Sun, Oct 4 has passed, so this is the 12-month record.

Itineraries flown on 20+ days in the Jun 6 – Jul 31, 2026 schedule · each leg’s record Aug 2025 – Jul 2026

No nonstop, and no clear pattern: the best connection reaches Santa Ana on time 92% of the time.

Best connections, one ticket

Ranked by chance you reach Santa Ana on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included (Santa Ana is 2 h behind Chicago). Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


Southwest Details →	MDW 05:15 → DEN 06:50WN 2989	1h 00m Denver	DEN 07:50 → SNA 09:15WN 1745	6h 00m	98%	92%
Southwest Details →	MDW 05:20 → PHX 06:55WN 2858	3h 00m Phoenix	PHX 09:55 → SNA 11:15WN 3001	7h 55m	100%	85%
Southwest Details →	MDW 10:20 → SMF 12:40WN 2094	3h 25m Sacramento	SMF 16:05 → SNA 17:35WN 3833	9h 15m	100%	84%
Southwest Details →	MDW 06:30 → LAS 08:20WN 1182	2h 12m Las Vegas	LAS 10:32 → SNA 11:42WN 2092	7h 12m	98%	79%
Southwest Details →	MDW 06:50 → DEN 08:20WN 2765	2h 08m Denver	DEN 10:28 → SNA 11:50WN 4175	7h 03m	100%	78%
Southwest Details →	MDW 16:55 → LAS 18:45WN 2797	2h 30m Las Vegas	LAS 21:15 → SNA 22:20WN 1590	7h 30m	94%	76%
Southwest Details →	MDW 16:35 → PHX 18:15WN 2861	2h 55m Phoenix	PHX 21:10 → SNA 22:25WN 4107	7h 50m	92%	70%
Southwest Details →	MDW 08:40 → PHX 10:20WN 3016	2h 20m Phoenix	PHX 12:40 → SNA 13:55WN 375	7h 15m	100%	69%
Tight connection: often missed
Southwest Details →	MDW 18:35 → PHX 20:15WN 2862	55m Phoenix	PHX 21:10 → SNA 22:25WN 4107	5h 50m	41%	30%

Same layover, different day-part

How often the first flight arrives too late to connect (45 min minimum), for one-ticket layovers of 45–80 minutes.

Morning

DEN · 1h 00m · leaves 05:15 2%

LAS · 1h 12m · leaves 07:30 8%

Afternoon and evening

PHX · 55m · leaves 18:35 59%

Delays build through the day, so an afternoon first leg eats the layover. A short connection is fine early in the morning and a gamble later on.

Mixing airlines

One ticketMiss it and the airline rebooks you; bags go through. 45 min is enough.

Separate ticketsMiss it and you buy a new ticket. Re-check bags, clear security again: we require 90 min.


Southwest WN 2809 MDW 10:05 → PDX Alaska AS 264 PDX 14:48 → SNA Connection details →	2h 23m	9h 14m	100%	91%
Southwest WN 2765 MDW 06:50 → DEN United UA 1320 DEN 11:20 → SNA Connection details →	3h 00m	8h 01m	100%	88%
Southwest WN 1182 MDW 06:30 → LAS Frontier F9 1699 LAS 11:17 → SNA Connection details →	2h 57m	8h 04m	98%	85%

Rank all connections, any airlines →

Regional partners count as the airline that sells them: SkyWest flying Delta Connection is one Delta ticket.

How these are worked out. Makes the connection: share of the last year’s flights where the first flight arrived with at least 45 minutes to spare (90 on separate tickets). Arrives on time: first flight not cancelled × connection made × second flight not cancelled and arriving within 15 minutes. Not yet counted: the second flight also leaving late (which helps), gate-to-gate distance at the hub, and rebooking after a missed connection.

About this data: US DOT on-time records, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, all US airlines; regional flights count under the airline that sells them. Schedules (which flights and connections exist, and their times) are as of Jun 6 – Jul 31, 2026; seasonal flights outside that window aren’t ranked. Rebuilt monthly. JSON