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 IAH → DSM flights land within a few points of 4 in 5 on time whatever the hour.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


United	IAH	DSM	2h 23m	81%	1.1%	727	Flying now

Best connections, any airlines

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

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


United Details →	IAH 05:15 → DEN 06:47UA 1874	1h 05m Denver	DEN 07:52 → DSM 10:42UA 4801 · flown by SkyWest	5h 27m	96%	96%
United Details →	IAH 06:30 → DEN 08:02UA 2643	1h 48m Denver	DEN 09:50 → DSM 12:47UA 5211 · flown by SkyWest	6h 17m	98%	90%
United + Americantwo ticketsDetails →	IAH 05:04 → ORD 07:59UA 1044	3h 31m Chicago	ORD 11:30 → DSM 13:05AA 4676 · flown by Republic	8h 01m	100%	89%
United Details →	IAH 08:30 → DEN 10:05UA 2816	3h 25m Denver	DEN 13:30 → DSM 16:15UA 1311	7h 45m	100%	89%
Delta Details →	IAH 05:40 → ATL 08:43DL 1069	3h 42m Atlanta	ATL 12:25 → DSM 13:34DL 2094	7h 54m	99%	87%
United + Southwesttwo ticketsDetails →	IAH 07:20 → DEN 08:52UA 1575	3h 13m Denver	DEN 12:05 → DSM 14:50WN 1524	7h 30m	97%	84%
United Details →	IAH 06:10 → ORD 09:05UA 2616	3h 54m Chicago	ORD 12:59 → DSM 14:27UA 1781	8h 17m	100%	83%
Frontier Details →	IAH 06:30 → DEN 08:06F9 3229	2h 40m Denver	DEN 10:46 → DSM 13:32F9 1678	7h 04m	97%	80%
Tight connection: often missed
Delta Details →	IAH 16:51 → ATL 20:13DL 2890	1h 02m Atlanta	ATL 21:15 → DSM 22:31DL 2306	5h 40m	59%	47%
American Details →	IAH 14:04 → DFW 15:30AA 2512	1h 05m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 16:35 → DSM 18:33AA 1762	4h 29m	54%	25%
American Details →	IAH 18:53 → DFW 20:25AA 1929	1h 40m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 22:05 → DSM 23:58AA 1371	5h 06m	40%	19%

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

DEN · 1h 05m · leaves 05:15 4%

DCA · 1h 00m · leaves 06:43 6%

ATL · 1h 16m · leaves 08:05 9%

Afternoon and evening

ORD · 1h 20m · leaves 17:09 18%

ATL · 1h 02m · leaves 16:51 41%

DFW · 1h 05m · leaves 14:04 46%

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