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

Connect in the morning. The same 50-minute layover misses 14% of the time at 8 am and 44% of the time at 8 pm.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


JetBlue	JFK	SMF	6h 29m	61%	3.0%	165	Flying now

Best connections, any airlines

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

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


Delta + Unitedtwo ticketsDetails →	JFK 11:00 → LAX 13:54DL 767	2h 36m Los Angeles	LAX 16:30 → SMF 18:06UA 5858 · flown by SkyWest	10h 06m	97%	88%
American + Deltatwo ticketsDetails →	JFK 06:00 → LAX 09:01AA 171	3h 04m Los Angeles	LAX 12:05 → SMF 13:32DL 3812 · flown by SkyWest	10h 33m	98%	86%
JetBlue + Southwesttwo ticketsDetails →	JFK 06:40 → LAS 09:11B6 411	2h 14m Las Vegas	LAS 11:25 → SMF 13:00WN 4532	9h 20m	97%	85%
Delta Details →	JFK 16:29 → SLC 20:00DL 887	3h 04m Salt Lake City	SLC 23:04 → SMF 23:44DL 1582	10h 19m	96%	84%
JetBlue + Southwesttwo ticketsDetails →	JFK 06:00 → LAX 08:49B6 123	3h 26m Los Angeles	LAX 12:15 → SMF 13:35WN 265	10h 35m	97%	84%
Delta + Alaskatwo ticketsDetails →	JFK 08:30 → PDX 11:34DL 1574	2h 58m Portland	PDX 14:32 → SMF 16:06AS 2405 · flown by Horizon	10h 36m	98%	84%
JetBlue + Deltatwo ticketsDetails →	JFK 09:45 → LAX 12:53B6 523	3h 50m Los Angeles	LAX 16:43 → SMF 18:15DL 3712 · flown by SkyWest	11h 30m	99%	84%
Delta Details →	JFK 06:00 → SLC 09:03DL 892	2h 32m Salt Lake City	SLC 11:35 → SMF 12:16DL 1423	9h 21m	99%	83%
Tight connection: often missed
American Details →	JFK 07:02 → PHX 09:18AA 2369	46m Phoenix	PHX 10:04 → SMF 12:04AA 2630	8h 02m	72%	53%
Alaska Details →	JFK 11:30 → SAN 14:27AS 35	46m San Diego	SAN 15:13 → SMF 17:00AS 3035 · flown by SkyWest	8h 30m	53%	44%
American Details →	JFK 15:30 → CLT 17:44AA 1294	47m Charlotte	CLT 18:31 → SMF 21:03AA 2508	8h 33m	40%	26%

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

DFW · 1h 13m · leaves 08:15 10%

ATL · 52m · leaves 06:00 14%

MSP · 57m · leaves 07:15 14%

Afternoon and evening

SLC · 1h 06m · leaves 18:29 22%

SEA · 46m · leaves 16:29 44%

CLT · 47m · leaves 15:30 60%

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