This specific designation refers to a scheduled air travel service offered by a major North American carrier. It represents a unique identifier for a particular journey, encompassing the airline, a numerical code, and potentially, but not explicitly stated, origin and destination airports. Similar designations are used throughout the aviation industry to distinguish individual flights within an airline’s broader network.
The importance of such identifiers lies in their ability to organize and track vast quantities of data related to air travel. They are crucial for scheduling, ticketing, baggage handling, air traffic control, and post-flight analysis. Historical flight data, including specific routes, times, and aircraft employed, can be accessed and analyzed using these identifiers, offering insights into operational efficiency and historical trends in the airline industry.