By Barb Nefer
How to Calculate Flight Time
When you book a flight with an airline, it will have a scheduled start and end time, and a stated flight length based on those two numbers. However, many factors play into the actual amount of time your trip will take. You can use the stated time, but there are other steps you can add to calculate your probable flight more accurately.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You'll Need:
- Flight reservation
Account at a flight tracking site
- Flight reservation
- Account at a flight tracking site
Step 1
Check the airline's estimate of the flight time. This will be listed on your reservation and will be based on the listed departure and arrival times. If you will be crossing time zones, remember that the estimate is adjusted for any time lost or gained.
Step 2
Visit a flight tracking website like Flight Aware (see Resources below), and sign up for a free account. This will give you access to previous records for your flight.
Step 3
View the history of your flight for the previous month. Flight Aware and other tracking sites will show the actual flight durations.
Step 4
Add up the actual flight duration times for the past 30 days, then divide the number by 30. This will give you the average length of the flight, which may vary from the airline's estimate. However, your calculation is likely to be more accurate because it is based on actual flight history.
Step 5
Figure in the weather or any other special conditions on the day of your flight that might affect the flight length time. Wind, rain and snow can lengthen that number significantly, even if it's not in your immediate area, because bad conditions in major air traffic hubs will have a ripple effect.
Resources
About the Author:
Based in Kissimmee, Fla., Barb Nefer is a freelance writer with more than 20 years' experience. She is also a mental health counselor and travel agency owner. Her work has appeared in such magazines as "The Writer," "Animal Wellness," "SuperVision," "Bird Talk," "SpeciaLiving" and "Twins."
Photo Credits:
Photo: freedigitalphotos.net
