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

No clear winner: airlines and hours on this route all land within a few points of 4 in 5 on time.

Nonstops


Delta	DAL	ATL	2h 10m	82%	2.2%	1,828	Flying now
Southwest	DAL	ATL	2h 00m	75%	1.7%	1,522	Flying now

Best connections, one ticket

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

Ranked by chance you reach Atlanta on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included (Atlanta is 1 h ahead of Dallas). Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


Southwest Details →	DAL 07:20 → STL 09:05WN 274	55m St Louis	STL 10:00 → ATL 12:35WN 236	4h 15m	84%	78%
Southwest Details →	DAL 08:35 → MCI 10:10WN 1343	2h 25m Kansas City	MCI 12:35 → ATL 15:40WN 527	6h 05m	100%	75%
Southwest Details →	DAL 08:00 → CMH 11:20WN 4386	1h 45m Columbus	CMH 13:05 → ATL 14:35WN 346	5h 35m	96%	73%
Southwest Details →	DAL 06:00 → HOU 07:10WN 1628	2h 35m Houston	HOU 09:45 → ATL 12:48WN 1947	5h 47m	100%	72%
Southwest Details →	DAL 06:10 → DCA 10:00WN 3351	1h 45m Washington	DCA 11:45 → ATL 13:35WN 194	6h 25m	98%	64%
Southwest Details →	DAL 12:10 → PHX 12:35WN 1382	1h 40m Phoenix	PHX 14:15 → ATL 20:55WN 3232	7h 45m	91%	63%
Southwest Details →	DAL 16:40 → BNA 18:30WN 1277	3h 12m Nashville	BNA 21:42 → ATL 10:45WN 447	6h 12m	92%	59%
Southwest Details →	DAL 17:30 → HOU 18:45WN 45	3h 20m Houston	HOU 22:05 → ATL 01:08 +1WN 1949	6h 37m	96%	55%
Tight connection: often missed
Southwest Details →	DAL 15:30 → HOU 16:50WN 37	1h 00m Houston	HOU 17:50 → ATL 20:55WN 1948	4h 25m	66%	30%
Southwest Details →	DAL 17:25 → STL 19:10WN 2921	55m St Louis	STL 20:05 → ATL 22:40WN 3883	4h 15m	42%	30%
Southwest Details →	DAL 12:52 → MSY 14:22WN 3790	58m New Orleans	MSY 15:20 → ATL 17:50WN 4949	3h 58m	51%	17%

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

HOU · 1h 00m · leaves 07:30 8%

Afternoon and evening

HOU · 1h 00m · leaves 15:30 34%

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 4631 DAL 06:05 → MCI Delta DL 2471 MCI 10:36 → ATL Connection details →	3h 01m	6h 33m	98%	90%
Southwest WN 1466 DAL 06:20 → MSY Delta DL 1424 MSY 10:35 → ATL Connection details →	2h 50m	5h 46m	98%	89%
Southwest WN 1355 DAL 06:00 → MDW Delta DL 1063 MDW 11:05 → ATL Connection details →	2h 50m	7h 01m	100%	88%

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