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

No clear winner: Southwest’s MDW → DSM flights land within a few points of 72% on time whatever the hour.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


Southwest	MDW	DSM	1h 25m	72%	1.4%	290	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. Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


Southwest Details →	MDW 06:50 → DEN 08:20WN 2765	3h 45m Denver	DEN 12:05 → DSM 14:50WN 1524	8h 00m	100%	88%
Delta Details →	MDW 06:00 → ATL 08:55DL 1285	3h 30m Atlanta	ATL 12:25 → DSM 13:34DL 2094	7h 34m	96%	84%
Delta Details →	MDW 11:05 → ATL 14:01DL 1063	2h 36m Atlanta	ATL 16:37 → DSM 17:52DL 2086	6h 42m	98%	76%
Delta Details →	MDW 09:54 → MSP 11:35DL 5469 · flown by Endeavor	1h 15m Minneapolis	MSP 12:50 → DSM 14:05DL 5490 · flown by Endeavor	4h 11m	91%	70%
Southwest Details →	MDW 14:30 → DEN 16:10WN 2768	3h 12m Denver	DEN 19:22 → DSM 22:10WN 2940	7h 37m	92%	11%
Tight connection: often missed
Delta Details →	MDW 17:10 → ATL 20:22DL 1728	53m Atlanta	ATL 21:15 → DSM 22:31DL 2306	5h 21m	73%	57%

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

MSP · 1h 15m · leaves 09:54 9%

Afternoon and evening

ATL · 53m · leaves 17:10 27%

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.


Southwest WN 2989 MDW 05:15 → DEN United UA 5211 DEN 09:50 → DSM Connection details →	3h 00m	7h 32m	100%	92%
Southwest WN 3054 MDW 07:15 → ATL Delta DL 2094 ATL 12:25 → DSM Connection details →	2h 20m	6h 19m	100%	90%
Southwest WN 2765 MDW 06:50 → DEN Frontier F9 1678 DEN 10:46 → DSM Connection details →	2h 26m	6h 44m	100%	83%

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