Traveler Update Blog

Tools that allow travelers to stay informed about the departure and arrival status of their flights continue to become increasingly important. The Chicago Tribune recently reported that -- once the final numbers are in for 2007 -- U.S. airlines will most likely have had their second-worst on-time performance record since this data began being tracked in 1995.

Although Orbitz obviously can't help your flights depart and arrive on-time, we do have a number of tools to help you keep informed about the status of your flight.

We recently upgraded our Flight Status feature to enable you to check the status of flights operated by just about any airline in the world -- that’s more than 250 airlines including previously unavailable U.S. airlines such as Southwest, JetBlue, and AirTran as well as previously unavailable international airlines like Qantas, Cathay Pacific, and others. As an example of the status information we provide, take a look at the status of American Airlines Flight #1123.

And did you know that you can also check your flight status from your mobile device while en route to the airport or while waiting in the inevitable check-in or security line at the airport? There are two ways to do this:

Mobile Web: Our Flight Status feature is available on the version of our site that’s optimized for mobile devices. So, if your mobile device has a web browser, just point it to mobile.orbitz.com* (Send this URL to your mobile device now | Learn more about our mobile site).

Text Messaging / SMS: If your mobile device doesn’t have a web browser (or you just don’t like it), you also have the option of checking your flight status by sending a text message (SMS) to Orbitz*. Just text an airline code and flight # (e.g. aa 1123) to ORBITZ (that's 672489 on your keypad), and we'll text you back the current status of your flight. More details and other SMS features

Of course, if you booked your flight on Orbitz, then you can also automatically receive emails, text messages*, or phone calls regarding your flight status whenever it changes. Learn more about OrbitzTLC Alerts

As always, we’re constantly looking to improve our features, and we welcome your feedback at any time.

* Mobile web and text messaging services are free from Orbitz but charges from your carrier for usage may apply if you do not have a data and/or text messaging plan.

- Ryan