Travel guides
Practical guides for following your flight offline, in airplane mode and without Wi-Fi.
EES and ETIAS: what's official for travel to Europe now
The EU's Entry/Exit System is fully in place; ETIAS isn't running yet and has no start date. Who's affected, what happens at the border, the €20 fee.
What am I flying over? How to tell from the plane
How high planes fly, how far you can see from the window, and how to recognise the cities, coasts and lakes below you, even without Wi-Fi.
Delayed first flight: will you make your connection?
What to do when a delay puts your connecting flight at risk, how single bookings and separate tickets differ, and your rights under EU and UK rules.
Does GPS work in airplane mode on a plane?
What airplane mode actually switches off, why your phone struggles to find GPS in the cabin, and how to follow your flight without it.
How to track your flight without Wi-Fi
Why live flight trackers stop updating on board, the two ways offline flight tracking works, and how to set it up before you board.
No Wi-Fi on the plane? What still works without internet
Can you get online on a plane without Wi-Fi? Usually not. How to check your flight for Wi-Fi, the onboard network that works offline, and what to download.
Connecting at European airports
Amsterdam Schiphol connection time: 50 or 60 minutes?
Amsterdam Schiphol's minimum connection times, when you go through passport control or security again, and how the Entry/Exit System affects transfers.
Athens Airport connections: gates, checks and time
Athens Airport publishes no connection time. Where gates A, B and C are, extra time for the satellite, passport control and bags to regional Greek airports.
Frankfurt Airport connections: time, terminals, checks
Frankfurt publishes no minimum connection time. What it does publish on gate journey times, the new Terminal 3, the train between terminals and passport checks.
Heathrow connections: terminals, security and time
Heathrow publishes no minimum connection time. What you need to know about security for every connection, the bus between terminals and UK transit rules.
How long do you need to connect at Munich Airport?
Minimum connection time at Munich: Terminal 1 to 2, the Satellite, passport control and the non-Schengen pier, and what decides your transfer time.
Madrid-Barajas connections: T4, T1-T3 and transfer times
Madrid-Barajas has two connection areas, T4 and T1-T3. How long transfers between them take, when you leave the transit zone and the airport's minimum times.
Paris-CDG minimum connection time by terminal (60–150 min)
Paris-CDG recommends 60 minutes within Terminal 3, 90 within Terminal 1 or 2 and 120 to 150 to change terminal. The full table, shuttles and the 2027 renaming.
Rome Fiumicino connections: transfer rules and terminals
What happens when you change flights at Rome Fiumicino, which transfers need passport control or security, the two terminals and self-transfers.
Paris-CDG new terminal names: old vs new, March 2027
Paris-CDG renames its terminals 1 to 7 on 16 March 2027. Old and new names side by side, how to read your ticket, gates, car parks and connections.
Flying in the US and Canada
Busiest travel days at US airports: TSA checkpoint records
The 10 busiest days ever at US airport security, Thanksgiving week day by day, the busiest days of the week and 2026 so far, from TSA's daily numbers.
Most delayed US airports: on-time ranking, updated monthly
On-time arrivals, departures and cancellations at the 30 busiest US airports over the last 12 months and in August 2026, from federal flight data.
US customs wait times by airport: passport control lines
Average passport control wait times at US international airports, for US citizens and visitors, by hour and month, from CBP data. Updated monthly.
Scheduled, estimated, landed: flight status terms explained
What scheduled, estimated and actual times mean, why landed isn't arrived, how US on-time is measured and what the official delay causes mean.
Where is my plane coming from? Why the inbound matters
A late incoming aircraft is the biggest single cause of US flight delays. How it works, how to find your inbound flight, and what to do when it runs late.
Ground stop meaning: ground stop vs. ground delay
A ground stop holds flights bound for an airport, often for weather; a ground delay program gives each a later departure. What it means and how to check.
Ground stops and airport delays right now (live FAA status)
Live ground stops, ground delay programs and departure delays at US airports, from the FAA's own status feed, updated every 5 minutes. What each one means.
What state am I flying over right now?
How to tell which state or city is below your flight, with or without Wi-Fi, how far you can see from 35,000 feet and the landmarks that are easy to recognize.
Can a delayed flight make up time in the air?
