What Flighty Does and How to Set It Up
Flighty is a smartphone app that tracks a specific flight in real time and sends you notifications about delays, gate changes, and other updates. You enter your flight number or search by airport and date, and the app pulls live data from aviation tracking systems. It then watches that flight from pushback until landing and alerts you to changes before the airline does—sometimes by 10 to 15 minutes.
The app is free to read on iOS and Android. You create an account with an email address, then search for your flight by airline and flight number, or by entering your departure and arrival airports plus the date. Once you add a flight, Flighty begins tracking it automatically. You can add multiple flights at once if you're traveling with others or have a connection.
Flighty pulls data from ADS-B receivers—ground stations that pick up radio signals from aircraft transponders. This is the same raw data that powers flight-tracking websites like FlightRadar24. Because Flighty reads this data directly rather than waiting for the airline to post updates, it often catches delays and gate changes faster than official airline apps.
Key Takeaways
- Flighty tracks your flight in real time using aircraft transponder data and sends push notifications about delays, gate changes, and other updates before the airline announces them.
- You search for your flight by number or by entering your airports and date, then the app monitors it automatically from pushback until landing.
- The app is free and works on both iOS and Android, though a paid subscription unlocks features like detailed weather maps and historical flight data.
- Flighty's alerts often arrive 10 to 15 minutes earlier than airline notifications because it reads live transponder data instead of waiting for official announcements.
- The app works best when your flight is actively transmitting—it may show limited information for very small aircraft or flights in areas with poor radar coverage.
How Flighty Detects Delays Before Airlines Announce Them
Flighty watches your aircraft's actual movement, not the airline's schedule. When a plane pushes back late, slows down, or diverts, Flighty sees it when ready through transponder data. The airline's official system may take several minutes to update, so Flighty often sends a delay alert before you see anything on the airline app.
The app also tracks ground speed and altitude changes. If your plane is moving slower than expected or climbing more gradually, Flighty can predict a later arrival time and notify you. This is especially useful for weather delays—if your flight is holding in a stack or detouring around storms, Flighty shows the actual flight path and estimated impact on your landing time.
Gate changes work the same way. When ground crews move your aircraft to a different gate, Flighty picks up the change from airport radar and pushback tug assignments. You get notified before the airline posts it on the departures board.
What Information Flighty Shows You
The app displays your flight's current altitude, speed, and exact position on a map. It shows the aircraft type, tail number, and how many minutes ahead of or behind schedule the flight is running. You can see the current and forecast weather at both your departure and arrival airports, plus wind conditions aloft.
Flighty also lists recent updates in a timeline—pushback time, takeoff time, current altitude, and estimated landing time. If there have been delays or gate changes, they appear in this feed with timestamps. The free version includes all of this; the paid subscription ($4.99 per month or $39.99 per year) adds detailed weather radar, historical flight data, and the ability to track flights without logging in.
One useful feature is the landing prediction. Flighty calculates your likely landing time based on current speed, wind, and distance remaining. This is often more accurate than the airline's estimate because it uses live flight data rather than a fixed schedule.
When Flighty Works Best and Its Limitations
Flighty works reliably for commercial flights on major airlines in North America, Europe, and other regions with good radar coverage. The app requires your aircraft to be transmitting its transponder signal, which all commercial jets do. If you're flying on a very small regional aircraft or in an area with sparse ADS-B coverage, Flighty may show limited data or gaps in tracking.
The app cannot track flights that haven't taken off yet or that are more than a few hours away. You can add a flight to your watchlist before the day of travel, but Flighty only begins active tracking once the aircraft is powered up and transmitting. If your flight is cancelled before it pushes back, Flighty will show that status, but it relies on the airline to report the cancellation.
Flighty also cannot predict mechanical delays or crew issues that haven't yet affected the flight's movement. If your flight is delayed because the crew is stuck in traffic or the aircraft is undergoing maintenance, Flighty may not know until the plane is supposed to push back and doesn't. Once the delay is visible in the flight's movement, Flighty catches it and alerts you.
Setting Up Notifications and Customizing Alerts
After you add a flight, tap the bell icon to customize which alerts you want. You can choose to be notified about delays, gate changes, pushback, takeoff, landing, and other milestones. You can also set a quiet time window so Flighty doesn't wake you with notifications during certain hours.
By default, Flighty sends notifications to your phone's lock screen and notification center. Make sure you have push notifications enabled for the Flighty app in your phone's settings, or you won't receive alerts. If you're tracking a flight for someone else, you can share the flight link via text or email so they can follow along too.
You can also set Flighty to send notifications at specific times—for example, 30 minutes before your scheduled departure, or when your plane is 30 minutes from landing. This is useful if you want a reminder to head to the airport or to arrange ground transportation.
Flighty's Free Version vs. Paid Subscription
The free version of Flighty includes real-time flight tracking, delay and gate-change alerts, current weather, and the landing prediction feature. You can track as many flights as you want and share them with others. The only limitation is that you need to log in to your account to view tracked flights.
The paid subscription ($4.99 per month or $39.99 per year) removes the login requirement, adds detailed weather radar overlays, and includes historical flight data so you can see how often a particular route is delayed. For most travelers, the free version is sufficient. The paid version is worth considering if you fly frequently and want to study patterns or if you want to share flight links without requiring others to create an account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Flighty to track someone else's flight?
Yes. Search for the flight and add it to your account, or ask the traveler to share the flight link with you. You can then follow their flight in real time and receive the same alerts they do. The shared link works even if the other person doesn't have Flighty installed.
Why does Flighty sometimes show a different arrival time than the airline app?
Flighty calculates arrival time based on the plane's current speed, wind conditions, and distance remaining. The airline app shows a scheduled time that may not account for real-time conditions. Flighty's estimate is usually more accurate once the flight is airborne, but both can change as conditions evolve.
Does Flighty work for international flights?
Flighty works for most international flights, but coverage varies by region. It tracks flights well in North America, Europe, and other areas with dense ADS-B receiver networks. Flights over oceans or remote areas may have gaps in tracking until they reach land with good coverage.
What happens if my flight is cancelled?
Flighty will show a cancellation status once the airline reports it, but the app cannot predict cancellations before they're announced. If your flight is cancelled, you'll see the update in Flighty's timeline, and you should contact your airline directly to rebook or request a refund.
Can Flighty predict if my flight will be delayed?
Flighty can only alert you to delays that are already happening—delays visible in the aircraft's actual movement. It cannot predict future delays caused by weather, mechanical issues, or crew problems that haven't yet affected the flight. Once a delay is underway, Flighty usually catches it before the airline announces it.