The 3 main things we use this for:
This one is for the meticulous planners & the nerds (like us)
- Identify which aircraft is commonly flown on a route
- Identify most likely takeoff & landing (to choose best window side)
- Check actual travel time + common delays
ℹ️ 1. Identify which aircraft is commonly flown on a route
Type in the flight number to you have booked/are going to book and you will be able to see if it is always the same aircraft model or if it changes
why does this matter?
Different aircraft have different seat configurations, so you want to find out which seat you’ll be booking. There’s a big difference between getting a suite, and an old business class configuration from 15+ years ago, yet they cost the same amount of points. Don’t get stuck in the worst biz class option because you didn’t check.
Note on “aircraft” You may be used to seeing a350-1000 or Boeing 777-300er, but the actual aircraft code is different. Instead you might see A35K (a350-1000), A388 (a380-800), B77W (Boeing 777-300er), B789 (Boeing 787-9), etc. Just google the Aircraft Code and you will see what the “normal” name is.
ℹ️ 2. Identify most likely takeoff & landing (to choose best window side)
We use this to choose which side of the plane to sit on when flying into or out of somewhere with a view, or if you’re flying north/south you can decide if you want to be on the sunny side or not.
Why does this matter?
Just another way to make the flight extra special. For example we’re flying into Hong Kong in a few days, and we wanted to be sure we would see the beautiful islands on the way in, so we booked the side that was most likely to have the best view.
To see the route, just click on the “▶️ Play” icon to watch the exact route flown on recent flights.
note on exact routes
There are no guarantees since it depends on “air traffic” etc, but we just look at the “most likely outcome” - if it has landed on the same runway for the past 7 days, we are giving ourselves the best chance of getting the view we want by picking.
ℹ️ 3. Check for actual travel time + common delays
Type in your flight number, and you’ll quickly be able to see: 1. how long the real flight time is (it’s always shorter than marketed) 2. if this route is frequently delayed
note: again - no guarantees, just a good indication.