Ten Tips and Tricks to Make Flying Easier with Flight Track Pro
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Available for the iPhone and iPad, Flight Track Pro is a popular and extremely robust tool for managing travel. If you frequently travel domestically or internationally, this app can help reduce the stresses and frustrations associated with commercial airline travel.
#1. Use Flight Track Pro with TripIt.com
Manually adding new flight information for a trip into Flight Track Pro is easy. Tap the plus sign icon and then select your airline, flight number, and departing travel date. If you do this for each leg of your upcoming travel itinerary, from that point forward, the app will track your flight information in real time.
However, you can skip manually entering anything by signing up for the TripIt.com online service, which fully integrates with the Flight Track Pro app. Any time you receive a confirmation email from an airline or travel agent that lists a travel itinerary, simply forward that email to plans@tripit.com, and your itinerary will automatically and wirelessly sync with Flight Track Pro in minutes.
Setting up Flight Track Pro to sync with your TripIt.com account needs to be done only once. Follow these steps:
- First, create an account on TripIt.com.
- Within the Flight Track Pro app, click the Info icon and then tap the Sync tab to access the app's setup menu for syncing.
- Turn on the virtual switch associated with Sync with TripIt.
- Tap the Done button to save your changes.
#2. Track Multiple Travel Itineraries at Once
Flight Track Pro is capable of managing multiple travel itineraries simultaneously. It's possible to enter flight information up to 11 months in advance, either manually or by syncing data with TripIt.com. From the main Flights screen, the app displays all upcoming trip data by date. Doing this allows you to view all your upcoming travel plans on one screen.
#3. Track Flight Delays
After details about an upcoming trip are entered into Flight Track Pro, the app automatically accesses real-time flight information from the Internet and alerts you of any flight delays, cancelled flights, bad weather conditions, and other unplanned changes to your itinerary. Often, this information is displayed on your iPhone or iPad screen before it displays on the airport terminal monitors.
Being alerted on your phone or tablet about a flight delay or gate change allows you to be in the right place at the right time and adjust your schedule accordingly. Keep in mind that flight delay information changes often and quickly, so refresh the app's data periodically to make sure you're viewing the very latest flight data.
If the aircraft you're flying on offers in-flight Wi-Fi, it's possible to track your flight in real time using the Flight Track Pro app while aboard the plane. Doing this displays a detailed map of your travel route, while an aircraft icon displays your exact current location.
Near the top of the display, your estimated arrival time, flight speed, and other information is also displayed. This same information is available to people on land using Flight Track Pro to track your flight.
#4. Take the Hassle out of Finding Your Baggage
Each time you land at your intended destination, the Flight Track Pro app displays what gate and terminal your aircraft will be parking at, shows you the current weather forecast, and provides detailed baggage claim information, so you know exactly where to pick up your checked bags. To find this information, take your iPhone or iPad out of Airplane Mode upon landing and make sure your iOS mobile device has Internet access.
If you're not familiar with the layout of the airport from which you'll be departing from or landing, tap the Terminal Maps menu option to see a full-color map of the airport that'll help you navigate your way between terminals, from the ticket counter to your departing gate, or from your landing gate to the baggage claim area.
#5. Flight Cancelled? Find an Alternative Flight Fast
Sometimes having just two or three minutes of advance notice about a cancelled flight, which the Flight Track Pro app often provides, allows you to quickly speak with an airline representative in order to reserve an available seat on the next available flight, before your fellow passengers do.
As you're looking at your existing flight details within the app, tap the right-pointing arrow icon that's displayed within a circle and then tap the Find Alternative Flights option. The app informs you about alternate flights and possible itinerary changes that will allow you to reach your destination as close to your original arrival time as possible.
Using this information, you can then make informed decisions when speaking with an airline representative at the airport or via the airline's toll-free Reservations number.
#6. Sync Flight Information with the Calendar App
Set up Flight Track Pro to automatically display travel itineraries within the Calendar app on your Mac, iPhone, and/or iPad. After you do this, all travel itineraries entered or imported into the app are automatically synced and displayed within the Calendar app.
Travel data displayed within the Calendar app includes the Date and Time of each flight—along with Flight details (the airline, flight number, and departure and arrival city codes).
From the App's Sync setup menu screen, turn on the virtual switch that's associated with the Sync With Calendar option and then choose the appropriate calendar within the Calendar app to sync your data with.
From the Delete Events option, also choose when and if flight information will be deleted from the Calendar app after travel is completed. (Most people choose the Never option, so flight information remains archived within the Calendar app.)
#7. Share Travel Details With Others
As you're viewing a flight itinerary from within the Flight Track Pro app, tap the Share button to email, tweet, or post detailed flight information to Facebook. This feature offers an easy way to provide someone picking you up at the airport with current details about your travel plans, including what airline and flight you'll be on, your flight number, arrival terminal, and arrival time.
#8. Use SeatGuru to Discover Where You'll Be Sitting
Many airlines now charge for premium or advance seating aboard an aircraft, even within the coach cabin. Using the SeatGuru feature, the Flight Track Pro app displays a detailed seating chart for the aircraft you'll be traveling on, plus it displays useful information about the aircraft itself.
For example, SeatGuru provides you with the actual dimensions of the seat you'll be sitting in, along with the in-seat amenities offered, such as audio, video, AC power, food, and/or Wi-Fi.
To access SeatGuru for each leg of your flight, first enter or import your complete travel itinerary into the app. Then, as you're viewing flight details, tap the right-pointing arrow icon with a circle around it. Select the SeatGuru Seat Map option.
#9. Access Weather Forecasts for Wherever You're Headed
As soon as a flight itinerary is entered into the Flight Track Pro app, a detailed current and extended weather forecast for your departing and arrival city can be displayed. This information can help you pack more efficiently and prepare for weather conditions after you land.
As you're looking at your flight route map, tap the city tab for your departing or destination city to view weather forecast information, as well as the current time and temperature.
#10. See Delay Forecasts for a Flight Based on Historical Data
After flight information is entered into Flight Track Pro, the app automatically gathers each flight's on-time travel history and will display a graphic-based Delay Forecast that quickly informs you of what percentage of time the flight arrives on time versus how often it is delayed by specific time intervals. This information is displayed on the same screen as your detailed Flight Schedule.
To access this information, tap the flight information from the app's main itinerary screen and then tap the clock-shaped icon. If available, Delay Forecast information, based on historical flight data, is displayed near the top of the screen.