How can I pick up a GPS signal from a passenger seat in a commercial airline?

I'd like to pick up a GPS signal while I'm a passenger in a commercial airplane so that I can know where I'm and how fast/high I'm flying. Also, I think it would be pretty interesting to watch the approach to/departure from airports on a map as they occur.

So far I've tried holding up cell phones by the window (with airplane mode on and Wi-Fi and phone off) but haven't been able to pick up a signal.

Has anyone else figured out how to do this? Maybe with a device other than a cell phone?

You don't get the gps signal because your phone is in airplane mode.

Most planes have a tracker on the seat in front of you. Depending on the plane, some even have a camera so you can see what's happening in real time.

Some planes have that built in so you can see that exact info… Try delta

A) The phrase "commercial airline" is redundant. All airlines are commercial by definition because they are in business to make a profit. Next time, just say airline.

b) On most phones, "airplane mode" doesn't disable the GPS, but yours might so it may need to be manually enabled when flying. However, the structure of the aircraft is quite effective at blocking the GPS signal and there's not much you can do without an external antenna. The phone pretty much needs line-of-sight to one of the GPS satellites and holding it up to a cabin window doesn't reliably provide that.

How do I help the bad guy figure out exactly where the plane is so that he can do bad things to it?
I will ask questions like I just did.
WHY do you need to know exactly how high you are or exactly where you are second by second?
Wanting to know is not NEEDING to know.
You do not NEED to know.

I think it would be pretty interesting to watch the approach to/departure from airports on a map as they occur.
Bad guys like to do that too so they can shoot down the desired target easier.
ATC needs to know. YOU do not.

You claim to have flown before, yet seem to be unaware of the flight information and map that is on the screen in front of you.

You can use mobile apps like flightradar24 or flightaware to track your flight on your smart phone or a tablet over the Wi-Fi.

My phone will give me a location usong gpogle maps. This Is in airplane mode. But it won't shownthe altitude or speed