Know Exactly When Your In-Laws' Flight Lands
SkyText sends you and your spouse a text the moment they're on the ground — so you can time the pickup without the guesswork.
By Tom Walsh
Track a FlightEvery time my in-laws fly in from Phoenix, it turns into a minor logistical operation. My father-in-law, Rick, has a habit of calling from the plane while they're taxiing to the gate — which is sweet, but that call usually comes while I'm still in traffic and now I'm trying to have a full conversation while also reading exit signs. My mother-in-law texts my wife. My wife texts me. By the time the information makes its way to me, it's been through two translations and neither of them mentioned which terminal they're at.
We needed a better system. SkyText became that system.
Now I enter their flight number the night before they arrive — it takes about two minutes — add my number and my wife's, and we both get a text the second that flight touches down. No phone tag, no relay chain, no catching me in traffic. Rick can still call from the plane if he wants. But by the time he does, I already know he's landed.
The other direction matters just as much. When my in-laws fly home after a visit, we always want to confirm they got back okay. I set up a SkyText alert for their return flight the same way I set up the inbound one. When they land in Phoenix, my wife gets the text and calls her mom. That's the official end of the visit.
What I didn't expect was that this would take some of the friction out of visits entirely. Nobody's scrambling, nobody's waiting in the cell phone lot for forty-five minutes, nobody's calling anyone with a half-formed guess about landing times. A smoother pickup is a better start to the visit.
The challenge
What makes this difficult.
- Timing the airport pickup without knowing the real landing time
- Phone calls and texts from multiple people creating a confusing relay of information
- Sitting in the cell phone lot longer than necessary because the flight was early or late
- Wanting to know they arrived safely when they fly home after a visit
The solution
How SkyText helps.
- You and your spouse both get a text the second the flight lands — no relay required
- Timing the airport drive becomes simple: leave when you get the text
- Set up alerts in both directions — when they arrive and when they fly home
- Nothing required on their end, works on any phone
How it works
Three steps to peace of mind.
Enter the flight number
Type the flight number. We verify it against live data.
Add your phone number
Enter the mobile number where you want to receive updates.
Get a text when they land
We track the flight and send you an SMS when it touches down.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Can both my spouse and I get the alert at the same time?
Yes. You can add up to 5 phone numbers to a single SkyText alert. Add yours and your spouse's and you'll both get the same text the moment the flight lands.
Should I set up an alert for their return flight too?
A lot of people do. Setting up an alert for both directions means you know they arrived safely on both ends. It's a separate alert for each flight, but the setup is the same each time.
What if their flight is delayed?
SkyText sends the alert based on actual landing time. If their flight is delayed, you simply get the text later. No need to update anything or keep checking.
Founder, SkyText
Aviation lover who built SkyText because families deserve to know when someone lands safely. Has tracked more flights than he'd like to admit.