Facts About Air Flights
- In the United States, the first commercial flight connected two cities across a bay, from St. Petersburg to Tampa, Florida. The short flights began on January 1, 1914, and flew just 15 feet above the water. The first international U.S. flight departed Key West in 1927, and landed in Havana, Cuba.
- Speed is the biggest flight benefit, but modern aircraft also offer comfort, despite recent trends to add more seats, reducing legroom. Airlines also offer free flights as a reward for travelers, based on the number of flights and/or miles traveled over a specified term.
- According to the FAA, there are almost 10 million annual commercial domestic flights, defined as one departure and one landing. International flights operated by U.S. carriers now exceed 800,000.
- Each flight is assigned a number, which is determined by the airline, but must be approved by government authorities. Some flights may be numbered odd or even depending on the direction of travel. These numbers, along with an airline code, are used by air traffic controllers to direct traffic.
- Conventional wisdom dictates that the longer the flight, the higher the fare. While generally true, actual air fares are also influenced by size of aircraft, market competition and fixed airport costs like landing fees. Larger aircraft incur lower costs on a per passenger basis, so some short flights on small aircraft may be costly.