The clever new app that tells you EXACTLY when to leave home for the airport - and could save you hours of waiting around

Published: 05:35 EST, 13 November 2026 | Updated: 05:37 EST, 13 November 2026 Are you an ‘airport dad’ who likes to arrive hours before take-off, or the type of traveller who prefers to cut it fine and arrive at the last possible minute?Knowing exactly when to leave home for the airport is a pre-flight headache familiar to almost everyone – but a clever new app feature could finally take the guesswork out of it.Travel app Flighty has launched ‘When to Leave’, a new tool that works out precisely when passengers should set off, factoring in everything from predicted traffic to how long they’ll need at the airport.And it seems there’s plenty of room for improvement: a recent survey by Sendmybag.com found that more than 50 per cent of travellers questioned arrive at the airport too early.Whether you’re an anxious flyer who likes plenty of time to spare, a parent juggling a family holiday or a business traveller keen to make every minute count, the feature aims to help you get your timing just right. Flighty has launched a new 'When to Leave' feature It will allow you to better calculate when you should leave for your flightFlighty uses Apple Maps' drive times to calculate each traveller's journey to the airport, based on predicted traffic, so they aren't constantly switching between apps. You begin by adding a departure location under your flight details. Drive times are checked often before Flighty sends the initial 'Leave Soon' alert 20 minutes before its final 'Time to Leave' alert. If traffic gets significantly worse, Flighty sends an updated notification preventing manual checking. It also flags local public holidays that could mean heavier traffic or longer airport queues. When to Leave is designed for drivers, but travellers using other transportation can enter their own needed travel time.For time in-airport, When to Leave suggests a default starting point of two hours for U.S. domestic, Schengen or short-haul flights. Flighty uses Apple Maps' drive times to work out an estimated departure timeIf a traveller has flown from that airport before, it suggests their usual timing. Travellers can have their dedicated Airport Time estimated as a single block or manually adjusted for up to nine individual activities such as parking, check-in, security and more. When to Leave is available for Flighty Pro users on iOS, iPadOS and MacOS for over 14,000 airports globally. 'Millions of travellers already trust Flighty to tell them what's happening with their flight. Now we're helping beyond the flight with a personalised plan from door to departure, bridging travel time and airport routine in one simple timeline,' said Ryan Jones, Flighty's founder and CEO.