Check If Your Flight is Going Be on Time - Predict Flight Delays Using the Latest Technology
For most of us, finding out a flight is delayed usually happens after you arrive at the airport. From this point on, there is little to do but sit around and wait. Well what if you could predict delays before they even happen.
I'm not talking about any paranormal methods here. Springwise.com recently published a review of an interesting new application. Using similar technology to advanced weather computers, San Francisco-based FlightCaster has developed a tool to predict flight delays before they even happen.
The application is available for iPhone and Blackberry at a cost of US$9.99. Simply enter any flight number into the application. The technology then performs a complex calculation involving historic data, the US National Weather Service, FAA Air Traffic data and FlightStats.com.
For example, if the inbound aircraft is delayed in a snowstorm across the other side of the country, then FlightCaster could work out the chance of the delay affecting the return flight using weather information and FAA Air Traffic data.
The end result is a percentage chance of the plane being on time, delayed by under an hour or delayed by over an hour. This way, FlightCaster claim, the passenger can make an informed decision whether or not to travel to the airport. At the moment, the application only works in the USA but it shouldn't be long before international expansion materialises.
My personal view is that this application is much more useful for planning your time rather than deciding to go to the airport or not. If you have calls to make, then you can plan extra time at the airport if you are expecting a delay. Not going to the airport seems a bit drastic and most of the time I would still need to get to my destination, even if there is a delay. It seems FlightCaster has a lot of potential, but they need to work on their marketing.
I'm not talking about any paranormal methods here. Springwise.com recently published a review of an interesting new application. Using similar technology to advanced weather computers, San Francisco-based FlightCaster has developed a tool to predict flight delays before they even happen.
The application is available for iPhone and Blackberry at a cost of US$9.99. Simply enter any flight number into the application. The technology then performs a complex calculation involving historic data, the US National Weather Service, FAA Air Traffic data and FlightStats.com.
For example, if the inbound aircraft is delayed in a snowstorm across the other side of the country, then FlightCaster could work out the chance of the delay affecting the return flight using weather information and FAA Air Traffic data.
The end result is a percentage chance of the plane being on time, delayed by under an hour or delayed by over an hour. This way, FlightCaster claim, the passenger can make an informed decision whether or not to travel to the airport. At the moment, the application only works in the USA but it shouldn't be long before international expansion materialises.
My personal view is that this application is much more useful for planning your time rather than deciding to go to the airport or not. If you have calls to make, then you can plan extra time at the airport if you are expecting a delay. Not going to the airport seems a bit drastic and most of the time I would still need to get to my destination, even if there is a delay. It seems FlightCaster has a lot of potential, but they need to work on their marketing.
Source...