Google's Flight Tracker: Better Than Fruitcake On The Holidays

Google is rolling out a new search feature at the time of year when Americans need it most: A service to let you know whether your flight is running late. There are several sites on the Internet already offering that service, but Google’s looks like it’ll be easier to use when you’re on the run and accessing from a smartphone. Which is, of course, when you need that information most.

The Google service is about as simple as it can be: Enter an airline name and flight number into the search engine, and the first result will tell you whether the flight is on time or delayed, and estimated departure and arrival times.

The service is from FlightStats.com.

I’ve used FlyteComm for the same purpose, but never really cared for it. I found the interface too cluttered, especially when trying to access it from a smartphone. So Google’s new service is a welcome addition to its portfolio — and it comes at just the right time, when Americans are hitting the airport in swarms for holiday travel.

What Internet sites and services do you count on when you travel?