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The next versions of iOS and OS X will track your flights
Apple has made much ado of Spotlight's smart, info-fetching abilities in iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan, but one relatively undersold feature might just prove a lifesaver if you or your friends are frequent travelers. Both of the upcoming operating systems include a "flight data detector" that can spot mentions of flight numbers in apps and let you peek at that trip's details (a feature Google Now and Cortana users are already familiar with). This doesn't just mean the departure or arrival times, either -- in many situations, you'll also get a map showing you where the aircraft should be at that moment. While this won't replace a dedicated travel app, it'll be handy if you want to check for flight delays or satisfy your curiosity about an airplane's location.
Google Earth live flight tracking keeps anxious airport relatives posted in 3D
We've always enjoyed being able to see the little airplanes on our in-flight entertainment systems making their way to their destinations in real time, but have always wondered, what would it be like if those on the ground could share this small wonder with us? Flightwise has made our airborne fantasy a reality: type in the flight number, click the Google Earth button, and revel in a newfangled, kind of useful meta-stalking technique. Now please excuse us why we try to go flight simulate ourselves into some IRL airplanes.
De-clutter: How I used my iPhone and Evernote to travel light
Recently I spent a few days in Paris, France. I travel light: One bag (pro tip: Roll your clothes), one jacket and one hat. I love getting my necessities down to a single carry-on bag. What I hate is all the paper. Airline confirmation receipts, bus schedules, relevant correspondence from family and friends, etc. Not to mention lists of restaurants to try, sights to see, etc. This time I went nearly paper-free (I'm sticking with paper boarding passes for international flights, although iPhone scanning has been done and is now officially supported by some carriers), thanks to my iPhone and 2 applications. Here's how I did it.Tracking flightsOf course, the first thing I've got to do is line up all of my flights. I typically go from Boston to Newark when I'm traveling internationally, which means there are several connecting flights to manage with Flight Update and Evernote.Flight Update [App Store link] is among my top 5 iPhone apps. Here's how it works and why I love it. First, add a trip and then add your flights. You can designate a preferred airline if there's one you use often. Enter your flight number and date (or search by route if you prefer) and Flight Update fills in an incredible amount of data as if by magic.You'll get airtime, departing and arriving airport, terminal, distance, scheduled meals and so much more. It even identifies the type of plane and offers a color-coded seating chart (the colors rate the seats by desirability). You can even search for alternate flights should a problem arise.What I really love about Flight Update is that it consistently beats the airport at dispensing timely information. For example, the flight I took from Newark, New Jersey to Boston, MA this past Monday was listed as delayed on my iPhone before the announcement was made at the gate. When the delay was later lifted (thank goodness), my iPhone let me know before the airport did. That's awesome. At $4.99US, you simply can't beat Flight Update. Every iPhone-toting traveler ought to own it.Eliminating paperWith Flight Tracker handling the airplanes, I turned to Evernote [App Store link] to handle the paper. This is straightforward: I made a notebook called "Paris" and filled it with: Confirmation codes for each flight, including the original emails as PDFs Hotel information Correspondence from family members I'd be traveling with Special instructions With each one tagged "Paris," I simply created a saved search. Here's how. First, enter your search term. Next, click the little blue arrow, scroll down and select "Save Search." From then on, you can access all documents that meet your criteria (in my case, a single tag) by hitting the bookmark button. In fact, I just left it there for the duration of my trip.When I checked in at the airport kiosk, I simply grabbed my confirmation number from Evernote. Same with the hotel. When I found the restaurants and other points of interest that I wanted to explore, I snapped a photo note and applied the "Paris" tag. Back at the hotel, everything was sent to the Evernote servers via the free WiFi.This has been said before, but Evernote (free from the App Store, basic and premium plans available) is awesome. Human beings have short term memory, long term memory and now, Evernote.Keep in mindGoing paperless isn't without risk. There's a good chance that your airport will have a lousy cell signal and no free WiFi. Having to pony up $5 or so just to get a code is a hassle if you forgot to sync before leaving the house. Additionally, not all ticket agents are tolerant of kids these days with their fancy smart phones, and may give you an odd look (or a hard time) when you say, "I don't have the printout, but I have my iPhone!" Hence my hesitation to abandon paper boarding passes.Finally, Evernote displays PDFs as attachments, meaning you can't view them without an internet connection. If you think that might be an issue, copy and paste the text itself into a note.In the end I had a very enjoyable travel experience with just a small bag, my wallet and my iPhone. Here's a huge thank you to the developers of Flight Tracker and Evernote. Your apps are awesome.As noted by our commenters below, you may also get a travel boost out of the Tripit app, which Steve reviewed not long ago.
First Look: FlightTrack real-time flight tracker
Have you ever had one of those "damn, I wish I had waited a couple of weeks" moments? They usually happen when you buy an iPhone app you're not really thrilled about, but it's the only one of its type. About two weeks later, you're slapping your forehead when the app you really wanted ships.It happened to me this month. When I travel, I like to make sure my flights are on time, so I like to use FlightView's Flight Tracker. About two weeks ago I purchased another flight status app, and I've been underwhelmed with it ever since. Now Mac and iPhone Developer Ben Kazez has created FlightTrack, a real-time flight tracker for iPhone and iPod touch. The US$4.99 FlightTrack app (click opens iTunes) uses the same great FlightView data and maps, so it looks and works a lot like the online tracker. Not only do you get the cool real-time location of each flight, but weather is overlaid on the maps (see screenshot at right). You can track multiple flights, look at details, and search by a number of criteria.Thanks, Ben. Now I have to spend another $4.99 to replace that other app I'm using....
