1. Confirm the actual flight
Ask for the flight number, travel date, and arrival airport. A city can have more than one airport. Check the operating airline if the booking uses a codeshare, and use its official status service if the marketing airline does not find the flight.
2. Read the label beside the arrival time
Distinguish the scheduled arrival from an estimate or an actual update. Confirm which local date and time zone the service is displaying. Recheck the airline or airport before you leave, because an estimate may change.
3. Check the terminal and meeting point
Use the airport’s own website for terminal information, pickup arrangements, parking rules, and transport options. Agree on a meeting point with your passenger rather than relying only on the flight’s map position.
Landing is not the same as walking into the arrivals hall. Your passenger may still need to leave the aircraft, complete arrival formalities, and collect baggage. Their message can be more useful than trying to infer a pickup time from a moving marker.
4. Keep the map in perspective
Watching the journey on a map can be interesting, but position data does not confirm a gate assignment, baggage collection, or readiness for pickup. Use official status information for the flight and direct communication for the meeting.
5. Have a simple fallback
If the tracker does not show the flight, go to the airline’s service. If a status page is unavailable, try the airport’s official arrival information or contact the airline. Do not infer a disruption from a missing marker alone.
Our airline directory is a starting point for selected official status services. It is not a live schedule feed and does not cover every airline.