Just looked at this list again. If I remember correctly, back in the 70's and earlier, the cargo flights were in the 8000 series ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael C. Berch" <mcb@postmodern.com> To: <AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU> Sent: Friday, January 25, 2002 12:30 Subject: [AIRLINE] United's flight number scheme (was Re: AC's 3xxx flight #s) > As of a year or two ago, United's scheme was approximately this: > > UA1-UA2 Round-the-world flights (gone now?) > UA3-UA799 General domestic and Canada flights > UA800-899 Pacific flights (incl. US continuation segments) > UA900-999 Atlantic flights (incl. US continuation segments) > UA1000-1999 General domestic and Canada flights > UA2000-2999 Shuttle by United (gone now) > UA3000-3999 Code shares on other carriers > UA4000-6999 United Express (operated by contractors) > UA7000-7999 Unused? Charters? Cargo? > UA8000-8999 Reserved for ATC renumbering* > UA9000-9999 Special flights - charters, extra "passenger > protection" sections, > delivery and repositioning flights, etc. > > Normally even numbers are eastbound, odd are westbound. > > * When flights with a similar or the same number would overlap in an ATC > sector, one of the flights is renumbered, usually flight number + > 8000. For example, let's say UA921 operates LHR-ORD-LAX (with a change > of equipment in ORD). If the inbound from London is seriously delayed, > UA may dispatch the domestic continuation (most of whose pax have no > idea "their" flight is delayed inbound, since there's an empty 767 > sitting there at the gate), and the inbound LHR-LAX pax will be > accommodated on other flights. The domestic leg will be redesignated > UA8921 for ATC purposes so it does not get confused with the "real" > UA921 coming in from LHR. > > These schemes have been upset by the termination of Shuttle by United; > it would be nice to know UA's current scheme, although I'm sure it is > somewhat similar. > > -- > Michael C. Berch > mcb@postmodern.com