Frequently Asked Questions

It's simple: upload a CSV file with your flight routes (or enter them manually), and we'll instantly generate an interactive map showing all your travels. You can view your flights on a 2D map or a 3D globe, see statistics like total distance flown and airports visited, and explore your travel history visually. No account needed, no data stored—just upload and visualize.

We intentionally don't access your email for several reasons. First, we respect your privacy and don't want access to your inbox. Second, not all your flights are booked by you—some may be booked by a spouse, friend, or employer, and those confirmations go to their email, not yours. Third, email confirmations aren't always reliable: some get filtered to spam, some airlines format them differently, and canceled flights still leave email trails. Instead, maintaining a simple CSV file gives you complete control. Create it once in Excel or Google Sheets, and just add a new row whenever you take a flight. It takes seconds and you'll have an accurate, permanent record of your actual travel history.

A CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file is just a simple spreadsheet format that any spreadsheet app can create. Open Excel or Google Sheets, create a column called "route", and add your flights like "JFK-LAX" or "SFO-ORD-MIA" for connecting flights. Optionally add a "date" column. Then save or export as CSV. If this sounds like too much work, just use the "Enter Flights" tab on our homepage—no files needed, just type in your airports and we'll build the list for you.

Your CSV needs a route column with hyphen-separated airport codes. Optionally include a date column. Here's an example showing direct flights, layovers, and return flights:

route,date
ATL-BOM,2024-03-15
ATL-LHR-BOM,2024-06-10
ATL-BOS-ATL,2024-09-05 to 2024-09-08

The first row is a direct flight. The second has a layover in London. The third is a round trip with a date range. We also support Excel files (.xlsx, .xls) with the same format.

The date column is optional, but if included, we auto-detect the format. Supported formats:

• US format: MM/DD/YY or MM/DD/YYYY — e.g., 03/15/24 or 03/15/2024
• European format: DD/MM/YY or DD/MM/YYYY — e.g., 15/03/24 or 15/03/2024
• ISO format: YYYY-MM-DD — e.g., 2024-03-15
• Dot-separated: DD.MM.YYYY — e.g., 15.03.2024
• Date ranges: 09/05/24-09/08/24 or 2024-03-15 to 2024-03-20 — useful for round trips

We auto-detect whether dates are US or European format based on the values in your file. If a day value exceeds 12, we know it's a day and not a month. When ambiguous, US format (month first) is assumed. For best results, use ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD) which is universally unambiguous.

Dates on the map are displayed in your browser's local format — so if you're in Germany you'll see DD.MM.YYYY, in the US you'll see M/D/YYYY, in India you'll see D/M/YYYY, and so on.

IATA codes are three-letter airport identifiers assigned by the International Air Transport Association. For example, JFK is New York's John F. Kennedy Airport, LAX is Los Angeles International, and LHR is London Heathrow. When entering flights manually, our search feature will help you find the correct codes by airport name or location.

Chain airport codes with hyphens. Here's how each type works:

• Direct flight: ATL-BOM — a one-way flight from Atlanta to Mumbai. You can skip layover details if you prefer.
• Layover/connection: ATL-LHR-BOM — Atlanta to Mumbai via London. Each segment (ATL to LHR and LHR to BOM) appears as its own arc on the map and counts as a separate flight.
• Return flight: ATL-BOS-ATL — round trip from Atlanta to Boston and back. When entering flights manually, filling in both departure and return dates auto-creates this.

It's your choice whether to include layovers. ATL-BOM and ATL-LHR-BOM both work — the latter just gives more detail on your map.

Distances are calculated using great circle routes, which represent the shortest path between two points on a sphere. This is the same method airlines use to calculate flight distances. Note that actual flight paths may vary slightly due to air traffic control routing and weather.

No, your flight data is processed entirely in your browser session and is not permanently stored on our servers. Once you close the map page or your session ends, the data is gone. We don't share, sell, or analyze your flight history. For keeping a permanent record, use the "Download CSV" feature to save your flights locally.

Currently, you can save your flight data as a CSV file using the "Download CSV" button when entering flights manually. To share your map visualization, you can take a screenshot of the 2D or 3D view. We recommend using your browser's built-in screenshot tools or a screen capture application.

Our database includes most commercial airports worldwide, but some smaller regional airports or private airfields may not be included. Make sure you're using the correct IATA code (not ICAO, which is 4 letters). If you're entering the code manually, ensure it's spelled correctly. Some very new airports may also not yet be in our database. If an airport isn't recognized, that route will be skipped and a warning will appear on your map — the rest of your flights will still be displayed.

The statistics panel displays:

• Total flights - Number of flight segments
• Total distance - Combined distance in miles
• Unique airports - Number of different airports visited
• Unique countries - Number of countries you've flown to/from
• Longest flight - Your longest single flight segment
• Most visited - Your most frequently used airport

Yes, Flightmaps is responsive and works on mobile devices. However, for the best experience, especially with the 3D globe view, we recommend using a desktop or tablet with a larger screen. The 3D visualization is more interactive and detailed on devices with better graphics capabilities.