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 DAY → DCA flights land within a few points of 72% on time whatever the hour.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


American	DAY	DCA	1h 35m	72%	3.6%	964	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.


United Details →	DAY 05:40 → ORD 05:55UA 4415 · flown by GoJet	2h 05m Chicago	ORD 08:00 → DCA 11:01UA 382	5h 21m	100%	83%
United Details →	DAY 07:15 → ORD 07:55UA 4402 · flown by GoJet	2h 05m Chicago	ORD 10:00 → DCA 13:04UA 1381	5h 49m	93%	77%
Delta Details →	DAY 06:00 → ATL 07:42DL 3140	3h 18m Atlanta	ATL 11:00 → DCA 12:42DL 737	6h 42m	98%	76%
American Details →	DAY 06:31 → CLT 08:20AA 5234 · flown by PSA	2h 54m Charlotte	CLT 11:14 → DCA 12:59AA 5527 · flown by PSA	6h 27m	96%	73%
American Details →	DAY 07:09 → DFW 08:50AA 5157 · flown by PSA	1h 06m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 09:56 → DCA 13:59AA 1624	6h 49m	89%	69%
American Details →	DAY 12:29 → ORD 12:54AA 3786 · flown by Envoy	2h 01m Chicago	ORD 14:55 → DCA 18:00AA 2769	5h 30m	96%	69%
American Details →	DAY 08:49 → ORD 09:30AA 4974 · flown by SkyWest	1h 15m Chicago	ORD 10:45 → DCA 13:59AA 4809 · flown by Republic	5h 10m	86%	67%
American Details →	DAY 08:17 → ORD 08:50AA 3685 · flown by Envoy	52m Chicago	ORD 09:42 → DCA 12:44AA 2398	4h 27m	96%	66%
Tight connection: often missed
United Details →	DAY 18:15 → ORD 18:51UA 4749 · flown by SkyWest	54m Chicago	ORD 19:45 → DCA 22:54UA 2160	4h 39m	75%	38%
United Details →	DAY 14:23 → ORD 14:55UA 4747 · flown by SkyWest	1h 05m Chicago	ORD 16:00 → DCA 19:17UA 5552 · flown by SkyWest	4h 54m	71%	35%
American Details →	DAY 17:57 → CLT 19:45AA 5158 · flown by PSA	1h 04m Charlotte	CLT 20:49 → DCA 22:20AA 527	4h 23m	63%	35%

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 01m · leaves 06:31 11%

DFW · 1h 06m · leaves 07:09 11%

ORD · 1h 05m · leaves 07:15 16%

Afternoon and evening

ATL · 1h 15m · leaves 15:56 10%

ORD · 54m · leaves 18:15 25%

CLT · 1h 04m · leaves 17:57 37%

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.


United UA 4415 DAY 05:40 → ORD American AA 2345 ORD 08:00 → DCA Connection details →	2h 05m	5h 19m	100%	75%
United UA 4402 DAY 07:15 → ORD American AA 4809 ORD 10:45 → DCA Connection details →	2h 50m	6h 44m	93%	73%
Delta DL 3140 DAY 06:00 → ATL American AA 3976 ATL 10:57 → DCA Connection details →	3h 15m	6h 55m	97%	69%

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