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: Delta LGA → DSM (3h 12m), on time 2 times in 3. Southwest via Midway (5h 05m) is more reliable, 82%, but takes 1h 53m longer.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


Delta	LGA	DSM	3h 12m	70%	4.8%	484	Flying now
American	LGA	DSM	3h 22m	67%	3.8%	260	Flying now

Best connections, one ticket

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

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


American Details →	LGA 06:30 → ORD 08:14AA 462	3h 16m Chicago	ORD 11:30 → DSM 13:05AA 4676 · flown by Republic	7h 35m	99%	87%
Southwest Details →	LGA 06:00 → MDW 07:20WN 2464	2h 50m Chicago	MDW 10:10 → DSM 11:30WN 1771	6h 30m	100%	86%
Delta Details →	LGA 06:59 → ATL 09:20DL 342	3h 05m Atlanta	ATL 12:25 → DSM 13:34DL 2094	7h 35m	99%	86%
Southwest Details →	LGA 06:55 → DEN 09:05WN 2454	3h 00m Denver	DEN 12:05 → DSM 14:50WN 1524	8h 55m	98%	85%
United Details →	LGA 10:00 → DEN 12:20UA 716	1h 10m Denver	DEN 13:30 → DSM 16:15UA 1311	7h 15m	96%	84%
United Details →	LGA 06:00 → IAH 08:44UA 2371	3h 11m Houston	IAH 11:55 → DSM 14:10UA 6166 · flown by Mesa	9h 10m	98%	80%
United Details →	LGA 08:05 → ORD 09:44UA 623	3h 15m Chicago	ORD 12:59 → DSM 14:27UA 1781	7h 22m	98%	80%
Delta Details →	LGA 06:00 → ATL 08:15DL 550	1h 18m Atlanta	ATL 09:33 → DSM 10:45DL 1704	5h 46m	96%	79%
Tight connection: often missed
United Details →	LGA 16:59 → DEN 19:35UA 2834	1h 10m Denver	DEN 20:45 → DSM 23:44UA 5389 · flown by SkyWest	7h 45m	68%	55%
American Details →	LGA 14:11 → ORD 16:00AA 1705	1h 00m Chicago	ORD 17:00 → DSM 18:33AA 4973 · flown by SkyWest	5h 22m	66%	31%
American Details →	LGA 18:00 → DFW 21:06AA 2388	59m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 22:05 → DSM 23:58AA 1371	6h 59m	46%	21%

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 07:25 2%

ATL · 1h 18m · leaves 06:00 4%

DTW · 51m · leaves 06:05 7%

Afternoon and evening

DEN · 1h 10m · leaves 16:59 32%

ORD · 1h 00m · leaves 14:11 34%

DFW · 59m · leaves 18:00 54%

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 2389 LGA 06:10 → ORD American AA 4676 ORD 11:30 → DSM Connection details →	3h 41m	7h 55m	100%	86%
American AA 4628 LGA 06:09 → ATL Delta DL 2094 ATL 12:25 → DSM Connection details →	3h 42m	8h 25m	100%	84%
American AA 392 LGA 07:23 → ORD United UA 1781 ORD 12:59 → DSM Connection details →	3h 50m	8h 04m	99%	81%

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