Flighty Pro is already the best travel app out there, and an update to the flight-tracking app this week is making it even better for travelers who want to stay ahead of delays and cancellations and not get left in the dark about why their flight isn't leaving on time.
The latest version of Flighty Pro, the paid version of the Flighty app, went live Tuesday with yet another groundbreaking update: It won't just notify you when your flight has been delayed (often minutes or even hours before the airline itself) but Flighty Pro will now tell you exactly why your flight is delayed and provide predictions about future disruptions, too.
The app's current version already includes some delay predictions, and Flighty is famous for alerting travelers to their delays before the airlines do in many cases. It's one of our favorite things about the app, and the new predictive delay information should make things even better.
Plus, travelers will now get the “why” about their flight delays.
According to Flighty, the new version of the app, dubbed Flighty 4, will offer new analysis of the two leading causes of airplane delays: Late-arriving aircraft, and airspace and airport delays.
“Flighty 4’s monitoring predicts and deciphers those delays to give travelers what they’ve always wanted – a clear reason why their flight is delayed! “ Flighty Founder Ryan Jones said in a statement. “This puts previously unknown information that airlines often won't share straight in Flighty users' pockets, helping them make more educated decisions about their travel plans – whether that's rebooking another flight or simply waiting another hour to hop in an Uber to the airport.”
Late-arriving inbound planes that may cause your flight to be delayed will now be predicted ahead of time – with 95% accuracy, Flighty says. The new technology is using machine learning to make better predictions.
Airspace and airport delays are the next leading cause of delays, and this version of Flighty will use FAA and Eurocontrol data that pilots use every day and decode it for everyday travelers. With this update, weather events, runway congestion, taxi delays, big events, and even air traffic control staffing data will be used to inform these predictions. Notably, the app only accounts for airspace delays in North America and Europe.
Flighty offered the following example as to how this app will be useful for average travelers.
“For example, the airline might delay your flight by 30 minutes … and then another hour. But with these updates, Flighty 4 can tell you that's likely to be at least a five-hour delay due to an official ground stop at your airport. That gives users more insight to adjust their travel plans on the fly rather than being stuck for hours at the airport,” the company said in a news release.
Flighty is also folding in troves and troves of airport data to analyze which airports run early, late, or anything in between. The app's developers are tracking live performance of takeoffs and landings at the airports from which you fly. That way, if delays are common at a certain time of day or begin piling up, the app can notify you.
Among some other smaller tweaks, Flighty has also added more missing tail numbers for planes in Europe and Asia – beginning to address a common complaint of previous version of the app that lacked some information of some foreign carriers. Additionally, you can now see if your aircraft has a nickname, like ANA's “Flying Honu” A380 plane or others.
Since its launch a few years ago, we've long thought the app is the best travel app out there, and at a price of $49 per year, it's a no-brainer for frequent flyers. The company also offers a lifetime membership for $249, a family plan for $89, and a lifetime family plan for $449.
Everyone who downloads the free version of Flighty gets a “no credit card” free trial of one free flight with all the bells and whistles of Flighty Pro. That means you can try it out for one flight, and then be downgraded to the free Flighty app unless you subscribe.
Also, Flighty Pro has a $4 weekly pass for travelers who want to use it for a single vacation, too. A relatively recent change that replaced its old $6 per month option.
Flighty does offer a free version of the app that comes without many of the bells and whistles Flighty Pro members love, but it will still help travelers track flights without the predictive analysis.
Bottom Line
Flighty Pro – already the best travel app out there – is expected to get even better thanks to some updates that will show travelers why their flights are delayed, not just if they are delayed.
The new Flighty Pro comes with a handful of new features that should make flying with the app even better in 2024 and beyond, including a new free trial option and the ability t book a weekly pass.
How is this better than simply checking flight aware. They have the “where is my plane now” feature, as well as misery levels for airports. Ground stoppages are alerted by local radio stations or look at the weather. And can Flighty pro tell you if crew not there? if crew have timed out? if so, that MAY be useful.
Is this an iOs/Apple only app?
Hi Jenn, unfortunately right now it is only available on iOS. Hopefully that changes in the future.