A feature-rich but pricey subscription is the only route to take with this smart app for frequent fliers

Price: Free
Version: 1.0.2
Size: 75.2 MB
Seller: Global Airport Flight & Airplane Status Tracker LLC
Platform: iPhone & iPad

Get Flighty

Make no mistake: Flighty – a recently released flight management tool – is a truly comprehensive app. When it comes to tracking flights, there’s no better app for iPhone and iPad users. But while Flighty does advertise itself as free with limited features, the app’s real worth is unlocked through a pricey subscription. So let’s find out: when it comes to Flighty Pro, is there enough bang for your buck?

Flighty offers iOS users a triple threat feature-set which sets the app apart from the competition. First, it features a smart design and user interface. Second, the information it provides is thorough and rich. And third, push Notifications – which are entirely customizable – deliver flight information to frequent flyers as and when they need it most.

Let’s start by talking about the design. Flighty sits perfectly alongside Apple’s iOS. The app uses a card interface where information is overlaid upon a map of the world. When you add a flight, Flighty plots your course on this map while displaying text-based information in a card below.

What’s nice is that users can flick their thumb up or down on this card to expand or reduce the information available. You can get rid of the map entirely if you want – and some users will want to do that, since the real detail available in Flighty is offered by the card underneath.

Flighty tells you everything you might need or want to know about your flight. From gate numbers and ETAs to details of the plane and the airline’s past performance (whether the flight is usually early, on time, or late), Flighty truly has you covered. You can’t help but be impressed by the level of thought that’s gone into this app and by the level of detail it offers.

The push notifications really complement Flighty in this respect. You can configure the kind of notifications you’d like to receive for planned flights – ‘The Basics’ delivers gate and schedule changes, while ‘Above and Beyond’ includes notifications for inbound flight status, aircraft changes, and more. (Notifications are disabled by default.)

You can also get access to the flight path map – once the pilot has filed it with the authorities – and arrival information for your flight, too. There’s a lot on offer when it comes to Flighty’s notifications, and all of this should take some of the pain out of last-minute gate changes or delays.

However, to access some of Flighty’s best features, you’re going to need to be a pro-level subscriber.

The free tier in Flighty serves up the same beautiful UI and lets users track flights to a degree. But it blurs out much of the enhanced “insider” information about individual flights, it adds ‘Try Pro’ stickers here and there throughout the app, and push notifications are disabled. What’s left is a fairly simple flight-tracker, albeit a well-designed one.

Fortunately, while Flighty indeed offers a princely $70 yearly fee for the pro feature set (often reduced to a limited-time price of $50), there is some middle ground: a $9 monthly subscription which can be activated for less-frequent fliers. If you’re an anxious flyer, nabbing a month’s subscription each time you go away might be the way forward. There’s also the chance to try Flighty Pro free of charge before paying a dime.

You can pick up Flighty free of charge on the App Store. When it comes to flight management apps, it’s hard to think of a better option – with Flighty in your pocket, you’ll never arrive late at the gate again.