The FlightBeat Blog

Clear, data-backed writing about flight times, routes, and how flying actually works. Written by the FlightBeat team.

Why your return flight takes longer than the way out

The same route, two different flight times. The jet stream is the reason, and it can add or subtract more than an hour.
The FlightBeat team

The longest flights in the world right now

Nonstop routes that keep you in the air for the better part of a day, ranked, with the distances and times.
The FlightBeat team

How to figure out what time you will land

Time zones, red-eyes, and next-day arrivals, explained. Plus the fast way to get your real arrival time.
The FlightBeat team

How is flight time calculated?

Great-circle distance, cruise speed, wind, and the taxi time airlines add. The four steps behind a real estimate.
The FlightBeat team

What does gate to gate mean?

Gate to gate, air time, block time, and the padded number on your ticket. What each one actually measures.
The FlightBeat team

The busiest flight routes in the world

The short domestic shuttles and international corridors that move the most people, and how long they take.
The FlightBeat team

How long is a red-eye flight?

What a red-eye is, how long they last, why they land so early, and how to arrive feeling less wrecked.
The FlightBeat team

The shortest flights in the world

Scheduled flights that last minutes, including one under two minutes, and why these tiny hops exist.
The FlightBeat team