Check Flight Status

🛫 by kevinmarch

Check Flight Status

Track upcoming flights and alert on delays, gate changes, or cancellations. Proactively suggest rebooking when delays compound.

When to Run

• Scheduled: 3x daily (morning, midday, afternoon) when flights are upcoming
• On-demand: User asks "check my flight" or "flight status"
• Day-of travel: Increase frequency to hourly

1. Find Upcoming Flights

Check for flights in the next 7 days:

• Calendar events: Look for events with airline names, flight numbers, or "flight" in title
• Email confirmations: Search recent emails for flight confirmations
• Travel apps: If integrated, pull from TripIt, airline apps, etc.

Extract for each flight:

• Airline and flight number (e.g., DL234, UA1234, AA100)
• Departure airport and time
• Arrival airport and time
• Confirmation/booking code
• Date

2. Check Flight Status

Method 1: Google Search (Quick & Free)

Google displays flight status directly in search results. Search with natural language:

DL234 march 4 nyc to denver
UA1234 today
AA100 march 5
[airline] [flight number] [date]

Google will show:

• Departure/arrival times (scheduled vs actual)
• Delay status
• Terminal and gate (when available)
• Aircraft type

This works for most major airlines and is the fastest way to check.

Method 2: Free Flight Tracking APIs

FlightAware (flightaware.com):

• Free tier available with registration
• API:

  https://flightaware.com/live/flight/[FLIGHT_NUMBER]

• Web scrape the page or use their AeroAPI (paid for high volume)

FlightStats (flightstats.com):

• Web interface free, API requires subscription
• Good for historical on-time performance

ADS-B Exchange (adsbexchange.com):

• Free, open-source flight tracking
• Real-time aircraft positions
• API available:

  https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=[ICAO_CODE]

Flightradar24 (flightradar24.com):

• Freemium model
• Web:

  https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/[FLIGHT_NUMBER]

• Good for real-time tracking once airborne

Method 3: Airline Websites

Go directly to the airline's flight status page:

• Delta:

  delta.com/flight-status

• United:

  united.com/en/us/flightstatus

• American:

  aa.com/travelInformation/flights/status

• Southwest:

  southwest.com/air/flight-status

Most accept flight number + date and return real-time status.

What to Look For

• On time: Departing as scheduled
• Delayed: New departure time, delay duration
• Gate change: New gate assignment
• Cancelled: Flight cancelled
• Diverted: Rerouted to different airport

Note the data source and timestamp when reporting.

3. Assess Impact

For any non-normal status, evaluate:

Delays:

• How long is the delay?
• Does it affect connections?
• Will the user miss meetings at destination?
• Is it likely to get worse? (weather, mechanical)

Cancellations:

• What rebooking options exist?
• Same airline alternatives
• Partner airline alternatives
• Refund eligibility

Connections at risk:

• Minimum connection time needed
• Current connection time with delay
• Backup flights if missed

4. Research Alternatives (if needed)

If delay >1 hour or cancellation:

• Search for alternative flights on same airline
• Check partner airlines
• Look at nearby airports
• Note: price differences, timing, class availability

Present top 2-3 options with trade-offs.

5. Alert the User

If all flights on time:

• On scheduled runs: No alert needed (or brief "All flights on time")
• On user request: Confirm status

If changes detected:

🛫 Flight Update: [Airline] [Flight #]
[Route]: [Origin] → [Destination]

⚠️ Status: [Delayed X hours / Gate changed / Cancelled]
New departure: [Time] (was [Original time])
New gate: [Gate] (was [Original])

Impact:
- [Connection risk, meeting conflict, etc.]

Options:
1. [Keep current booking — arrive at X]
2. [Rebook to Flight Y — arrive at Z, [cost diff]]
3. [Alternative airline — details]

Reply with option # or "more options"

6. Take Action (if requested)

If user chooses to rebook:

• Guide through rebooking process
• Note airline phone number and confirmation code
• Draft message to affected parties if meetings impacted
• Update calendar with new times

7. Monitor Continuously (Day of Travel)

On travel day:

• Check status every hour starting 6 hours before departure
• Alert immediately on any changes
• Track gate assignments as they're posted
• Monitor security wait times if available

Configuration

Users can customize:

• Alert threshold: Only alert if delay >X minutes (default: 30)
• Check frequency: How often to poll (default: 3x daily, hourly on travel day)
• Proactive rebooking: Auto-search alternatives if delay >X hours

# config.env (optional)
DELAY_ALERT_THRESHOLD_MINUTES=30
PROACTIVE_REBOOK_THRESHOLD_HOURS=2

After Running

Summary of flight status:

• "✅ All [X] upcoming flights on time"
• Or: "⚠️ [Flight] delayed [X] hours — see options above"