The Easy Trick You Can Use to Predict If Your Flight Will Be Delayed

You'll never waste time waiting at the airport gate again.

The-Easy-Trick-You-Can-Use-to-Predict-If-Your-Flight-Will-Be-Delayed_101938537_VICTOR-TORRESVICTOR TORRES/Shutterstock

Getting caught in an insane flight delay probably isn’t how you imagined starting (or ending!) your big vacation. Sure, you can always find a few ways to make the most of a delay or layover if you do find yourself with a few hours to kill. But to avoid that wasted time altogether, seasoned jet-setters use one basic trick, according to BoardingArea blogger Dan Miller.

Travelers can track their plane’s status via tools like FlightAware.com or the GateGuru app, Fox News reports. Using navigation data from military and government agencies as well as radar signals from around the world, FlightAware can determine the current position of your inbound flight. Simply enter your flight information and click “Where is my plane now?” and the site will show you if your plane has arrived at its gate—or if you’ll be waiting around for a flight that’s behind schedule. Even with the most expensive flights in the world, don’t be surprised if you’re stuck in the airport. Oh, and if you find yourself flying standby, here’s how to go about it.

While the timing of your aircraft’s arrival might not be exact (especially if the plane is flying on a polar route or above an ocean), the website can still gauge whether or not your flight will depart at its original time. Here are 16 more air travel tips you should know before your next flight.

That’s not the only thing you can do to minimize your airport wait time, though. If you’re serious about finding the best flight to reach your destination on schedule, book a ticket with one of the least delayed airlines—and make sure it’s during the best time of day to fly, too.

[Source: Fox News]

Brooke Nelson Alexander
Brooke is a tech and consumer products writer covering the latest in digital trends, product reviews, security and privacy, and other news and features for Reader's Digest. She's a two-time Emmy-nominated reporter with nearly 10 years of publishing experience, and her work has been recognized by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.