Head over to the app store on your phone or tablet and search “Flight Tracking Apps.” You will find a dizzying array of options to choose from before you scroll past the ads.
Over the years, I have had several opportunities to try various apps and found them all to be about the same with only minor differences here and there. I always find myself going back to my trusty app for the sake of convenience…until recently.
Flightaware has been my “go to” for tracking my personal flights as well as clients’ flights for many years. The free version is robust with all of the information I need right at my fingertips. I can see the location and status of existing flights with in-app notifications about any changes. I can see flight history to find out if a flight typically runs behind and other helpful information. The fact that it works on both Android and Apple platforms means anyone can take advantage of its capabilities. Flightaware has paid options but they look pricey considering the free version comes with everything a typical leisure traveler needs.
Some of the features I find most helpful in the free version:
Flight change notifications
Gate change notifications
Flight history available to see historically late flights
“Where is my plane?” option lets you see where your plane is. (TIP: If your flight is scheduled to depart in 1 hour but the plane is still sitting at the gate 4 hours away, you may have an issue.)
Easy to search for flight numbers and set alerts
Now let’s talk about the shiny new app called Flighty. This app is slick. When you open the app you'll see a 3D rendering of the earth that spins like a globe. This even includes a real time shadow on the planet depicting night and day around the globe as you spin it. This app looks modern and super is easy to navigate in my opinion. You get the basics as in other apps but the free version is more limited than FlightAware's free option. The free version has basic flight/gate tracking and notifications however some of the options that are free in Flightaware require the paid version in Flighty. The first paid tier for Flighty is $49/year and totally worth the cost for me. As of this writing, you can even pay $249 for a lifetime membership if you would like. One unique option is the the family plan for up to 6 members if your family is spread out across the globe like mine.
All in all, if you travel a lot this app may be the one for you. Currently it is only available on the IOS platform for Apple products so Android users will need to wait a bit.
Some features I find most helpful in the paid version:
Time zone difference for your destination
Arrival weather forecast
Detailed arrival history for flight
Total time in air that is scheduled and what is actually estimated
Direct links to airline’s phone, Twitter, website and Facebook page.
Check-in Assistant for top 100 airlines
Arrival and baggage claim information
IOS only
So there you have it, a little insight as to what the travel pros use to keep things straight. Is there a flight tracking software you rely on? Please share your ideas as I am always on the look out for new and exciting apps to make travel a little less complicated.
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