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

No clear winner: United’s IAD → PHL flights land within a few points of 4 in 5 on time whatever the hour.

Nonstops


United	IAD	PHL	1h 14m	80%	2.7%	1,104	Flying now

Best connections, one ticket

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

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


United Details →	IAD 06:30 → DEN 08:22UA 2031	1h 13m Denver	DEN 09:35 → PHL 15:12UA 1575	8h 42m	100%	88%
Delta Details →	IAD 06:00 → DTW 07:40DL 3826 · flown by SkyWest	2h 30m Detroit	DTW 10:10 → PHL 11:46DL 2331	5h 49m	96%	83%
Delta Details →	IAD 06:00 → ATL 07:46DL 2127	3h 35m Atlanta	ATL 11:21 → PHL 13:24DL 2279	7h 26m	98%	81%
Delta Details →	IAD 06:00 → MSP 07:55DL 3996 · flown by SkyWest	3h 14m Minneapolis	MSP 11:09 → PHL 14:43DL 2679	8h 42m	97%	81%
American Details →	IAD 05:03 → CLT 06:35AA 5054 · flown by PSA	1h 20m Charlotte	CLT 07:55 → PHL 09:41AA 3046	4h 38m	94%	77%
United Details →	IAD 08:15 → ORD 09:36UA 1775	1h 57m Chicago	ORD 11:33 → PHL 14:47UA 2182	6h 32m	98%	76%
American Details →	IAD 06:33 → CLT 08:00AA 1216	3h 00m Charlotte	CLT 11:00 → PHL 12:43AA 2498	6h 10m	97%	75%
United Details →	IAD 06:10 → ORD 07:27UA 2070	1h 39m Chicago	ORD 09:06 → PHL 12:25UA 2752	6h 15m	95%	74%
Tight connection: often missed
United Details →	IAD 15:39 → ORD 17:02UA 1393	57m Chicago	ORD 17:59 → PHL 21:19UA 1776	5h 40m	56%	32%
Frontier Details →	IAD 17:47 → FLL 20:34F9 2959	1h 11m Fort Lauderdale	FLL 21:45 → PHL 00:39 +1F9 4440	6h 52m	61%	29%

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 · 1h 09m · leaves 06:00 8%

DFW · 1h 03m · leaves 06:14 14%

Afternoon and evening

ATL · 1h 16m · leaves 19:35 17%

FLL · 1h 11m · leaves 17:47 39%

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.


Frontier F9 4707 IAD 07:30 → ATL American AA 4338 ATL 12:25 → PHL Connection details →	2h 41m	7h 06m	92%	86%
United UA 3980 IAD 12:48 → SDF American AA 4720 SDF 18:25 → PHL Connection details →	3h 48m	7h 42m	98%	83%
United UA 4076 IAD 08:25 → CMH American AA 2905 CMH 13:01 → PHL Connection details →	3h 12m	6h 15m	98%	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