6 ms·

Fun fact: at ITA Software we put "trap flights" into the data so we could tell when people were using our data without our knowledge. These were flights between

Fun fact: at ITA Software we put "trap flights" into the data so we could tell when people were using our data without our knowledge. These were flights between totally obscure city pairs, that departed a single day of the year at 3am. (No scheduled flights depart between 0300 and 0359 local time anywhere in the world.)

qb 11y ago
> No scheduled flights depart between 0300 and 0359 local time anywhere in the world. Yes, they do. Take DXB for example.
- dmbaggett 11y ago
  Really? The 10+ years I was in the industry there weren't any such flights. I can believe it's changed, though -- that's interesting. Can you give an example flight?
  - qb 11y ago
    Daily 03:15 Dubai (DXB) 3 06:55 Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) EK 227 Non-stop Boeing 777-200LR (77L) 14:40 Effective 2015-07-07 through 2015-10-31
wtbob 11y ago
You might wish to delete this comment, as it could be used by a competitor to easily filter out such flights…
- notahacker 11y ago
  Given the size of flight schedules datasets and the likelihood that not all the fake flights are that obvious, it's probably easier to buy the data from one of the proprietary schedule data vendors than clean up unauthorised scraped data...
- pavel_lishin 11y ago
  It's probably a trap comment. I'd wager the actual trap data is not as described there.
  - TeMPOraL 11y ago
    Above is probably a meta-trap comment. I'd wager the whole discussion exists only to create an impression that this is a crowded space and dissuade potential competitors from entering the market.
    - dmbaggett 11y ago
      Got me!
- jws 11y ago
  On the other hand, if you have two traps, and you see them filter out this one, then you may have evidence of malicious intent and be eligible for multiplied damages. (In my totally made up guess at applicable law).
adwn 11y ago
> No scheduled flights depart between 0300 and 0359 local time anywhere in the world. Why is that? Low demand?
- olefoo 11y ago
  Also safety reasons. It is most people's metabolic low point, where mental functioning is quantifiably impaired. So, good idea not to be doing landings and takeoffs during that time.
  - leephillips 11y ago
    But a pilot working at 3am is not "most people", and, presumably, would be on a very different metabolic schedule, no?
- marme 11y ago
  combination of low demand and the fact that for an airlines to have only a single flight at this time it means keeping desk and gate staff for only 1 or 2 flights that probably wont ever be full except peak travel season
pavel_lishin 11y ago
I'm not super familiar with what ITA does, but what if someone does decide to try and book the flight?
- qb 11y ago
  Probably there is no availability in any booking class, so trying to book fails at the inventory check step.
forax 11y ago
https://www.kayak.com/flights/MIA-MGA/2015-12-04 https://www.kayak.com/flights/MIA-MGA/2015-12-04 https://www.kayak.com/flights/JFK-SAL/2015-11-12 https://www.kayak.com/flights/JFK-SAL/2015-11-12 Avianca and Taca flights appear to be bookable. I could certainly believe that the 3am rule used to be the case though.

qb 11y ago

> No scheduled flights depart between 0300 and 0359 local time anywhere in the world. Yes, they do. Take DXB for example.

dmbaggett 11y ago
Really? The 10+ years I was in the industry there weren't any such flights. I can believe it's changed, though -- that's interesting. Can you give an example flight?
- qb 11y ago
  Daily 03:15 Dubai (DXB) 3 06:55 Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) EK 227 Non-stop Boeing 777-200LR (77L) 14:40 Effective 2015-07-07 through 2015-10-31

wtbob 11y ago

You might wish to delete this comment, as it could be used by a competitor to easily filter out such flights…

notahacker 11y ago
Given the size of flight schedules datasets and the likelihood that not all the fake flights are that obvious, it's probably easier to buy the data from one of the proprietary schedule data vendors than clean up unauthorised scraped data...
pavel_lishin 11y ago
It's probably a trap comment. I'd wager the actual trap data is not as described there.
- TeMPOraL 11y ago
  Above is probably a meta-trap comment. I'd wager the whole discussion exists only to create an impression that this is a crowded space and dissuade potential competitors from entering the market.
  - dmbaggett 11y ago
    Got me!
jws 11y ago
On the other hand, if you have two traps, and you see them filter out this one, then you may have evidence of malicious intent and be eligible for multiplied damages. (In my totally made up guess at applicable law).

adwn 11y ago

> No scheduled flights depart between 0300 and 0359 local time anywhere in the world. Why is that? Low demand?

olefoo 11y ago
Also safety reasons. It is most people's metabolic low point, where mental functioning is quantifiably impaired. So, good idea not to be doing landings and takeoffs during that time.
- leephillips 11y ago
  But a pilot working at 3am is not "most people", and, presumably, would be on a very different metabolic schedule, no?
marme 11y ago
combination of low demand and the fact that for an airlines to have only a single flight at this time it means keeping desk and gate staff for only 1 or 2 flights that probably wont ever be full except peak travel season

pavel_lishin 11y ago

I'm not super familiar with what ITA does, but what if someone does decide to try and book the flight?

qb 11y ago
Probably there is no availability in any booking class, so trying to book fails at the inventory check step.

forax 11y ago

https://www.kayak.com/flights/MIA-MGA/2015-12-04 https://www.kayak.com/flights/MIA-MGA/2015-12-04 https://www.kayak.com/flights/JFK-SAL/2015-11-12 https://www.kayak.com/flights/JFK-SAL/2015-11-12 Avianca and Taca flights appear to be bookable. I could certainly believe that the 3am rule used to be the case though.