Scheduled, Estimated and Actual Flight Times: What Families Should Check
A flight board can show three different times for one arrival. Learn what each field means, how to check the local date, and when to leave for an airport pick-up.
A crew roster says arrival is at 18:00. The airport board later says 18:40, then shows 18:32. These numbers need not conflict: one may be scheduled, another estimated, and the last an actual event. Before leaving to meet someone, identify the field, date and time zone behind each number.
Each time answers a different question
- Scheduled: the advance plan shown on a booking, roster or calendar. It is not evidence that the event happened at that time.
- Estimated: an updated forecast based on current operations. It can change again, so check shortly before setting off.
- Actual: a recorded event after it occurs. The event might be leaving the gate, taking off, touching down or reaching a parking stand; read the field name as well as the clock time.
Video transcript
Start with the scheduled time as the original plan. Check the estimated time for an operational update. An actual time records the event named by its field; touchdown and arrival at the gate are separate events. Confirm the date, time zone and official flight board before travelling.
A four-step check before an airport pick-up
- Match the flight date, origin and destination first. The same flight number can have different records on different days.
- Check whether each clock time is local to the departure airport, arrival airport or your phone's current zone.
- Open the airline or airport's flight information for that day. Do not read an estimate as a completed arrival.
- Confirm the airport, terminal and travel time, then revisit the official information if the forecast changes.
Where a Feiban roster fits
Feiban organizes roster information and available scheduled flight times so family can plan. When a reliable time is unavailable, the leg remains TBC; a manual correction should retain its source. For a delay or actual landing on the day, check the airline or airport announcement.
Frequently asked questions
Should a delayed estimate replace the roster time?
Keep the original duty record separate from a changing day-of-flight estimate. Adjust the pick-up plan using the current announcement; change the roster only when its source has actually changed.
Why is nobody out yet after an actual arrival appears?
First check whether the field means touchdown or gate arrival. Taxiing, parking, disembarkation and subsequent procedures follow landing, with no universal wait in minutes.
Which source should I use if websites disagree?
Compare date, route, time zone and event label. For a pick-up decision, cross-check the airline and airport's information for that day.
Taiwan Civil Aviation Administration: flight information board — Example of a public day-of-flight status board.
US Bureau of Transportation Statistics: on-time reporting fields — Defines distinct gate and wheels-on events; individual boards may use different labels.
When a roster flight time is TBCSee when to leave an uncertain time unfilled and how to check a correction.