How to play & FAQ
Flight Chain is a daily simulation game where you chain real domestic flight connections to rack up total flight distance.
How to play
1. Pick your origin
Choose your starting airport from the nationwide list. Legs that depart from or arrive at the daily bonus airport score a multiplier.
2. Chain connections
Pick flights departing from your current location. Layovers must be at least 20 minutes.
3. Lock in before the deadline
Lock your flight plan by 23:59. After locking you can't edit. Until then, edit freely.
4. Score settles tomorrow
Actual flight results (on-time / delayed / cancelled) determine your score. Missing a connection forfeits all subsequent legs.
Rules
- Sum the great-circle distance (km) of successful legs — measured straight-line between airports, not the actual flown route
- Legs that depart from or arrive at the bonus airport are scored with a multiplier
- If the previous flight's actual arrival leaves less than 20 minutes before the next flight's actual departure, the rest of the chain is missed
- If a flight is cancelled, all subsequent legs fail
- Diverted flights still earn distance — measured straight-line to the actual landing airport — but break the chain for subsequent legs
Frequently asked questions
What data does it use?
It is based on domestic flight operating data provided by the Public Transportation Open Data Center.
How often can I play?
It's a daily game for predicting the next day's flights. You can lock your route once per day, but you can freely edit and rebuild it until the deadline (23:59 each day).
When are the results available?
Your score settles the next day, once the real operating results are in. You can review them from "Past results" on the top page.
What is the "on-time rate" shown on a flight?
It's an unofficial guide that this game works out on its own. Using operating data from the Public Transportation Open Data Center, it's the share of past days a flight ran without falling 5 minutes or more behind schedule, counted only for flights with several days of history. It is not an official figure published by airlines or anyone else and will not match such figures. Flights without enough history yet show no rate, which does not mean they are often late.
Can I use it in streams or videos?
Yes. You're free to use it in live streams, commentary, and videos (monetization is fine too). See the Streaming & Video Guidelines for details such as crediting the data source.
Streaming & Video GuidelinesCan I play on a phone?
Yes. It works in browsers on phones, tablets, and computers, and you can add it to your home screen to launch it like an app.