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

No nonstop, and no clear pattern: the best connection reaches Oakland on time 7 times in 10.

Best connections, one ticket

Ranked by chance you reach Oakland on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included (Oakland is 3 h behind Dulles). Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


Delta Details →	IAD 07:15 → SLC 09:52DL 432	53m Salt Lake City	SLC 10:45 → OAK 11:53DL 4134 · flown by SkyWest	7h 38m	79%	71%
Alaska Details →	IAD 06:03 → SEA 08:48AS 409	2h 53m Seattle	SEA 11:41 → OAK 13:59AS 1328	10h 56m	98%	70%

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

SLC · 53m · leaves 07:15 21%

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 2410 IAD 17:50 → SLC Delta DL 3797 SLC 22:50 → OAK Connection details →	2h 04m	9h 01m	87%	81%
Delta DL 432 IAD 07:15 → SLC Southwest WN 2951 SLC 13:00 → OAK Connection details →	3h 08m	9h 35m	96%	80%
United UA 325 IAD 07:00 → LAX Southwest WN 4893 LAX 11:55 → OAK Connection details →	2h 29m	9h 15m	99%	80%

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