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

The nonstop is quickest: American DSM → CLT (2h 30m), on time 4 times in 5. Southwest via Midway (4h 45m) is more reliable, 91%, but takes 2h 15m longer.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


American	DSM	CLT	2h 30m	83%	3.0%	809	Flying now

Best connections, any airlines

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

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


Southwest Details →	DSM 05:10 → MDW 06:30WN 1772	1h 20m Chicago	MDW 07:50 → CLT 10:55WN 2749	4h 45m	95%	91%
United Details →	DSM 06:00 → ORD 07:40UA 1856	2h 46m Chicago	ORD 10:26 → CLT 13:50UA 3450 · flown by Republic	6h 50m	96%	83%
Southwest + Unitedtwo ticketsDetails →	DSM 06:10 → DEN 07:00WN 1769	2h 50m Denver	DEN 09:50 → CLT 15:12UA 1633	8h 02m	90%	80%
American Details →	DSM 09:02 → ORD 10:44AA 4969 · flown by SkyWest	2h 33m Chicago	ORD 13:17 → CLT 16:29AA 3280	6h 27m	96%	80%
Delta Details →	DSM 05:35 → ATL 08:44DL 2727	1h 26m Atlanta	ATL 10:10 → CLT 11:26DL 3190	4h 53m	96%	80%
Delta + Americantwo ticketsDetails →	DSM 06:50 → MSP 08:12DL 5402 · flown by Endeavor	2h 44m Minneapolis	MSP 10:56 → CLT 14:36AA 2154	6h 46m	91%	79%
Delta Details →	DSM 10:54 → MSP 12:06DL 4998 · flown by Endeavor	3h 09m Minneapolis	MSP 15:15 → CLT 18:49DL 2821	6h 53m	98%	76%
American Details →	DSM 05:00 → ORD 06:39AA 4519 · flown by Republic	2h 51m Chicago	ORD 09:30 → CLT 12:38AA 2502	6h 38m	97%	75%
Tight connection: often missed
Delta Details →	DSM 18:03 → MSP 19:15DL 5020 · flown by Endeavor	1h 00m Minneapolis	MSP 20:15 → CLT 23:46DL 2929	4h 43m	74%	56%
Delta Details →	DSM 10:25 → DTW 13:13DL 5048 · flown by Endeavor	52m Detroit	DTW 14:05 → CLT 15:58DL 1429	4h 33m	66%	56%
United Details →	DSM 15:01 → IAH 17:25UA 6117 · flown by Mesa	47m Houston	IAH 18:12 → CLT 21:59UA 2864	5h 58m	69%	52%

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

MDW · 1h 20m · leaves 05:10 5%

ORD · 1h 16m · leaves 09:02 7%

DFW · 1h 06m · leaves 05:18 13%

Afternoon and evening

ATL · 1h 17m · leaves 14:25 10%

MSP · 1h 00m · leaves 18:03 26%

IAH · 47m · leaves 15:01 31%

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.

The table above includes two-ticket connections (marked “two tickets”), held to the 90-minute minimum. One ticket only →

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