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

No clear winner: United’s CAE → IAD flights land within a few points of 83% on time whatever the hour.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


United	CAE	IAD	1h 38m	83%	1.9%	901	Flying now

Best connections, one ticket

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

Ranked by chance you reach Dulles on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included. Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


American Details →	CAE 05:00 → CLT 06:09AA 5855 · flown by Piedmont	1h 11m Charlotte	CLT 07:20 → IAD 08:50AA 5219 · flown by PSA	3h 49m	97%	84%
Delta Details →	CAE 05:35 → ATL 06:43DL 3038	3h 07m Atlanta	ATL 09:50 → IAD 11:39DL 1444	6h 03m	99%	82%
American Details →	CAE 07:06 → CLT 08:24AA 5870 · flown by Piedmont	2h 41m Charlotte	CLT 11:05 → IAD 12:38AA 5220 · flown by PSA	5h 32m	100%	81%
Delta Details →	CAE 10:10 → ATL 11:16DL 1010	1h 01m Atlanta	ATL 12:17 → IAD 14:02DL 2135	3h 52m	95%	80%
United Details →	CAE 06:25 → ORD 07:52UA 4496 · flown by GoJet	48m Chicago	ORD 08:40 → IAD 11:52UA 2277	5h 27m	86%	78%
Delta Details →	CAE 11:58 → ATL 13:10DL 5091 · flown by Endeavor	1h 49m Atlanta	ATL 14:59 → IAD 16:47DL 1695	4h 49m	98%	75%
Delta Details →	CAE 18:01 → ATL 19:13DL 2153	3h 40m Atlanta	ATL 22:53 → IAD 00:44 +1DL 2549	6h 43m	96%	70%
Delta Details →	CAE 15:54 → ATL 17:04DL 3193	2h 11m Atlanta	ATL 19:15 → IAD 21:03DL 1309	5h 10m	90%	65%
Tight connection: often missed
American Details →	CAE 20:30 → CLT 21:46AA 6043 · flown by Piedmont	59m Charlotte	CLT 22:45 → IAD 00:10 +1AA 1242	3h 40m	53%	20%

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

CLT · 1h 11m · leaves 05:00 3%

ATL · 1h 01m · leaves 10:10 5%

ORD · 48m · leaves 06:25 14%

Afternoon and evening

CLT · 59m · leaves 20:30 47%

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.


Delta DL 3038 CAE 05:35 → ATL United UA 632 ATL 09:25 → IAD Connection details →	2h 42m	5h 40m	97%	83%
American AA 6047 CAE 14:32 → CLT United UA 3998 CLT 19:44 → IAD Connection details →	3h 56m	6h 48m	98%	76%
Delta DL 1010 CAE 10:10 → ATL United UA 1831 ATL 14:41 → IAD Connection details →	3h 25m	6h 25m	100%	76%

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