Perhaps you want to know what your flight status is so that you can keep track of any possible delays or changes that could affect your travel plans—or worse, that would require you to rebook your flight. Or maybe you want to double-check the anticipated arrival time of a friend or loved one’s flight before heading to the airport to pick them up. There are myriad reasons why you might want to check the real-time status of a flight.
Luckily, there are tools to help you do that, and some will give you more information than you could get from the airline you are flying with. In addition to showing a flight’s most up-to-date departure and arrival times, apps can keep track of such useful information as where your aircraft is coming from, whether it’s still in the air or at your gate, and what the weather looks like at the airports on your itinerary. Here are a few flight-tracking tools we recommend.
Google your flight number
One of the easiest and fastest ways to check whether a flight is still slated to depart or arrive on time is to Google it. All you need to do is use your computer or mobile device to go to Google.com, search for “[flight number] status” in the search bar (for example, “AA 2488 status”), and hit enter. Google aggregates various flight-tracking websites and displays the estimated arrival and departure times in a widget at the top of the page. Google will also display the most up-to-date terminal, gate information, and news of delays.
Download the airline’s app or check on their website
Your airline’s app allows you to check your flight status, get automated updates, and even look at rebooking options if things go sideways with your flight (and if that happens, you may be entitled to an automatic refund). For example, in the United app, you will see whether your flight is delayed on your home screen, and you can also click “flight status” at the bottom of the app and enter your flight number for more information.
Most airlines also offer text or email alert services that notify you of any changes in your flight schedule. To set them up, make sure to opt in at booking when an airline asks if you’d like to receive alerts. Choose either text, email, or both, and input your information.
Check the airport website
When severe weather hits, there’s a chance it could close an airport, so to keep tabs on the situation, visit that airport’s website. Many major airports offer real-time updates on flight status, gate changes, and estimated wait times for security lines. Some airports even have dedicated apps with the same features.
Use a flight-tracking service
FlightRadar 24
If you’re looking to get the complete picture of where a plane is on its journey—including real-time position—FlightRadar24 is a helpful resource that comes in the form of a website and a free app.
You can really get into the weeds with such data as the scheduled arrivals and departures at a specific airport, plus a plane’s flight records showing everywhere it’s previously flown.
FlightRadar24 is helpful even when you’re not taking a trip: It can identify all the planes flying overhead in your vicinity. Those who opt for the Premium service (which ranges from $13 to $500 per year, depending on the plan) can learn more about the exact type of aircraft, how fast it’s going, and its altitude.
FlightAware
Like FlightRadar24, FlightAware offers flight-tracking data for any commercial flight worldwide with the help of a network of servers that capture a plane’s position in real time and shows it to you on a live map.
Frequent fliers and aviation geeks alike will discover many ways to use the free service. With a flight number, FlightAware can provide robust information about expected departure and arrival times, so you don’t have to toggle between different airline websites and apps for flights on different airlines. If you don’t have the flight number, the Flight Finder option can help locate the flight number. There’s also a fun tool that shows trends from the past week, such as information about what the busiest airport was and what was the most flown aircraft worldwide.
With the free versions of the app, users can search for five flights per month. A handful of premium plans, which range from $45 to $150 per month, allow users to fully nerd out with aeronautical charts and unlimited flight and aircraft tracking.
FlightStats
FlightStats is an easy-to-use online tool powered by Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Of course, the app can track departure times and delays, but the airport tracker makes the app especially handy. In that section, you can search any airport and find out whether flights there are departing on time or experiencing delays.
A standard account costs $3 per month and includes flight alerts and details about how weather is affecting airport operations; a professional account is $25 per month and provides historical flight and airport data.
How flight-tracking apps and websites work
Flight-tracking apps and websites track flights in real time, all over the world. They’re used to check the status of a flight, see if an inbound aircraft has any anticipated delays, observe the weather radar throughout the flight path, view the exact route a plane is taking, and determine what type of aircraft is being used on a specific flight.
Typically, these apps and websites use satellites to access information about where planes are at any given time (which is possible because planes are constantly sharing their position with other aircraft and air traffic controllers for safety reasons).
Beyond letting you know if your flight will be delayed, flight trackers can help travelers get ahead of potential log jams, especially during busy travel periods (like the holiday season) or any time inclement weather threatens to derail itineraries. The earlier you know about delays and cancellations, the earlier you can research alternative flights—and maybe even get yourself rebooked on a different one.
This story was originally published in 2023 and was updated on November 20, 2024, to include current information.
