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 SMF → PSP flights land within a few points of 88% on time whatever the hour.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


Southwest	SMF	PSP	1h 30m	88%	0.2%	523	Flying now

Best connections, one ticket

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

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


Delta Details →	SMF 05:30 → SLC 08:11DL 1526	2h 34m Salt Lake City	SLC 10:45 → PSP 11:43DL 4042 · flown by SkyWest	6h 13m	99%	97%
United Details →	SMF 18:47 → LAX 20:39UA 5628 · flown by SkyWest	47m Los Angeles	LAX 21:26 → PSP 22:30UA 5461 · flown by SkyWest	3h 43m	97%	94%
Delta Details →	SMF 09:45 → SLC 12:26DL 1367	3h 09m Salt Lake City	SLC 15:35 → PSP 16:29DL 3852 · flown by SkyWest	6h 44m	99%	86%
American Details →	SMF 06:00 → PHX 07:54AA 1867	2h 46m Phoenix	PHX 10:40 → PSP 11:50AA 2330	5h 50m	99%	86%
United Details →	SMF 06:00 → SFO 06:54UA 1954	1h 16m San Francisco	SFO 08:10 → PSP 09:56UA 5904 · flown by SkyWest	3h 56m	94%	86%
American Details →	SMF 09:52 → PHX 11:50AA 4099 · flown by Envoy	3h 15m Phoenix	PHX 15:05 → PSP 16:10AA 2929	6h 18m	99%	83%
United Details →	SMF 05:00 → DEN 08:22UA 1889	2h 53m Denver	DEN 11:15 → PSP 12:28UA 1294	7h 28m	99%	78%
Alaska Details →	SMF 06:13 → SEA 08:16AS 1409	2h 04m Seattle	SEA 10:20 → PSP 13:14AS 692	7h 01m	100%	76%
Tight connection: often missed
United Details →	SMF 11:46 → SFO 12:53UA 5248 · flown by SkyWest	47m San Francisco	SFO 13:40 → PSP 15:26UA 5312 · flown by SkyWest	3h 40m	42%	29%
Alaska Details →	SMF 17:08 → SEA 19:07AS 683	48m Seattle	SEA 19:55 → PSP 22:51AS 3214 · flown by SkyWest	5h 43m	35%	23%

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

SFO · 1h 16m · leaves 06:00 6%

Afternoon and evening

LAX · 47m · leaves 18:47 3%

SLC · 57m · leaves 17:00 18%

PDX · 1h 09m · leaves 14:55 18%

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 3815 SMF 05:10 → PHX American AA 2330 PHX 10:40 → PSP Connection details →	3h 35m	6h 40m	98%	87%
Southwest WN 2394 SMF 17:15 → LAX United UA 5461 LAX 21:26 → PSP Connection details →	2h 41m	5h 15m	88%	86%
Southwest WN 3773 SMF 05:55 → DEN United UA 1294 DEN 11:15 → PSP Connection details →	2h 00m	6h 33m	100%	79%

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