We’ve all been there: Awaiting a loved one’s arrival at the airport, only to discover that his/her flight is delayed. Never again fear such predicaments, because Just Landed has been cleared for landing on your iPhone. Combining GPS-based location services with up-to-the minute flight data, Just Landed knows exactly where you are and how long it will take to get to the airport. Run errands, have a bite to eat, or watch TV from the comfort of home, and the app pings you when it’s time to head to the airport.
The arriving airline code and flight number is all you need to get started; a search tool makes it easy to find the former without leaving the app. Just Landed sends out push notifications with clever sound effects when the plane takes off, gets delayed, or lands. The gorgeous UI is concise and easy to understand. A banner changes color based on current flight status (aqua for on time, red for delayed), while a “fuel gauge” shows how long before you should leave, complete with estimated driving time and arrival gate.
I randomly picked an incoming flight to put Just Landed through its paces, and it did not disappoint. Rather than wait at home, I jumped in the car to run errands as the app adjusted our “you should leave in” time accordingly, even alerting me to a brief delay just prior to arrival. A single tap calls up the route to the airport via Maps, although I'm hoping when iOS 6 arrives this will provide proper turn-by-turn navigation. Otherwise, Just Landed is a remarkable way to better manage your day when loved ones fly in for a visit.
The bottom line. This one is simple: No more fumbling through data-heavy websites in search of flight arrival times, and no more waiting around in airports. I would happily pay for an app this slick, but thanks to Just Landed's currently gratis price point, nobody has to.
iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 5.0 or later
Elegant and concise interface. Brilliantly combines geolocation with flight data. It's free!
Maps routing to airport doesn't offer true turn-by-turn navigation. Requires user to know two or three-digit airline code and flight number. Only tracks one flight at a time.
