How to check flight status: fastest methods, best source
Check flight status with your airline's app or site first, then a tracker like FlightAware or Flightradar24. Where each wins, and how to get delay alerts.
The fastest way to check flight status is your airline’s own app or flight status page, using the flight number and date. The airline publishes the gate, boarding time, delay and cancellation, so it is the source of truth for your flight. As of October 2026, a tracker such as FlightAware or Flightradar24 is the best second check, because it shows where the aircraft is.
At a glance
- Airline app or site first: gate, boarding time, delay and cancellation come from the carrier.
- Trackers second: FlightAware and Flightradar24 show where the aircraft is.
- Flight number is the surest search: some tools also search by route and date.
- Alerts need setup: FlightAware alerts work on a free account (5 active at a time); Flightradar24 custom alerts are part of its paid plans.
- Wallet passes update: an eligible boarding pass in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet can show flight updates.
- A flight counts as delayed in US government statistics once it arrives 15 or more minutes after schedule.
- Flydar does not track flight status.
What is the fastest way to check flight status?
Your airline’s app or website is the fastest and most authoritative check, because the airline decides the gate, the boarding time and whether the flight is delayed or cancelled. Enter the flight number and travel date.
Third-party tools mostly repeat or add to that data. A tracker earns its place when you want to know where the plane physically is, which an airline status page rarely shows. If the two disagree about a delay, believe the airline for what will happen to your ticket and the tracker for where the aircraft is.
Which tool should you use? A comparison
| Tool | Search by flight number | Alerts | Cost | Shows the aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline app or site | Yes | Yes, in the app or by text or email | Free | Varies by airline |
| FlightAware | Yes | Yes, up to 5 active on a free account | Free account | Yes |
| Flightradar24 | Yes | Custom alerts on paid plans | Free search; paid plans for alerts | Yes |
| Apple Wallet or Google Wallet pass | Not applicable | Updates on a supported pass | Free | No |
Tracker features and plan limits change, so check the app’s current plan page before you rely on an alert.
Where does each tool win?
For real-time flight tracking, use FlightAware or Flightradar24: they show where the aircraft is right now, which the airline’s page rarely does. They win the tracking question outright. If you want to watch an aircraft move, follow an inbound plane or see a flight’s history, they do it better than an airline page and better than anything Flydar offers.
FlightAware wins on alerts that cost nothing. As of October 2026, a free account can hold up to 5 active alerts at a time, which covers one trip with a connection.
Flightradar24 wins on live-map browsing, and its custom alerts are part of its paid Silver, Gold and Business plans. Search is free.
The airline wins on everything that affects your ticket: rebooking options, gate, boarding and cancellation. Each airline sets its own notification rules, so check what yours sends and to which phone number or email.
How do you track someone else’s flight?
Search the flight number and date on the airline’s status page or in a tracker, and bookmark the result. You do not need to be on the booking to look up a flight.
For a friend or family member on an iPhone, Apple Wallet has a built-in way. Apple’s support page says an eligible boarding pass can share its Live Activity: the owner opens the pass in Wallet, taps Share Flight Tracker, and picks a recipient in Messages. The recipient taps Follow to get real-time updates on the flight. Both people need an iPhone with the latest iOS. If you cannot add the boarding pass to Wallet, the airline may not support it, and Apple says to contact the airline to confirm.
How do you get delay alerts on your phone?
Use the airline app first, then add one independent source. The airline app tells you what the airline knows; a second source guards against a notification that fails to arrive.
- Airline app or text alerts. Turn on notifications, and make sure the mobile number or email on the booking is correct.
- Wallet boarding pass. Google’s help page says supported passes show real-time updates directly on the pass, including gate changes and landing status. Apple’s page covers Live Activity sharing for eligible passes. Whether your pass supports this depends on the airline.
- A tracker app. Set a FlightAware alert on a free account, or a Flightradar24 custom alert on a paid plan.
Why is the inbound aircraft the best early warning?
The plane that will operate your flight usually flies an earlier leg first, so a late inbound plane usually means a late departure. Flighty’s help center puts it as: if your inbound aircraft is delayed, there is a good chance your departure will be too, and it says tracking the specific plane can reveal a likely delay before the airline announces it. Some tracker apps let you look up the aircraft assigned to your flight; whether yours does depends on the app and the airline. Check an hour or two before you leave for the airport, not only at the gate.
What do the status words mean?
The words you see are scheduled, delayed, cancelled and diverted, and the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) gives the fixed meaning for delayed: arrival 15 or more minutes after the scheduled time.
