I attempted 2 Flighty alternate options for Android. Here is the one I would choose

The concept that builders typically prioritize Apple’s ecosystem is one thing we hear on a regular basis, and the most effective examples is Flighty. Should you haven’t heard of it, Flighty is extensively thought to be the most effective flight-tracking apps on iPhone. Regardless of years of requests from Android customers, myself included, it nonetheless isn’t obtainable on Android.

Positive, there are many flight-tracking apps on the Google Play Retailer, however I’ve by no means discovered one which delivers the identical polished expertise as Flighty. Fortunately, that lastly appears to be altering.

Over the previous few weeks, I’ve been making an attempt two Flighty-like apps on Android — Aviate and byAir — and each have genuinely impressed me. In actual fact, in case you’re an Android-only consumer, I feel considered one of them might be the closest factor to Flighty but. Personally, although, there’s nonetheless one cause I maintain coming again to the opposite.

Let’s begin with Aviate, as a result of it’s the newer of the 2 apps and arguably the one which feels most at house on Android.

Not like most flight-tracking apps that really feel like they had been designed for iOS first, Aviate is constructed particularly with Android in thoughts. It makes use of Google’s Materials 3 Expressive design language all through, which instantly makes it really feel at house on a Pixel or Galaxy telephone.

Extra importantly, although, it will get the fundamentals proper. The app is totally ad-free, the corporate claims it doesn’t embody trackers (ironic for a flight monitoring app, huh) or promote your knowledge, and it consists of most of the core options you’d anticipate totally free.

Plus, it consists of all the usual options you’d anticipate, like flight monitoring, real-time gate modifications, notifications, and even calendar syncing totally free. This isn’t one thing I can say for byAir, which payswalls each notifications and calendar syncing.

Along with robotically importing your flights, it’s also possible to add them manually by getting into the airline and flight quantity, or by scanning your boarding go along with your telephone’s digicam.

On high of that, Aviate provides just a few genuinely helpful extras, together with a Starlink Wi-Fi checker that tells you whether or not your upcoming flight helps Starlink. There’s additionally a Jetlag Advisor, AI-powered airport lounge suggestions, and even a built-in LiveATC feed browser and participant.

Design-wise, Aviate locations a big world map on the high of the house display screen, which means you need to scroll barely earlier than you attain your upcoming flight. When you open a visit, although, the flight particulars web page feels clear, fashionable, and really Android-like, with a properly designed route map and all of the vital flight info offered clearly.

The corporate additionally provides a paid Professional tier that unlocks extras like airport indoor navigation, public flight sharing, and LiveATC integration. On the entire, although, the free model already covers most of what I’d need from a flight-tracking app.

As a lot as I like Aviate, byAir remains to be the app that matches my workflow higher. And the reason being really quite simple: I exploit two telephones.

Alongside whichever Android telephone I’m testing or day by day driving, I additionally repeatedly carry my iPhone Air. I change between the 2 all through the day, so I don’t need my flights and journey info tied to just one ecosystem.

That’s the place byAir has a giant benefit. It’s obtainable on each Android and iOS, and when you register, your flights sync between each platforms.

There are additionally just a few design selections I really favor. Whenever you open byAir, your subsequent flight is instantly entrance and heart. You continue to get the world map, annual journey stats, complete flight time, delays, and every thing else, however these dwell in a separate profile part as a substitute of taking on the principle display screen.

byAir can be surprisingly forward on the subject of AI integrations. The app already helps MCP, which means you may join Claude, OpenClaw, and others on to it. That’s admittedly a distinct segment characteristic as we speak, nevertheless it’s good to see the builders already occupied with energy customers.

There are some issues I don’t like, although. The largest one is that even primary flight notifications are locked behind the paid plan. The app helps Android’s Reside Updates (Now Bar on Samsung Galaxy telephones), however as soon as once more, you’ll have to subscribe earlier than you may really use them.

For a flight-tracking app, I feel primary notifications for delays and flight standing needs to be a part of the free expertise, particularly when Aviate already provides them.

Nonetheless, cross-platform assist outweighs these drawbacks for me, a minimum of for now. Though that benefit could not final endlessly, as a result of Aviate’s iOS app is already in growth.

Whereas byAir matches my workflow higher, I really suppose Aviate is the higher advice for many Android customers.

And it largely comes right down to options and pricing. byAir begins at $5.49 for a one-week go, $9.99 per thirty days, or round $39.99 per yr. Aviate, in the meantime, consists of many of the options individuals really need in its free tier.

And even in case you resolve to strive the Professional options, a one-week go prices simply $1.29, two weeks value $2.49, and three weeks value $2.99. Evaluate that with paying $5.49 for only one week of byAir, and Aviate turns into a simple advice.

My solely hesitation proper now could be that Aviate remains to be comparatively new and actively being developed. That’s not essentially a foul factor, nevertheless it additionally means I wouldn’t personally spend $199.99 on the lifetime plan simply but. And, in fact, there’s nonetheless no iOS app obtainable as we speak, which doesn’t actually swimsuit my workflow.

If I solely used Android, although, I’d choose Aviate with out a lot hesitation. It feels extra at house on Android, provides a way more beneficiant free tier, and it really feels just like the closest factor Android has to Flighty as we speak.