Before buying an iPhone flight-tracking app, I thought I should check out where the top apps get their flight data and learn which source has the most accurate data.

At their web site ( http://www.mobiata.com/flighttrack ), I learned that the leading app, FlightTrack, gets data from FlightStats. I googled FlightStats and found 1,570,000 hits, with lots of praise for its data.

Flight Tracker ( http://www.splashdata.com/splashtravel/flights/ ) is cheaper that FlightTrack, but their web site does not give their data source, so I wrote to their support email address. They responded:

> Our Flight Tracker data comes from a 3rd party flight data
> service, know as Custom Online Services.

I googled "Custom Online Services" and found nothing! So, I wrote Flight Tracker again and inquired further. Their response:

> It's a private 3rd party service. It's not for public
> access - just developer services.

What do you think: Am I gullible to thing that "Custom Online Services" is "private" and "not for public access" and is thus listed nowhere on the web? Or is "Custom Online Services" simply fictitious?

P.S. Sure, I could just buy both apps, but am now curious about this possible subterfuge. Or am I just being suspicious?

Never heard of that data source, so either they made it up, not wanting to give away their real source (which I can totally understand), or they are using a source in a way they shouldn't be, and also don't want to give that away.

Either way, the competition in the apps market is fierce, and giving away any part of your business model could be a bad move.

I haven't yet seen a paid app for flight tracking that is that much better than simply using www.mobile.flightstats.com

I agree. Unless I was tracking multiple flight -- think trip organizer -- and I need a bunch of flights programed in and a quick heads-up view of their latest position I think the web solutions are better.

I find no evidence that "Custom Online Services" exists. Looking for it has been a waste of my time. I guess I was gullible to believe the support email I received from Flight Tracker. OK, maybe Flight Tracker does not want to give away their business model. But lying in response to support email seems like bad business practice. It is hard to trust a company that lies.