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

No clear winner: United’s MSN → EWR flights land within a few points of 88% on time whatever the hour.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


United	MSN	EWR	2h 21m	88%	3.9%	435	Flying now

Best connections, one ticket

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

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


United Details →	MSN 05:00 → DEN 06:42UA 5545 · flown by SkyWest	58m Denver	DEN 07:40 → EWR 13:27UA 2640	7h 27m	96%	85%
Delta Details →	MSN 07:00 → DTW 09:22DL 3665 · flown by SkyWest	53m Detroit	DTW 10:15 → EWR 11:59DL 2577	3h 59m	100%	80%
Delta Details →	MSN 05:48 → ATL 09:00DL 1160	1h 03m Atlanta	ATL 10:03 → EWR 12:24DL 2401	5h 36m	94%	76%
United Details →	MSN 06:41 → ORD 07:54UA 5902 · flown by SkyWest	2h 57m Chicago	ORD 10:51 → EWR 14:17UA 1856	6h 36m	100%	74%
United Details →	MSN 05:00 → ORD 06:17UA 4707 · flown by SkyWest	53m Chicago	ORD 07:10 → EWR 10:30UA 563	4h 30m	85%	74%
United Details →	MSN 08:10 → ORD 09:20UA 2151	2h 51m Chicago	ORD 12:11 → EWR 15:39UA 606	6h 29m	100%	73%
Delta Details →	MSN 06:00 → MSP 07:09DL 1274	2h 05m Minneapolis	MSP 09:14 → EWR 12:56DL 2895	5h 56m	96%	73%
United Details →	MSN 08:50 → DEN 10:20UA 2360	1h 17m Denver	DEN 11:37 → EWR 17:31UA 1233	7h 41m	94%	71%
Tight connection: often missed
United Details →	MSN 06:41 → ORD 07:54UA 5902 · flown by SkyWest	46m Chicago	ORD 08:40 → EWR 12:06UA 2301	4h 25m	69%	51%
United Details →	MSN 17:45 → ORD 19:00UA 4603 · flown by GoJet	1h 07m Chicago	ORD 20:07 → EWR 23:39UA 759	4h 54m	69%	40%

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 · 58m · leaves 05:00 4%

ATL · 1h 03m · leaves 05:48 6%

Afternoon and evening

DEN · 1h 05m · leaves 15:18 25%

ORD · 1h 07m · leaves 17:45 31%

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.


Delta DL 1274 MSN 06:00 → MSP United UA 1637 MSP 10:14 → EWR Connection details →	3h 05m	7h 00m	96%	75%
American AA 4322 MSN 05:00 → ORD United UA 2301 ORD 08:40 → EWR Connection details →	2h 25m	6h 06m	96%	74%
American AA 4688 MSN 06:34 → ORD United UA 1856 ORD 10:51 → EWR Connection details →	2h 51m	6h 43m	95%	72%

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