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled | The flight is planned and nothing has changed | Check again before you leave home |
| Delayed | A new, later time has been posted. In BTS data, a delay is 15 or more minutes | Watch for a gate change; tight connections need action now |
| Cancelled | The airline will not operate it | Contact the airline; see what happens if you miss your flight |
| Diverted | The flight is landing at an airport other than the one planned | See what happens when a flight is diverted |
A delayed status can still change, so plan for the original departure time unless the flight shows as cancelled.
Why do flights get delayed, and can you predict it?
Often yes, a few hours ahead, from the inbound aircraft and from weather. BTS publishes five delay-cause categories for US flights: air carrier, weather, national aviation system, security and aircraft arriving late. Aircraft arriving late is one of the five, which is why the inbound plane is worth watching. The full breakdown is in why flights get delayed.
Where does Flydar fit?
Flydar does not track flight status. It does not send delay alerts, rebook you or monitor your flight once you have a ticket. For everything in this guide, use your airline and the trackers above.
What Flydar does is watch the fare on routes you choose before you book, and email you when it drops clearly below what that route normally costs. That matters on a travel day for one reason: when a flight goes wrong you may have to buy a new ticket at short notice, the worst moment to buy. The cheap fare you booked is only cheap if it is the right kind of ticket, which is the point of self-transfer flights and one-way versus round-trip fares. If fare alerts are new to you, start with are flight price alerts worth it, or see pricing.
Checklist for the morning of your flight
- Check the airline app for gate, boarding time and any change.
- Look up where the inbound aircraft is if your tracker shows it.
- Confirm that notifications are on and the phone number on the booking is right.
- Keep the booking reference handy; see how to check flight ticket status.
- If a delay threatens a connection, call or message the airline before you leave, not after.
Sources
- Apple Support, Use your boarding pass in Apple Wallet: https://support.apple.com/en-us/123179 (checked October 2026)
- Google Wallet Help, Save and use flight or event tickets: https://support.google.com/wallet/answer/12059256 (checked October 2026)
- Flightradar24, Premium plans: https://www.flightradar24.com/premium/ (checked October 2026)
- FlightAware discussion, maximum number of alerts: https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/maximum-number-of-alerts/17953 (checked October 2026)
- Bing blog, flight status (January 2018): https://blogs.bing.com/search/january-2018/This-month-on-Bing-flight-status-and-entertainment-sports-predictions (checked October 2026)
- Flighty Help Center, Where Is My Plane: https://flighty.com/help/where-is-my-plane (checked October 2026)
- US Bureau of Transportation Statistics, causes of flight delays: https://www.transtats.bts.gov/ot_delay/ot_delaycause1.asp (checked October 2026)
Common questions
- What is the fastest way to check flight status?
- Open your airline's app or its flight status page and enter the flight number and date. The airline publishes the gate, the boarding time and any delay or cancellation, so it is the source of truth for your own flight. A tracker such as FlightAware or Flightradar24 is the second check, because it shows where the aircraft is, which the airline page does not.
- Can I check flight status without the flight number?
- Yes. Airline status pages and trackers generally let you search by route as well, so a departure and arrival airport on a given day returns the flights between them. Bing's own blog described this in January 2018: search by city name or airport code and results come back across airlines. The flight number narrows the list to one result.
- How do I track someone else's flight?
- Enter their flight number and date into the airline's status page or a tracker, and watch that page. On iPhone, a Wallet boarding pass that is eligible can share its Live Activity: the owner taps Share Flight Tracker, picks a recipient in Messages, and the recipient taps Follow. Both people need an iPhone on the latest iOS, and the airline must support Wallet boarding passes.
- How do I get flight delay alerts on my phone?
- Turn on notifications in your airline's app, add the boarding pass to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet if the airline supports it, or set an alert in a tracker app. FlightAware alerts work on a free account, capped at 5 active alerts at a time, and Flightradar24 custom alerts are part of its paid plans, as of October 2026. Use two of these, not one, so a gap in one is covered.
- Is the inbound aircraft a good sign of a delay?
- Yes. The plane that will operate your flight usually flies an earlier leg first, so if that leg runs late, yours often leaves late. Flighty's help center says that if your inbound aircraft is delayed, there is a good chance your departure will be too, and that tracking the specific plane can reveal a likely delay before the airline announces it.
- Does Flydar track flight status?
- No. Flydar does not track flight status, send delay alerts or rebook you. It watches fares on routes you choose and emails you when a fare drops clearly below what that route normally costs, before you book. Once you have a ticket, use your airline's app and the tools in this guide.
Last updated October 28, 2026.