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 Santa Ana on time 92% of the time.

Best connections, any airlines

Ranked by chance you reach Santa Ana on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included (Santa Ana is 2 h behind Chicago). Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


Southwest Details →	MDW 05:15 → DEN 06:50WN 2989	1h 00m Denver	DEN 07:50 → SNA 09:15WN 1745	6h 00m	98%	92%
Southwest + Alaskatwo ticketsDetails →	MDW 10:05 → PDX 12:25WN 2809	2h 23m Portland	PDX 14:48 → SNA 17:19AS 264	9h 14m	100%	91%
Southwest + Unitedtwo ticketsDetails →	MDW 06:50 → DEN 08:20WN 2765	3h 00m Denver	DEN 11:20 → SNA 12:51UA 1320	8h 01m	100%	88%
Southwest + Frontiertwo ticketsDetails →	MDW 06:30 → LAS 08:20WN 1182	2h 57m Las Vegas	LAS 11:17 → SNA 12:34F9 1699	8h 04m	98%	85%
Southwest Details →	MDW 05:20 → PHX 06:55WN 2858	3h 00m Phoenix	PHX 09:55 → SNA 11:15WN 3001	7h 55m	100%	85%
Southwest Details →	MDW 10:20 → SMF 12:40WN 2094	3h 25m Sacramento	SMF 16:05 → SNA 17:35WN 3833	9h 15m	100%	84%
Southwest + Deltatwo ticketsDetails →	MDW 10:02 → SLC 12:28WN 2951	2h 47m Salt Lake City	SLC 15:15 → SNA 16:11DL 1277	8h 09m	98%	81%
Southwest + Frontiertwo ticketsDetails →	MDW 07:10 → PHX 08:45WN 2520	3h 35m Phoenix	PHX 12:20 → SNA 13:42F9 4957	8h 32m	100%	79%
Tight connection: often missed
Southwest Details →	MDW 18:35 → PHX 20:15WN 2862	55m Phoenix	PHX 21:10 → SNA 22:25WN 4107	5h 50m	41%	30%

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 00m · leaves 05:15 2%

LAS · 1h 12m · leaves 07:30 8%

Afternoon and evening

PHX · 55m · leaves 18:35 59%

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