How to Track Your Flight Status in Real Time

You may want to check your flight status to stay updated on any potential delays or changes that could disrupt your travel plans—or even necessitate rebooking your flight. Alternatively, you might be looking to confirm the expected arrival time of a friend or family member's flight before heading to the airport to pick them up. You could also be curious about the origin of the plane you’ll soon board or simply want to know the destination of an aircraft flying overhead. There are countless reasons to check a flight’s status.

Fortunately, there are various tools available to assist you, some of which provide more detailed information than what the airline can offer. These apps and websites track flights across multiple airlines, not just one, and provide updates on expected departure and arrival times. Additionally, some tools can give you a comprehensive view, including past flights for that aircraft and weather conditions at connecting airports. Here are several flight tracking tools we recommend.

Search for your flight number on Google

One of the simplest and quickest ways to verify if a flight is still on schedule for departure or arrival is to Google it. Just type “[flight number] status” into the search bar (for example, “AA 2488 status”) and press enter. Google will then compile information from various flight-tracking sites and display the estimated arrival and departure times prominently at the top of the results page. Additionally, Google provides the latest terminal and gate information.

Download the airline’s app or visit their website

It's a good idea to have your airline’s app installed so you can receive updates directly from the source or check your flight status there. This allows you to compare the information provided by the airline with data from other sources. While not infallible, airlines are improving at sending push notifications and updates regarding schedule changes, including alterations to departure times or gates. Make sure to enable push notifications in your settings so you can receive these alerts on your phone, and remember to update those settings when your phone undergoes updates. If issues arise, the airline app is also a helpful resource for exploring alternative flights or rebooking options.

Utilize a flight tracking service

FlightRadar 24

For a comprehensive view of a plane's journey—including its real-time location—FlightRadar24 is an excellent tool available as both a website and a free app.

You can dive deep into detailed data, such as all scheduled arrivals and departures at a specific airport, including the type of aircraft and its registration details (covering both commercial airlines and private owners). It also allows you to access a plane's flight history, showing all its previous routes—whether for that day or throughout its entire operational life, depending on your search settings.

If you've spotted an aircraft flying overhead and are curious about its destination, FlightRadar24 can assist with that as well. It can display all planes in your vicinity. When multiple planes are nearby, it can be tricky to pinpoint which one you’re observing, but it provides a helpful overview.

Subscribers to the Premium service (with plans ranging from $10 to $500 per year) gain access to additional information, such as the specific type of aircraft, its speed, and altitude.

FlightAware

Similar to FlightRadar24, FlightAware provides flight tracking information for any commercial flight across the globe, utilizing a network of servers to capture a plane’s real-time position.

Whether you’re a frequent traveler or an aviation enthusiast, there are numerous ways to utilize this free service, available as both an app and a website. If you know the flight number, FlightAware can supply details on expected departure and arrival times. If you lack the flight number, the Flight Finder feature can assist in locating it (provided you know the aircraft's origin and destination airports). Additionally, FlightAware features an interactive MiseryMap, which highlights airports currently facing issues, specifically indicating which routes are experiencing delays and cancellations on that day.

FlightAware can be accessed as a free app or website, allowing you to search for up to five flights each month. After that, there are several premium subscription options, priced between $40 and $130 per month, depending on the level of detail you require, such as tracking additional flights or monitoring a specific plane over time.

FlightStats

FlightStats is a user-friendly online tool developed by Cirium, an aviation analytics firm. It enables you to simply input the flight number to retrieve comprehensive information about that flight, including its scheduled departure status. Another useful feature is the airport tracker, which allows you to search for any airport to find out if flights are departing on schedule or facing delays. In addition to the free flight tracking and airport delay information accessible to all users, you can upgrade to a 'standard account' for $3 per month, which includes flight alerts, or choose a professional account for $25 per month that provides historical flight and airport data. Cirium, the parent company, regularly publishes on-time performance reports for airlines and airports, making it easy to identify which airlines and hubs excel.

How flight tracking apps and websites function

Flight tracking apps and websites monitor flights in real time across the globe. They are utilized to check the status of a flight, verify if an inbound aircraft is experiencing any delays, view weather radar along the flight path, observe the specific route a plane is taking, and identify the type of aircraft involved.

Typically, they access information about a plane's location at any moment via satellites. This is feasible because aircraft continuously transmit their positions to other planes and air traffic controllers for safety reasons.

In addition to informing you about potential flight delays, flight trackers can assist travelers in anticipating possible bottlenecks, especially during peak travel seasons (such as holidays) or whenever bad weather threatens to disrupt your plans. Being aware in advance of a significant delay allows you to proactively explore alternative flights and rebook before the help desks and customer service lines become overwhelmed with fellow passengers seeking assistance.

This article was first published in 2023 and was revised on May 14, 2024, to reflect updated information.