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We tracked down the answer to your question on an Aviation Safety Reporting System newsletter called "Directline." The ASRS, which was created by the FAA and NASA in 1975, analyzes aviation safety accident reports in order to prevent future mishaps. As it turns out, flight numbers contain no special codes, other than the fact that they're generally assigned sequentially in order of flight departure time. They are usually assigned by an airline's marketing department. According to the piece, the airlines try to pick a sequence of numbers that's easy for travelers to remember. A quick scan of Yahoo! Travel's Airline
Directory confirms this. For example, daily Air Mauritius flights from Mauritius to Madagascar are numbered as follows: 283, 285, 287, 289, etc. Problems arise when airlines add new flights. The newly assigned flight numbers are usually thrown together without any overriding system (notice how Air Mauritius has given themselves the even number option). And when two airlines merge, things can get very confusing. See you in coach!
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