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

No clear winner: airlines and hours on this route all land within a few points of 88% on time.

Nonstops


Delta	RDU	DTW	1h 51m	88%	1.6%	1,351	Flying now
Spirit	RDU	DTW	1h 45m	89%	0.0%	53	Not flying now
Frontier	RDU	DTW	1h 52m	88%	0.9%	111	Not flying now

Best connections, one ticket

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

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


American Details →	RDU 11:10 → MIA 13:19AA 2405	1h 45m Miami	MIA 15:04 → DTW 18:27AA 3358 · flown by Envoy	7h 17m	97%	88%
United Details →	RDU 06:30 → IAH 08:21UA 2074	1h 24m Houston	IAH 09:45 → DTW 13:42UA 4064 · flown by Mesa	7h 12m	97%	87%
American Details →	RDU 05:01 → CLT 06:00AA 1903	1h 28m Charlotte	CLT 07:28 → DTW 09:17AA 1791	4h 16m	97%	86%
United Details →	RDU 06:00 → IAD 07:11UA 1789	1h 24m Dulles	IAD 08:35 → DTW 10:14UA 6137 · flown by Mesa	4h 14m	98%	85%
Delta Details →	RDU 11:58 → IND 13:56DL 4780 · flown by Endeavor	2h 04m Indianapolis	IND 16:00 → DTW 17:19DL 5846 · flown by Republic	5h 22m	92%	82%
Delta Details →	RDU 05:20 → ATL 06:44DL 1552	2h 34m Atlanta	ATL 09:18 → DTW 11:10DL 1298	5h 52m	98%	82%
Delta Details →	RDU 08:50 → ATL 10:20DL 1530	3h 27m Atlanta	ATL 13:47 → DTW 15:43DL 1031	6h 52m	99%	82%
Delta Details →	RDU 06:00 → MCO 07:48DL 1337	1h 12m Orlando	MCO 09:00 → DTW 11:33DL 2845	5h 33m	94%	82%
Tight connection: often missed
United Details →	RDU 18:33 → EWR 20:15UA 1205	1h 07m Newark	EWR 21:22 → DTW 23:30UA 3412 · flown by Republic	4h 58m	66%	45%
American Details →	RDU 17:30 → MIA 19:49AA 2406	56m Miami	MIA 20:45 → DTW 23:55AA 2649	6h 26m	50%	35%
United Details →	RDU 17:12 → ORD 18:42UA 630	1h 05m Chicago	ORD 19:47 → DTW 22:19UA 2426	5h 07m	53%	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

MCO · 1h 12m · leaves 06:00 6%

MSP · 1h 14m · leaves 06:00 7%

IAD · 1h 12m · leaves 10:32 8%

Afternoon and evening

ATL · 50m · leaves 18:27 50%

DFW · 47m · leaves 16:53 58%

DCA · 49m · leaves 18:41 70%

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 3435 RDU 06:25 → STL Delta DL 2868 STL 10:20 → DTW Connection details →	2h 50m	6h 30m	98%	89%
United UA 1789 RDU 06:00 → IAD Delta DL 2884 IAD 11:10 → DTW Connection details →	3h 59m	6h 44m	100%	88%
American AA 1903 RDU 05:01 → CLT Delta DL 1639 CLT 09:42 → DTW Connection details →	3h 42m	6h 29m	99%	87%

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