Flight time FAQ
The questions travelers ask us most, about how flight times work and how we calculate them.
- How is flight time calculated?
- We take the great-circle distance between the two airports, divide by a realistic cruise speed for the aircraft type, adjust for the jet stream (a tailwind eastbound, a headwind westbound), and add typical taxi time. It is the same verified engine our app uses.
- How accurate are the flight times?
- They are close estimates for planning, usually within a few minutes to a quarter hour of a real schedule. Airlines pad their published times with extra buffer, so a scheduled flight is often a little longer than the pure flying time.
- What does gate to gate mean?
- Gate to gate is the whole time from pushing back at the departure gate to arriving at the destination gate, including taxi out, flying, and taxi in. It is longer than the time actually spent in the air.
- Why does my return flight take longer than the way out?
- The jet stream. Flying east you usually get a tailwind that speeds you up, and flying west you fight a headwind that slows you down. On a transatlantic route this can add or subtract more than an hour. There is more in this post.
- What is a red-eye flight?
- A red-eye is an overnight flight that leaves late at night and lands early the next morning, named for the tired eyes you step off with. Most are 4 to 8 hours, which fits inside a single night.
- Does the flight time include layovers or connections?
- No. FlightBeat shows the nonstop flying time between two airports. If a route needs a connection we say so, but we do not add layover time, which varies by itinerary.
- Why do some aircraft say "Beyond range"?
- Because that aircraft physically cannot fly that distance nonstop. A regional jet cannot cross the Atlantic, for example, so instead of inventing a time we mark it "Beyond range". We never show a flight time an aircraft could not actually fly.
- What time zone is the arrival shown in?
- Always the local time at the destination, with daylight saving handled, and we flag it when you land the next day.
- Is FlightBeat free?
- Yes. There is no account, no paywall, and no sign up to use the calculator or any page.
- Does FlightBeat show actual flights and prices?
- We focus on flight time, distance, and arrival. When you are ready to book, the "Find flights" button takes you to a live flight search where you can compare real flights and fares.
Still curious? Put your route into the calculator and see the exact time, map, and arrival.