Thanksgiving Day It’s only a few short weeks away, and if you plan it Flying During the holiday season, staying informed about changes to your travels is crucial. Airports can be busy during any holiday, but with the ongoing government shutdown, flights are subject to change or cancellation more often.
Fortunately, getting the latest information about your trip is easier than ever. For starters, your airline likely has an app, and if not, you can check their website. If you are in a hurry, you can search on Google for the flight number. Or you can just use your iPhone’s built-in flight tracker that’s hidden away.
That’s right: Your iPhone has a flight tracker you probably never knew about. It’s there when you need it. We’ll explain below that you should access it in not one, but two places, so you’ll never have to search for your flight information elsewhere again.
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How to track your trip via iMessage
Before we get started, there are some basic requirements you must meet:
- make sure iMessage is enabled (Does not work with SMS/MMS).
- You’ll need your flight number somewhere in your text messages, whether you sent that information to someone (even yourself) or it was sent to you.
- The flight number must be sent in this format: [Airline] [Flight number]For example, American Airlines 9707.
Launch the native Messages app on your iPhone and open the text message thread containing your trip information. You’ll know the flight tracking feature is working when the text with the flight information appears underlined, meaning it’s actionable and you can click on it.
If your trip is still several months away or has already ended, you may see a message saying “Trip information is not available.” You may also see another flight that is not yours because airlines recycle flight numbers.
You can check your flight status from Spotlight Search as well
You can drop your flight number into your iPhone’s Spotlight Search to quickly get the latest details and status of your upcoming flight.
If getting your flight information from Messages isn’t easy enough, you can also get details directly from your iPhone’s home screen by scrolling down and adding your flight number to Spotlight Search. Better yet, this works with Spotlight Search on a Mac computer, too.
How to access the hidden flight tracker
Although the airline name/flight number format shown above is the best way to go, there are other text messaging options that will lead you to the same result. So let’s say we stick with it American Airlines 9707Other options that may appear in the flight tracker include:
- American Airlines 9707 (no spaces)
- American Airlines 9707 (only one space)
- AA9707 (Airline name is abbreviated, no space)
- AA 9707 (abbreviation and space)
I would suggest that you keep the airline name written in full and add a space between the two pieces of information – as in the previous section – because for some airlines, these alternative options may not work.
Send the code to preview your flight.
Real-time flight tracking
Once everything is set, tap on flight information in your text messages. If the feature is working properly, the following two options should appear in the Quick Actions menu:
- Trip preview: View flight details. Click this to view more information about the trip.
- Copy the flight code: Copy the flight code to your clipboard (in case you want to send your flight details to someone else via text or email).
If you select Flight previewAt the top of the window, you’ll see the best part of this feature: the real-time flight tracker map. A line will connect the two destinations, and a small plane will move between them, indicating where the flight is at that exact moment.
Below the map, you will see important information about the trip:
- Airline company name and flight number
- Flight status (arrival on time, delays, cancellations, etc.)
- Station and gate numbers (for arrival and departure)
- Arrival and departure time
- Duration of flight
- Baggage claim (baggage cart number)
If you swipe left on the bottom half of the flight tracker, you can switch between flights, but only if there is a return flight.
For more travel tips, don’t miss our quiz on whether AI can help you fly more sustainably.