This Ex-Airline Employee’s Mind-Blowing Flight Hack Is Going Viral and You Won’t Believe How Simple and Clever It Is

If you’ve ever had trouble finding your gate number or forgotten which carousel your suitcases are on, you know that finding information about a flight or baggage claim can be annoying or tedious at best. But there’s an easy way to get real-time updates on your flight right from your phone: no tickets or airport TV required.

On TikTok, former airline employee Darby Maloney said her “no.” 1 Flying Tip” ― in addition to getting the TSA PreCheck ― is to text the flight number to herself and her family the morning of her flight.

A flight number consists of a 2-letter airline code and a series of numbers that will help differentiate your flight from other flights that day. You will see the flight number on your booking confirmation or boarding pass.

Maloney gave the example of an American Airlines flight like AA686. If you don’t know what your airline code is, you can also quickly look it up in the International Air Transport Association search engine.

Maloney said that when you text your flight number to an iPhone, it will send you a link that tells you where your plane is and the current gate number, expected flight duration and your baggage claim carousel. Maloney said the link is useful because if your door changes, it will also automatically change in that link.

“I never have to look at screens at the airport again,” Maloney said. “This is the biggest hack ever and I don’t think anyone knows about it.”

Maloney’s advice was clearly new to many people. Her video received over a million likes and thousands of comments. As one of the top comments on her video says: “As someone who flies for work, this is SO helpful!” »

Of course, you can download your airline’s app to get the same information, but the genius of this tip is how it reduces the number of steps you need to take.

Consider the stressful scenario of a short layover for a connecting flight. Doors can change often and you don’t want to waste time making a mistake. If you want to know immediately where your next gate is, Maloney recommends texting yourself the flight number for that leg of your trip.

“As soon as you land, you can just click on your link and know exactly what your gate is. So when you get off the plane, boom, you’re on your way to your connection,” Maloney said.

Or what about the family member who picks you up? They just need your flight number to track any delays.

“I use it the most when someone comes to pick me up,” Maloney said in a follow-up TikTok video. “I’m not going to ask them to download the app…I’m just going to send them the link.”

Since airlines use the same planes for different flights, it’s most helpful to text yourself the flight number the morning of the flight, Maloney recommended.

Here’s how the hack works:

If you’re using an iPhone, simply text your flight number to yourself. From there, you’ll click on the hyperlinked number and select “Flight Overview.” There you can view your flight information in real time.

If you have an Android, texting yourself the flight number won’t cause the same pop-up link, but you can enter your flight number into your Google search bar to get the same information in real time.

When you’re rushing to the airport, it’s good to know exactly where your plane is. Thanks to this tip, this information is easily accessible on your phone. This article was originally published on HuffPost.