Best Free Flight Tracking Tools

  1. 1

    Flightradar24 (best for live map tracking)

    Go to flightradar24.com or download the app. Search for a flight number (e.g. QF001) or an airport code. You will see a live map with all flights in the air, plus detailed data for any specific flight including route, altitude, speed and estimated arrival. The free version covers most needs.

  2. 2

    FlightAware (best for delays and history)

    flightaware.com is excellent for checking delays, diversions and flight history. Shows actual vs scheduled times and gate information for most major airports.

  3. 3

    Google Search (quickest)

    Simply search the flight number in Google (e.g. "QF1" or "BA15"). Google shows live status, terminal and gate info directly in search results without needing another site.

  4. 4

    Airport websites

    For arrivals and departures at a specific airport, the airport's own website always has the most accurate and up-to-date information including gate changes.

How to Read a Flight Tracker

  • Scheduled vs Estimated: Scheduled is the original departure/arrival time. Estimated (or Actual) is the current prediction based on real-time data.
  • Status: Scheduled, Departed, En Route, Landed or Cancelled. Delayed means it departed late. Diverted means it landed somewhere other than the destination.
  • Flight number: Consists of a two-letter airline code (QF = Qantas, BA = British Airways, SQ = Singapore Airlines) followed by a number.
Set up arrival alertsMost flight tracking apps let you set notifications for when a specific flight lands. Useful if you are picking someone up — you get notified when their plane touches down.

Frequently Asked Questions

No — for privacy reasons, you can only track flights by flight number. You cannot look up whether a specific person is on a flight or track their location that way.
Flightradar24 relies on ADS-B transponder data. Some aircraft transponders are off or not equipped, flights over oceans may have gaps in coverage, and military or private flights may not show at all. The plane is still flying — it is just not being tracked.
Generally accurate to within 10–15 minutes when the flight is already in the air. They update continuously as the plane progresses. Weather, air traffic control and routing changes can affect accuracy.