An earlier warning
The board only changes once the airline announces a delay. We can often see the late plane before that, while the board still says on time.
Flight delay prediction
Know before the board does.
We track the plane flying in for your flight, so you can often spot a delay before the airline does.
Enter a flight number, or leave it blank and choose both airports to see that day's direct flights.
- Free
- No account needed
- We don't sell your details
What the departures board says
19:30ZZ 123New YorkOn time
What DelayAhead shows
Our prediction
Likely 40 min late
The plane is still in the air on its way in.
An illustration of how it works, not real flight data.
The board shows what already happened.
We show what's coming.
We tell you why
“Your plane is still in London and lands at 18:40, too late to be ready for a 19:30 departure.” A departures board never explains.
We follow the plane
An airport board only knows about its own airport. We follow your plane through every stop it makes today.
Its track record
Where verified historical schedules are available, see how often this flight has been late and by how much.
Three steps, no account needed.
Enter your flight
Enter a flight number, or choose your origin and destination. Add a date to see schedules and recent punctuality.
We find the plane coming in
We look up its tail number, where it is right now, and whether it can land and be ready in time.
We tell you when times change
We check tracked flights every 10 minutes and message you when the departure or arrival time changes. If nothing changes, we stay quiet.
Pickups
Picking someone up?
No need to keep checking.
Check their flight and share the alerts with your driver or family. If the arrival time changes, everyone gets the update on Telegram or by email.
Check their flight
Frequently asked questions
What does DelayAhead do?
DelayAhead is a free flight delay prediction tool. Enter your flight and we show whether it is likely to leave late, often before the airline announces anything, with the new expected departure and landing times in local time at each airport.
How does it predict a delay?
We cross-check live aircraft positions, airline schedules and recent flight history with our own prediction model, and flag when your flight is likely to leave late. The result explains why in plain words, and says whether the delay is already official or only our prediction.
Is it free? Do I need an account?
Yes, it is free, and you don't need an account to check a flight or to get alerts. An account is optional. It lets you see the flights you follow in one place and stop their alerts. For email alerts we first ask you to confirm your email address, unless you are signed in with that same address. We may add optional premium features in the future.
How do alerts work?
After you check a flight, you can get alerts by email or on Telegram. For email, we first send a short message to confirm your address, and alerts start once you confirm. We check tracked flights every 10 minutes and send a message when the departure or arrival time changes by 10 minutes or more, when the risk of a delay goes up, and when the flight takes off and lands. Otherwise we stay quiet. Every alert email has a link to stop the alerts, and on Telegram you can send /stop.
Is this an official airline notice?
No. When the airline has announced a delay, the result is labelled as an official airline delay. Otherwise it is labelled as our prediction, which is an early estimate. Always check with your airline before you travel.
Which flights and airports does it cover?
You can check flights worldwide wherever schedule and aircraft data are available. For some flights we can't identify the plane yet, often until closer to departure. When that happens we say so and show the airline's own status instead.
Can I use it to pick someone up?
Yes. Check their flight to see when it is expected to land, in the airport's local time. When you sign up for alerts you can add up to three more email addresses, such as a driver's, so everyone gets the same updates. Each of them gets a short email to confirm first, and nothing more unless they do.