When a late departure can still arrive close to on time, how the jet stream speeds up eastbound flights, and why schedules and ground delays matter more.
International to domestic connections: customs, bags, TSA
Where you clear customs when you fly into the US and connect, why you recheck your bags and go through TSA again, and the few exceptions.
Missed your connection because of a delay? What happens next
What airlines owe you when a late first flight makes you miss your connection in the US or Canada, on one ticket or separate tickets, and what to ask for.
What happens if you don't use airplane mode on a plane?
What FCC and FAA rules say about phones in flight, whether skipping airplane mode is illegal, and what you can still use, including Wi-Fi and GPS.
Why is my plane circling? Holding patterns explained
Why air traffic control puts planes in a holding pattern, what the racetrack loops look like, how long holds usually are and what it means for your arrival.
Why planes fly curved routes instead of straight lines
Why a flight path looks curved on a map, what a great circle is, and how winds, airways and rules for twin-engine planes over oceans shape the route.
Connecting in Canada to the US: preclearance explained
How US preclearance at Canadian airports works when you connect to a US flight, what it saves you on arrival, and Canada's new Free Flow for connections.
Flight delay compensation in Canada: APPR explained
How much Canadian airlines owe for delays and cancellations under the APPR, which disruptions qualify, food and hotels, rebooking and how to claim.
Flight delayed or canceled? What US rules say you're owed
Automatic refunds, what counts as a significant delay, tarmac delays, bumping compensation and why there's no federal cash compensation for delays.
Is a 1-hour layover enough? How to tell before you book
When a 45-minute or 1-hour layover works in the US, when it doesn't, and the questions to ask about terminals, customs, bags and separate tickets.
Connecting at North American airports
Is a 1-hour layover enough at Boston Logan? Terminal A to E
Which Boston Logan terminals connect inside security, why Terminal A is different, the free shuttle and the steps after an international arrival.
Is a 1-hour layover enough at Houston IAH? Terminal trains
How to change terminals at Houston IAH inside security, how often the train runs, where international arrivals clear customs and what changed in 2026.
Is a 1-hour layover enough at LAX? Connections by terminal
Which LAX terminals connect inside security, where the airside path breaks while Terminal 5 is rebuilt, and the steps after an international arrival.
Miami airport layover: is 1 hour enough? Concourse times
Moving between Miami airport's North, Central and South Terminals, the Concourse D train, where you clear customs and what's being built.
Are O'Hare terminals connected? Connecting at ORD
Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are joined inside security; Terminal 5 is not. How to reach Terminal 5 by train or airside bus, when to clear security again, and customs.
Atlanta airport layover: is 1 hour enough to connect?
How connections work at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, how you move between its seven concourses, and what happens when you arrive from another country.
Charlotte airport layover: is a short connection enough?
How connections work at Charlotte Douglas, why most passengers here are connecting, how you get between concourses on foot, and what changed in 2025 and 2026.
Denver airport layover: is 45 minutes or 1 hour enough?
How connections work at Denver International Airport, how long it takes to reach A, B and C gates, and the step-by-step process after an international flight.
DFW layover: changing terminals and how much time you need
How to change terminals at DFW inside security, how long the airport train takes, where international arrivals clear customs, and the 2026 construction.
JFK layover: changing terminals, customs and time needed
How connections work at JFK, why changing terminals means security again, how long the airport train and walks take, and the steps after flying in from abroad.
Newark airport layover: changing terminals and customs
How connections work at Newark Liberty between Terminals A, B and C, how long the airport train takes, and where to recheck bags after an international flight.
Seattle airport layover: international connection time
Seattle-Tacoma recommends 120 to 180 minutes for international connections. Its bags-first process, the connection security checkpoint hours and the steps.
SFO layover: international connections and terminals
How connections work at SFO, where the terminals connect inside security, how long the airport train takes, and the steps after an international arrival.
Toronto Pearson connection guide: customs and preclearance
How connections work at Toronto Pearson between Terminals 1 and 3, when you clear Canadian customs or US preclearance, and what happens to your bags.
Vancouver airport connections: customs and US preclearance
How connections work at Vancouver International, which signs to follow for Canada, international and US flights, and when you collect your bags.