When you make a flight reservation, you will be given information on the departure time, flight length and arrival time. However, these times can vary depending on a number of factors, including air traffic, weather and mechanical problems. It's impossible to predict your exact flight time, but if you factor in the things that might affect it and look at the past history of your flight, you can often come up with a good estimate.
Note your airline's estimated flight time, which will appear on your reservation. The airline will calculate this figure based on arrival and departure times. It will also take time zone crossings into account and will be adjusted based on any time you might lose or gain during the flight.
Set up a free user account at Flight Aware or a similar flight tracking website. If you don't want to sign up for your own account, visit Bugmenot to look for public sign-ins. Flight tracking websites give you access to historical flight times for your particular flight.
Make a list of your flight's exact duration times over the past 30 days. Include all of the times in that period, even if they vary considerably.
Add up the flight duration times on your list, then divide the total by 30. The result will be the average flight time for your upcoming flight. It may differ from the number provided by the airline, but it is more likely to be accurate because it's based on actual flight times rather than simply using the scheduled departure and arrival times.
Adjust your figure on the day of your flight to account for bad weather or any other conditions that could affect the flight time. Rain and snow storms, wind, and other severe weather can cause flight delays. This can happen even if the severe conditions are happening in another part of the country because delays in major cities often have a domino effect on other airports.
