A canceled or delayed flight is the worst: Before I leave for the airport, I look up my trip on FlightAware. If your plane is stuck in another city, you’ll see it there before your airline updates its app.
The best apps to see where a flight is and when it’s landing
Let’s be honest. No one loves picking up someone from the airport. If you’ve been chosen for this task, take it as a badge of honor. It means you’re a trusted friend.
But trusted or not, it doesn’t mean you need to be stuck there waiting to know where they are. Sick of circling or whiling away time in the cell phone lot? You’re going to love this.
“Hey, have you landed yet?”
Don’t wait for them to call or text. With these apps, you’ll never be staring at your phone waiting for a reply.
- My favorite option is FlightAware. Type in the flight number and you’ll see where it is in the sky. You’re not limited to tracking your friend’s flight; you can even see if rain might delay them with the weather radar overlay. Try it on the web or your phone.
- Flightradar24 is fun. Open up your camera, point it at any airplane you see and you’ll see the flight number, departure point and destination. It’s powered by ADS-B receivers and can receive signals from the aircraft. Download it here.
- If you fancy yourself an aviation geek, go with Plane Finder. You can track planes using flight numbers, routes or even tail numbers. It also has departure and arrival boards.
- For the basics, Google Flights gets the job done. Search for a flight number on Google and a box with details like arrival time and gate info will pop up.
You can store your driver's license in Apple Wallet if you live in these states
Thanks to your smartphone, consider all the things you no longer have to carry around. These incredible devices house a clock, camera, GPS, credit card, phone book, browser, gaming system, flashlight, notebook and much more.
You heard it here first: In May 2023, I told you about TSA’s facial recognition program. Basically, you look into the camera and it takes your pic to verify you. Now, some senators are saying the TSA wants it mandatory in over 430 airports, but we don’t know where this data is going or how it’s protected. You can opt out: Step back from the camera, politely tell them you decline facial recognition and present your ID instead.
Author and Austinite Nick Gray had the crazy idea to combine a blind date with a vacation — his treat. He went viral when he posted his proposal on X, and over 400 women applied. Where did he take the lucky lady: A.) Rome, B.) Tokyo, C.) Las Vegas or D.) Sydney?
36 flights canceled
Because of some missing scissors. An airport in Japan completely shut down for two hours after a pair of scissors went missing. Authorities had to make sure they weren’t headed for a flight. In the end, the scissors were found … in the shop where they were left originally.
Traffic cameras can now ticket you for having a loud car
You know you’re under surveillance at the airport, in a bank or federal building, but watchful eyes extend far beyond that. Depending on where you live, the government could be keeping tabs on you from the moment you leave home. Tap or click here for the top 10 most surveilled cities in the U.S.
You can buy unclaimed USPS and Amazon packages - Here's how
Across the U.S., there are thousands of pieces of airline baggage that go unclaimed each year. Tap or click here for the one thing you should never put in checked luggage. Whether it was mishandled by the airline or a passenger forgot to pick it up, they can be found in almost every major city.
🪪 Beyond the airport: Travel verification company Clear is working on facial recognition for everything: Replacing your wallet, driver’s license, passwords and even your house keys with a selfie. They say it’ll help prevent fraud and be more convenient. What happens if hackers steal your face when it’s your universal ID?
How did he think this would work? A woman got a disturbing text after a guy saw her phone number on her luggage tag. “I saw you and thought you were so beautiful, so I had to find a way to talk to you.” Even worse, he might know where she lives since her address was also on the tag. Tip: Use luggage tags with covers.
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✈️ This is your hacker speaking: There’s an app small airlines use to upload flight crew to precleared TSA lists. Cybersecurity researchers found they could edit photos and names in the app, meaning fake pilots could bypass security checks. Yikes. The TSA says 300 people have evaded airport security since March 2023.
✈️ You can opt out of airport facial recognition scans: Stand away from the camera, present your ID and say something like, “I opt out of biometrics. I want the standard verification process.” It could save you from a data breach or misidentification as a criminal suspect. Both have happened.
$300 more revenue
Per month, if you offer extras with your Airbnb. Owners are tacking on things like airport transfers and local tours to boost their Airbnb incomes with almost no overhead. Oh, and be smart with your pricing; folks expect to pay a little more during peak seasons.
✈️ Emotional baggage: A man at Orlando International Airport was banned from his flight after trying a TikTok “packing trick.” He stuffed a pillowcase with his belongings to dodge carry-on fees. After a heated argument with airline staff, police escorted him out. Yeah, skip that one.
30 years without losing a bag
Japan’s Kansai International Airport (KIX) has gone that long without a single lost bag. Yup, officials there say they haven’t lost a customer’s bag since 1994. The workers confirm it but say it’s NBD; they’re just doing their jobs! I wish U.S. baggage handlers had the same idea — then, we wouldn’t need an AirTag in every bag!
The emergency signal was created as an alternative to SOS. An English airport captain suggested a butchery of the French term “m’aider,” or “help me.” So what about a ship that’s in a less urgent pickle? There’s a phrase for that, too. Can you guess? (Hint: It’s a common item in your kitchen.)
105 million air passengers
Passed through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2023. ATL is the busiest airport in the world. Dubai International Airport came in second, with 87 million passengers. You know the old saying: “When you die, whether you’re going to heaven or hell, you’ll connect through Atlanta.”
Hiding in plane sight: How do you get migratory birds and wildlife off Alaska’s second-largest airport runways in Anchorage? Deploy a headless robot the size of a Labrador. They’re going to make the robot look like a coyote or fox by changing up its side panels.
Travel pro tip: How to skip the line at the airport for free
When it comes to travel, there’s a lot to stress about. First, you have to make sure you pack everything. Next, you always have to brace yourself for last-minute cancellations, storms and other curveballs.
Thanks to the lingering effects of the pandemic, travel can feel more chaotic than ever before. Tap or click here for eight ways to stay safe while traveling. Plan ahead to survive the swarm of travelers trying to cure their pent-up wanderlust.