Flighty 4.0

Flighty 4.0 is out, boldly claiming that it can predict flight delays before the airlines notify travelers. According to an email I received announcing the update, here’s how the developers say they can predict delays:

• Late Arriving Aircraft – Late planes are the #1 cause of delays. So Flighty uses machine learning to predict them, with 95% accuracy and hours before the airline.
• Airspace & Airport Delays – Air Traffic Control mandates are the #2 cause of delays. So Flighty taps into the same FAA and Eurocontrol data your pilot uses, deciphers mountains of aviation data to tell you the impact on every single flight, in plain language.

I used the beta for version 4.0 on my recent trip to Ireland and London. On the way home, our American Airlines flight from Dublin was delayed over four hours, and I didn’t receive a notification of the delays any faster in Flighty than I did from American. However, that’s just one data point, and I’ve heard others who swear by the new feature, so your mileage may vary. And whether delay predictions work well or not, Flighty is still one of the best ways to track flights.