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

No clear winner: American’s CHA → DCA flights land within a few points of 86% on time whatever the hour.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


American	CHA	DCA	1h 55m	86%	2.0%	301	Flying now

Best connections, one ticket

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

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


American Details →	CHA 05:00 → CLT 06:32AA 5866 · flown by Piedmont	1h 28m Charlotte	CLT 08:00 → DCA 09:29AA 1977	4h 33m	100%	89%
United Details →	CHA 06:00 → ORD 06:59UA 4540 · flown by GoJet	3h 01m Chicago	ORD 10:00 → DCA 13:04UA 1381	7h 04m	98%	83%
Delta Details →	CHA 06:00 → DTW 07:55DL 4652 · flown by Endeavor	2h 10m Detroit	DTW 10:05 → DCA 11:34DL 2476	5h 34m	96%	81%
Delta Details →	CHA 05:35 → ATL 06:29DL 1044	2h 51m Atlanta	ATL 09:20 → DCA 11:08DL 380	5h 32m	100%	79%
Delta Details →	CHA 06:40 → ATL 07:36DL 5039 · flown by Endeavor	3h 24m Atlanta	ATL 11:00 → DCA 12:42DL 737	6h 02m	94%	72%
American Details →	CHA 08:18 → CLT 09:55AA 6105 · flown by Piedmont	1h 19m Charlotte	CLT 11:14 → DCA 12:59AA 5527 · flown by PSA	4h 40m	92%	71%
Delta Details →	CHA 06:04 → LGA 08:15DL 4890 · flown by Endeavor	3h 05m New York	LGA 11:20 → DCA 12:46DL 5749 · flown by Republic	6h 42m	97%	69%
American Details →	CHA 06:05 → ORD 07:02AA 3725 · flown by Envoy	2h 40m Chicago	ORD 09:42 → DCA 12:44AA 2398	6h 39m	100%	69%
Tight connection: often missed
Delta Details →	CHA 14:50 → ATL 15:52DL 3141	48m Atlanta	ATL 16:40 → DCA 18:33DL 950	3h 43m	66%	42%
Delta Details →	CHA 19:22 → ATL 20:24DL 3579 · flown by SkyWest	1h 31m Atlanta	ATL 21:55 → DCA 23:44DL 537	4h 22m	65%	41%
Delta Details →	CHA 16:06 → ATL 17:05DL 3057	50m Atlanta	ATL 17:55 → DCA 19:48DL 832	3h 42m	65%	36%

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

ATL · 56m · leaves 05:35 2%

CLT · 1h 19m · leaves 08:18 8%

ORD · 1h 16m · leaves 10:27 13%

Afternoon and evening

ATL · 50m · leaves 16:06 35%

DFW · 1h 09m · leaves 16:22 52%

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.


American AA 4512 CHA 06:13 → ORD United UA 1381 ORD 10:00 → DCA Connection details →	2h 25m	6h 51m	94%	79%
Delta DL 1044 CHA 05:35 → ATL American AA 5050 ATL 08:58 → DCA Connection details →	2h 29m	5h 25m	100%	77%
Delta DL 4890 CHA 06:04 → LGA American AA 4654 LGA 10:47 → DCA Connection details →	2h 32m	6h 13m	94%	75%

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