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

No clear winner: Delta’s MSN → ATL flights land within a few points of 9 in 10 on time whatever the hour.

Nonstops


Delta	MSN	ATL	2h 13m	90%	2.2%	1,041	Flying now

Best connections, one ticket

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

Ranked by chance you reach Atlanta on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included (Atlanta is 1 h ahead of Madison). Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


Delta Details →	MSN 07:00 → DTW 09:22DL 3665 · flown by SkyWest	1h 03m Detroit	DTW 10:25 → ATL 12:25DL 2856	4h 23m	100%	86%
United Details →	MSN 06:41 → ORD 07:54UA 5902 · flown by SkyWest	2h 35m Chicago	ORD 10:29 → ATL 13:44UA 2684	6h 03m	100%	84%
Delta Details →	MSN 06:00 → MSP 07:09DL 1274	1h 19m Minneapolis	MSP 08:28 → ATL 11:54DL 1052	4h 54m	93%	82%
Delta Details →	MSN 12:03 → MSP 13:37DL 4102 · flown by SkyWest	3h 38m Minneapolis	MSP 17:15 → ATL 20:56DL 1036	7h 53m	96%	80%
United Details →	MSN 08:50 → DEN 10:20UA 2360	3h 06m Denver	DEN 13:26 → ATL 18:30UA 1671	8h 40m	99%	78%
Delta Details →	MSN 08:52 → MSP 10:15DL 4103 · flown by SkyWest	2h 30m Minneapolis	MSP 12:45 → ATL 16:16DL 1048	6h 24m	98%	77%
Delta Details →	MSN 07:00 → LGA 10:20DL 5847 · flown by Republic	2h 40m New York	LGA 13:00 → ATL 15:26DL 994	7h 27m	98%	77%
United Details →	MSN 05:00 → ORD 06:17UA 4707 · flown by SkyWest	2h 50m Chicago	ORD 09:07 → ATL 12:22UA 530	6h 22m	97%	75%
Tight connection: often missed
United Details →	MSN 15:18 → DEN 16:45UA 2338	1h 03m Denver	DEN 17:48 → ATL 22:57UA 1305	6h 39m	74%	53%
American Details →	MSN 13:17 → PHL 16:33AA 5471 · flown by PSA	1h 02m Philadelphia	PHL 17:35 → ATL 19:55AA 3041	5h 38m	66%	43%
American Details →	MSN 17:11 → DFW 19:46AA 2141	1h 24m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 21:10 → ATL 00:19 +1AA 2749	6h 08m	65%	32%

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 19m · leaves 06:00 7%

EWR · 1h 10m · leaves 06:29 8%

ORD · 1h 09m · leaves 08:10 8%

Afternoon and evening

DCA · 1h 03m · leaves 13:07 31%

PHL · 48m · leaves 17:52 35%

CLT · 49m · leaves 16:11 47%

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 5545 MSN 05:00 → DEN Delta DL 2235 DEN 09:40 → ATL Connection details →	2h 58m	8h 36m	100%	85%
American AA 4322 MSN 05:00 → ORD Delta DL 1178 ORD 09:45 → ATL Connection details →	3h 30m	6h 51m	96%	82%
American AA 4688 MSN 06:34 → ORD United UA 2684 ORD 10:29 → ATL Connection details →	2h 29m	6h 10m	95%	82%

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