Flighty has introduced a personalised airport departure feature designed to help travellers work out exactly when they should leave home to catch a flight without spending unnecessary hours waiting at the airport.
For many travellers, deciding when to leave for the airport involves estimating journey times, allowing for traffic and working backwards from the scheduled departure time. Leave too early and the result can be hours of waiting before boarding. Leave too late and an unexpected traffic delay or long security queue could put the entire journey at risk.
The new feature from flight-tracking app Flighty aims to make that calculation easier by creating a personalised timeline from a traveller’s home or departure location to the airport.
The development comes as travel trends such as “airport theory” have encouraged some passengers to arrive at airports as late as possible. The idea, which gained popularity on social media, is based on the assumption that airlines overestimate boarding times and that passengers can save time by arriving shortly before departure. However, travel experts have warned against following the trend because unexpected delays, security checks and other airport procedures can cause passengers to miss their flights.
Flighty is taking a different approach, focusing on helping passengers manage their time more accurately rather than encouraging last-minute arrivals.
To use the feature, travellers first enter their flight details and add their departure location. Flighty then calculates the estimated journey time to the airport using Apple Maps. The calculation takes traffic conditions into account, as well as other factors, including public holidays that could affect how long the journey takes.
Passengers travelling by public transport can also enter their estimated journey time manually.
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The feature goes beyond calculating the journey from home to the airport. Travellers can adjust the amount of time they want to allow for different airport activities, with nine options available. These include parking, returning a rental car, checking in, passing through security, passport control and spending time in an airport lounge.
Once the information has been entered, Flighty combines the journey estimate and airport preparation time to create a personalised departure schedule. The app sends an initial notification advising passengers that they should prepare to leave, followed by a separate alert telling them it is time to go 20 minutes later. It can also send additional notifications if traffic conditions worsen and the estimated journey time increases.
The feature is intended to give travellers a more practical way to plan their departure, particularly those who regularly struggle to balance arriving early enough with avoiding excessive waiting at the airport.
According to Flighty founder and CEO Ryan Jones, the company wants to extend its flight-tracking service beyond monitoring aircraft movements and departure updates.
“Millions of travellers already trust Flighty to tell them what’s happening with their flight,” Jones said. “Now we’re helping beyond the flight with a personalised plan from door to departure, bridging travel time and airport routine in one simple timeline.”
The new feature adds another layer to Flighty’s existing flight-tracking service by connecting information about a flight with the practical arrangements needed to reach the airport on time.
For travellers, knowing when a flight is scheduled to depart is only part of the planning process. Getting to the airport at the right time, while accounting for traffic, transport connections and airport procedures, can be just as important.
