Sydney, September 12: United Airlines has announced flights in and out of Australia will be renumbered from early next year, as part of an upgrade of its global flight identification schedule.

The changes mean the daily Los Angeles-Sydney-Melbourne service will be identified as Flight 839 � previously, it was Flight 815. And the Melbourne-Sydney-Los Angeles service will be badged Flight 840 � rather than Flight 816.

Similarly, United�s daily Sydney - San Francisco service will also be renumbered to Flight 870 � previously, it was Flight 862. However, the San Francisco � Sydney service will retain its current flight identification as Flight 863.

To take advantage of United�s outstanding connectivity, the renumbered flight to/from Los Angeles, Flights 840 and 839 respectively, will also operate as a one-stop flight to/from New York. This will give customers that need to travel beyond the West Coast of the USA convenient connection times to/from this popular US city. In addition, the flight to/from San Francisco will operate as a one-stop flight to/from Chicago giving customers the same benefits.

These flight number changes come into effect from January 7, but already travel agents booking passengers on United after that date are being referred to the new flight numbers.

United Airlines Sales Manager for Australia, Lesley Owen, said the changes result from the expansion of the airline�s code share services and a shortage of available flight numbers.

"The change is significant for travel agents. For many of them, the flight numbers have become second nature over the years, so we�re giving them as much notice of this move as we can.

�Passengers won�t notice any difference apart from the flight number on the indicator board. United�s schedules and outstanding customer service remain the same.�

Altogether, 19 of United�s international flight numbers are being altered.

The revised flight numbers are:

Flight Number Current New Segment 805 869 SFOHKG 806 870 HKGSFO 807 893 SFOICN 808 892 ICNSFO 809 885 SFOKIX 810 886 KIXSFO 815 839 JFK/LAX/SYD/MEL 816 840 MEL/SYD/LAX/JFK 826 880 NRTHNL 827 879 HNLNRT 862 870 SYD/SFO/ORD 960 926 SFOCDG 961 927 CDGSFO 962 902 IADMUC 963 903 MUCIAD 966 908 ORDAMS 967 909 AMSORD 977 933 FRAIAD 978 932 IADFRA 979 957 LHRJFK

About UAL United Airlines operates more than 1,800 flights a day on a route network that spans the globe. News releases and other information about United Airlines can be found at the company's website at www.unitedairlines.com.au