.


QF have usually had various ranges that have been pretty consistent over the years of course. QF4xx MEL-SYD-MEL, QF5xx - SYD-BNE/OOL's, QF6xx ADL focused, QF7xx PER focused (but also some ASP/AYR) and so on. The ranges havebeen pretty much in place for quite some time that I can recall.


I know OT for QF, but I'm reminded of Cranky's Network Awards which has an award for the most creative flight number - I mean around the world there are some fun ones, for example flight 500's to IND (Indinapolis 500 race), flight 777's to Vegas, 1849 to SFO (SF 49'ers, CA gold rush and so on. 1849 is important lol) and that kind of thing. Actually there is a bit of QF I forgot in 2023's edition:

Most Clever Flight Number​

• United 163 Dubai – Newark
• United 769 Chicago/O’Hare – Barcelona
• Flair 1849 Vancouver – San Francisco
• Sun Country 1818 Omaha – Minneapolis
• Qantas 22 DFW – Melbourne

(the winner was United for UA 769 for the last 3 digits in the 2nd row of the Sagrada Familia’s Magic Square)


(QF22 according to them was to do with a Dallas Cowboys player number, as with QF8 - I dunno if that's a real thing or not lol)

Anyway time to get back on topic so I'll shush

 

[justinbrett]

QF 13/14 was SYD-NOU way back

 

[AIRwin]

QF 13/14 was SYD-NOU way back

Oh I didn't know that

 

[Quickstatus]

Goes to show how QF network has progressively contracted over the years.

 

[SYD]

Goes to show how QF network has progressively contracted over the years.

In line with ME and China expansion! Not to mention the withdrawal of all Euro carriers (except BA) from the Oz market.

 

[AIRwin]

Goes to show how QF network has progressively contracted over the years.

Fewer Fifth Freedoms within Asia

 

[justinbrett]

Goes to show how QF network has progressively contracted over the years.

A lot more non stop flights to other continents though. The route map of 2023 is far better. Not to mention, cheaper.

 

[AIRwin]

back in the day UA1 was a RTW routing. I flew i on a few sectors. IIRC it (and UA2 in reverse) flew something like ORD-LHR-DEL-HKG-ORD iirc.

It is now SFO-SIN-SFO (which used to be SQ1/2)

 

[Rangalad]

Fewer Fifth Freedoms within Asia

QF77 PER/SIN/HKG
QF78 BKK/HKG/SIN/PER (aircraft from QF85/87)
QF85 BNE/HKG/BKK
QF87 MEL/HKG/BKK

Started the QF/CX feud.....

 

[AIRwin]

Started the QF/CX feud.....

Oh I didn't know that either! But now there's 3K...