Flight tracking apps have come a long way in just a few years, and some are now even better than airline apps at notifying you of delays and cancellations. These services can help you avoid the crowds when it comes to rebooking in case of major delays and cancellations. Sometimes having information about the location of your plane can help you save time; For example, it can prevent you from arriving at the airport much earlier than necessary. I literally don’t leave the house without tracking down one of these apps.
These services can do things like tell you how long you’re likely to be delayed, where your plane is coming from, and even what line you’re in for takeoff.
One especially good tool can even predict when you’re likely to take off, using artificial intelligence. Here are some of the best ones we use at TPG to stay one step ahead of the competition.
Frivolous
Flighty is an Apple iOS app released in 2019 that helps you track your flights day by day and keeps a running record of your trips around the world. It has incredible technology working behind the scenes to keep you informed about your flights. It even uses AI to predict delays.
The paid version even gives you a year-end summary, and it can be fun to reminisce about your adventures from the past year… or your entire life.
Related: Why this flight tracking app is an ideal travel companion
More importantly, it shares real-time updates about your flights, including delays and cancellations. You often know when a flight is in trouble before the designated airline app does.
Flighty tracks your flight for 25 hours before your departure, keeping you up to date on aircraft types and previous stopovers so you can see how you’re progressing. This gives you the option to change your flight if you see that it is delayed at previous airports. This has helped me change flights several times to ensure I arrive at my final destination on time. It will even suggest flights from alternative airlines.
It will also alert you to any schedule changes or aircraft type changes, so you can make backup plans if necessary.
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I use Flighty every time I fly. Most recently, I faced long delays on a United Airlines flight home from Charleston, and finally gave up after it was delayed several times due to mechanical issues. Flighty confirmed that the flight was canceled before United told me.
This is by far my favorite airline tracking tool and I find it a bargain at $59.99 per year or $299 for a lifetime subscription.
FlightRadar24
FlightRadar24 is another app that I check every time I fly, although it’s more useful for AvGeeks than for those who just want to find out what’s going on with their flights.
I use it to see where my plane is coming from, as well as the plane’s ship number and recent history. You can, for example, check if the plane has had many cancellations and delays over the past year. I like to see how old the plane I fly is and when it entered service.
The application shows you all the flights arriving and departing from almost any airport in real time.
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FlightRadar24 live map. FLIGHTRADAR24
As with Flighty, you can also track live flights with a Gold membership.
The FlightRadar24 Gold membership level costs $34.99 per year.
conscious flight
FlightAware is an important resource for TPG journalists when it comes to tracking delays and mass cancellations, but FlightAware also has a free app that may be helpful. I use the desktop tool to see where delays and cancellations are worst, as well as to write down total numbers in case of major technology failures or during storms.
But the service also has a very data-rich application. While I don’t use the app, it has a lot of useful tools and, like FlightRadar24, can help you find information about your current flight and where your plane has been. Like Flighty, it tracks the incoming plane that will become your flight.
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Tracking Delta Flight 1 from New York to London. FLIGHT ATTENTION
It has an interesting feature called “Where is my plane?” which monitors your incoming flight and can notify you of delays up to 30 minutes before your airline.
The app is free, but there are premium plans available for advanced users or businesses. Premium+ costs $44.95 per month, too rich for my blood, but may be worth it for those with deep pockets or people who can afford the premium tool.
In a nutshell
Get ahead of delays and cancellations with one of these three tools commonly used by TPG staff. I really can’t emphasize enough how valuable these apps can be when you travel, whether it’s every week or even just once a year.
With these tools at your fingertips, you can often beat everyone else on your flight by knowing the status of delays, or even get a rebooking if the flight is cancelled. Knowledge is power.
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