Is there any free API/xml feed to check flight status?
For example, flight number, date to track flight, expected time, delayed, canceled, and other details.
+2
A:
First results on Google:
- http://flightwise.com/
- http://www.programmableweb.com/api/flightstats
Google even uses flightstats to pull info for the top hit
coneybeare
2010-05-24 06:29:15
+1 for FlightWise. Looks very interesting.
daft
2010-05-24 06:34:10
Sorry , am not sure, but i thing...the above first link is paid services,second and third are not giving any api, we should go to that site and then enter the flight details to check the status, am looking api , like i will pass flight number , for that i result should be like delayed 20 min , unavailable like (But this is what i expected...) if any thing wrong guide me ...
Bharanikumar
2010-05-24 06:36:26
The second points to flightstats, an API
coneybeare
2010-05-24 06:37:38
...eventually points to https://www.flightstats.com/developers/bin/ which is the home for FlightStats' APIs.
richsage
2010-05-24 06:40:02
Indeed, flighwise has a per-transaction fee. FlightStats does seem to have an option to get access to the API through a non-commercial agreement with them, but you have to get a free evaluation account first and then ask them if you qualify for the non-commercial account. If you're a student you should also be able to get a non-commercial account from them.
daft
2010-05-24 06:43:29
Hi Am Looking only free api..not an purchase one...
Bharanikumar
2010-05-24 07:30:41
The second link is, flightstats development center is paid service...can u please confirm it, its free one or paid service one...
Bharanikumar
2010-05-24 08:30:41
It seems that FlightStats offers a free evaluation period and then requires you to purchase the API. I don't think this is a good option, because you shouldn't have to pay for something as essential as this.
Maxim Zaslavsky
2010-05-24 17:46:13
@Maxim: "you shouldn't have to pay for something as essential as this"? If it's essential, then you probably want it to be maintained. Who will pay the developers who maintain it?
John Saunders
2010-05-24 18:01:50
@John: true, but OP is looking for a free API. Thus, I suggest that he create one himself, as in screen-scraping the sites of different airlines. He'd have to maintain it himself, though.
Maxim Zaslavsky
2010-05-24 23:12:04
@Maxim: what does that have to do with your assertion that 1) this is an essential function, and 2) one shouldn't have to pay for it?
John Saunders
2010-05-24 23:20:39
@John: I think I didn't quite phrase my words right. What I meant was that in using FlightStats or a similar API, you are, in fact, paying for that service's developers to maintain a queryable API that uses the data that airlines release to the public. However, the OP is looking for a free API, so I suggested that he scrape the data that airlines release himself, though, once again, he'd have to maintain it himself. In regards to my earlier comments, I feel that you should pay for the service that those FlightStats developers provide, but you can alternatively use the data yourself for free.
Maxim Zaslavsky
2010-05-24 23:34:06
+4
A:
After some searching, I haven't found any free APIs out there for this. FlightWise and FlightStats are commercial ones, though the data that airlines provide is free (in using FlightStats, you would be paying for their developers to maintain a queryable API that wraps the airline data).
However, you're looking for a free API. While there aren't any available currently, you can create your own by taking a screen-scraping approach. Here are some of the sites that you might consider scraping (which one you should choose depends on how much info do you need about flights):
- Google Search: Google lists the most basic information about a flight at the top of search results. For example, if you search for AA 589, you get the following:
Track status of AA 589 from Richmond (RIC) to Dallas (DFW):
24 May 2010 - On schedule; Departed: 1:20 PM, Estimated arrival: 3:24 PM (www.flightstats.com)
- FlightStats: Google links to this site; you can find a lot of info there (take a look at AA 589's page, for example, to see if this has all the information you need).
- The sites of different airlines: this is essentially what FlightWise and FlightStats do. You can find a lot of information about a certain flight here, but there's a lot of airlines, so this might take some time to develop. However, if you do take this option, you should consider releasing your API as open-source, as developers are currently lacking a free API for these essential functions.
Hope I helped!
Maxim Zaslavsky
2010-05-24 17:59:23
I bet you pirate software too. As john Saunders said below: "If it's essential, then you probably want it to be maintained. Who will pay the developers who maintain it?"
coneybeare
2010-05-24 19:02:32
What John said is true, but OP is looking for a free API. Thus, I suggested that he create one himself, as in screen-scraping the sites of different airlines. He'd have to maintain it, though.
Maxim Zaslavsky
2010-05-24 22:48:53
Edited my answer in relation to my latest response to John's comments (in @coneybeare's answer).
Maxim Zaslavsky
2010-05-24 23:41:27
A:
Am not sure , may be am wrong ,in google when we type DL03 then the first result is DL03 flight status , so with the help of google search api , is it possible to get the flight status ,
Bharanikumar
2010-06-14 06:37:44