flight number used on both flights on round trip

Aviation Airlines
1

Isn’t it strange for an airline to fly a round trip using the same flight number in both
directions? Check out Continental 1722 EWR to PAP, then PAP to EWR the same day:

Continental Airlines
Flight 1722
3h 50m , 1531mi From
Newark Liberty Intl Airport (EWR)
Newark, NJ
Departs: 07/06/2011 at 9:15 A.M. To
Port Au Prince Intl Airport (PAP)
Port Au Prince, Haiti
Arrives: 07/06/2011 at 12:05 P.M.

Returning Flight Information

Continental Airlines
Flight 1722
3h 55m , 1531mi From
Port Au Prince Intl Airport (PAP)
Port Au Prince, Haiti
Departs: 07/13/2011 at 1:00 P.M. To
Newark Liberty Intl Airport (EWR)
Newark, NJ
Arrives: 07/13/2011 at 5:55 P.M.

David5cents

2

Airlines have been doing this more and more the past few years.

Basically - there’s no reason not to and it conserves flight numbers.

3

I’ve noticed Delta has started doing that in several markets, just within the past 2-3 months.

4

I notice they use them as sort of continous routes too.

like UA Flight 967 Rome to Dulles, then Dulles to LAX, but with different airplanes.

5

Yes, this is a “change of gauge” through flight.

They’ve been around for decades.

6

This is to get top display in some travel agent’s interfaces, a “direct” flight appears above other one stop combinations.