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 ORD → DAL flights land within a few points of 3 in 4 on time whatever the hour.

Nonstops (none in the current schedule)


Southwest	ORD	DAL	2h 30m	75%	1.3%	450	Not flying now

Best connections, any airlines

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

Ranked by chance you reach Dallas on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included. Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


Delta Details →	ORD 05:30 → ATL 08:33DL 1264	1h 42m Atlanta	ATL 10:15 → DAL 11:24DL 1115	5h 54m	96%	86%
United + Deltatwo ticketsDetails →	ORD 07:12 → ATL 10:27UA 425	3h 32m Atlanta	ATL 13:59 → DAL 15:03DL 512	8h 00m	100%	85%
American + Southwesttwo ticketsDetails →	ORD 06:40 → BNA 08:23AA 3973 · flown by Envoy	3h 57m Nashville	BNA 12:20 → DAL 14:15WN 5046	7h 35m	100%	85%
American + Southwesttwo ticketsDetails →	ORD 05:00 → PHX 06:32AA 2434	1h 43m Phoenix	PHX 08:15 → DAL 12:40WN 875	7h 40m	86%	78%
American + Southwesttwo ticketsDetails →	ORD 06:55 → MKE 07:58AA 6263 · flown by SkyWest	2h 07m Milwaukee	MKE 10:05 → DAL 12:25WN 2939	5h 30m	87%	76%
Delta Details →	ORD 15:22 → ATL 18:36DL 1477	2h 39m Atlanta	ATL 21:15 → DAL 22:34DL 1104	7h 12m	97%	76%
Delta Details →	ORD 09:45 → ATL 12:51DL 1178	3h 47m Atlanta	ATL 16:38 → DAL 17:55DL 2780	8h 10m	99%	75%
United + Southwesttwo ticketsDetails →	ORD 05:00 → DEN 06:42UA 2666	3h 23m Denver	DEN 10:05 → DAL 13:10WN 1518	8h 10m	100%	73%

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