TikTok is rife with tips and tricks for basically anything and everything you can imagine—from DIY crafts to getting money back when traveling. One former airline employee recently took to the platform to share her number one hack for people to use when flying. She recommends texting your flight number to yourself or whoever is picking you up from the airport to easily track your flight, gate number and any updates that might come up.
Texting this code (i.e. AA 686) will generate a clickable link that updates in real time, showing you where your aircraft is coming from, what gate it’s arriving at, take-off and landing times, as well as your baggage claim number. This means there’s no need to be on the lookout for airport screens displaying your gate number, no anxiety surrounding gate changes, and no scrambling to find your suitcase at baggage claim. Plus, anyone who is supposed to pick you up from the airport can stay updated on your arrival time and what terminal to pick you up from.
@durbinmalonster S/O @Brooke Webster ♬ original sound - Darby
Of course, many airline apps and Flight Aware all provide the same information, but for those who don’t want to download extra software onto their phones, or to nix that extra step of finding the app and logging in, this handy text trick allows you to navigate those often stressful travel days with ease seamlessly.
Is your mind blown? You’re not alone. Comments on the TikTok video—which has over one million likes—range from “the way this changed my life” to “I’ve learned more on TikTok than 8 years of college.”