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You can use several tools to track a fight, including websites, apps and even text messages. Monitoring your flight may be especially important if you have a tight layover, are heading to an important event or want to make sure a loved one is safe. Below we dive into how to track flights.
Overview of tracking flights
Given that flight delays are common (roughly 20% of domestic flights were delayed in the U.S. in 2023), knowing how to track a flight is a helpful way to ensure that you’ll know when your or a loved one’s plane will land.
To track a flight, you’ll need to know the airline and flight number. If you’re trying to track your own flight, you can usually find this information either in the confirmation email for your flight or on your airline’s app. If you’re trying to find this information to track the flight of a friend or family member, you can search Google Flights, which will provide the airline and flight number.
For this flight from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro, the flight number is KL 569 (highlighted in blue). A downside is that sometimes there are several flights a day between the same cities, so it may be hard to find someone else's complete flight information unless you know the airline or exact departure time.
» Learn more: Which airlines are the most reliable?
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Tools you can use to track flights
Once you know the flight name and number that you want to track, below are some of our favorite tools that you can use.
iMessage
iPhone users can quickly and easily track their flights with iMessage. To use this tool, there are three steps you’ll need to take:
1. Ensure iMessage is enabled.
2. Text the airline you’re flying and the flight number to yourself in the following format: [Airline] [Flight Number] (for example, Air France 23 or AF 23).
3. Click the hyperlink created and select “Preview Flight.”
When you click on "Preview Flight," iMessage will pop up real-time flight tracking including departure time, estimated arrival time, landing terminal and baggage claim number.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
If you’re planning to meet someone when you land and they have iMessage, this feature is a great way to help them keep track of when you’ll arrive. Flighty
Flighty is a flight tracking app that can be used to track your and your friends’ flights in real time. In addition to its flight tracking tools, Flighty keeps data from past flights so you can review stats like the distance flown, the aircraft type you’ve flown the most and how much time you've lost to flight delays.
Flighty also creates a “Flighty Passport” for each year you enter flight data.
FlightAware
FlightAware provides a website and an app that include real-time flight tracking tools. A big plus of FlightAware is it provides data on past flights, which can be particularly useful if you’re trying to decide whether to book a flight with a tight connection.
Let’s say you’re considering booking British Airways Flight 112, which departs New York-John F. Kennedy and is scheduled to arrive in London Heathrow at 6:30 a.m.
Looking through the recent history, you can see that the flight has landed as early as 6:10 a.m. and as late as 6:42 a.m., which may give you some assurance that your flight would likely have a near on-time arrival.
» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now
Flightradar24
Flightradar24 is a website and app that provides users with detailed flight tracking information. What sets Flightradar24 apart is it has the largest ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) network in the world, which is a system that shares an aircraft's location and flight data. With access to over 40,000 connected receivers to track flights, Flightradar24 can track over 200,000 flights per day.
» Learn more: How to book a flight that (likely) won’t get canceled
How to track your flight, recapped
There are a number of helpful tools available to track flights, including iMessage, Flighty, FlightAware and Flightradar24. To track your flight, you’ll need to know the airline and the flight number.
In addition to flight tracking capabilities, some of the tools listed have other useful features, including showing past flight details, which is helpful if you’re considering booking a flight with a tight layover.
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