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

The nonstop is quickest: Delta SNA → DTW (4h 19m), on time 65% of the time. American via Phoenix (7h 09m) is more reliable, 82%, but takes 2h 50m longer.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


Delta	SNA	DTW	4h 19m	65%	0.6%	323	Flying now
Spirit	SNA	DTW	4h 17m	77%few flights	0.0%	22	Not flying now

Best connections, any airlines

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

Ranked by chance you reach Detroit on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included (Detroit is 3 h ahead of Santa Ana). Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


United Details →	SNA 16:12 → SFO 17:50UA 5351 · flown by SkyWest	3h 40m San Francisco	SFO 21:30 → DTW 05:20 +1UA 234	10h 08m	99%	97%
United Details →	SNA 21:15 → EWR 05:33UA 2186	1h 57m Newark	EWR 07:30 → DTW 09:31 +1UA 3672 · flown by Republic	9h 16m	96%	90%
United + Deltatwo ticketsDetails →	SNA 18:26 → DEN 21:47UA 2656	3h 12m Denver	DEN 00:59 → DTW 05:48 +1DL 1096	8h 22m	98%	88%
Delta Details →	SNA 17:13 → SEA 20:14DL 3999 · flown by SkyWest	2h 56m Seattle	SEA 23:10 → DTW 06:27 +1DL 810	10h 14m	100%	86%
Southwest + Deltatwo ticketsDetails →	SNA 07:45 → LAS 09:05WN 4296	2h 22m Las Vegas	LAS 11:27 → DTW 18:28DL 334	7h 43m	100%	86%
Delta Details →	SNA 07:15 → SLC 10:15DL 1185	3h 40m Salt Lake City	SLC 13:55 → DTW 19:24DL 2244	9h 09m	97%	85%
Southwest + Deltatwo ticketsDetails →	SNA 07:05 → PHX 08:30WN 3887	2h 36m Phoenix	PHX 11:06 → DTW 17:54DL 1070	7h 49m	100%	85%
Alaska Details →	SNA 17:32 → SEA 20:20AS 774	2h 02m Seattle	SEA 22:22 → DTW 05:41 +1AS 343	9h 09m	98%	84%
Tight connection: often missed
United Details →	SNA 14:10 → ORD 20:26UA 1352	54m Chicago	ORD 21:20 → DTW 23:54UA 3475 · flown by Republic	6h 44m	59%	44%
Alaska Details →	SNA 18:46 → SEA 21:34AS 454	48m Seattle	SEA 22:22 → DTW 05:41 +1AS 343	7h 55m	47%	41%
United Details →	SNA 10:37 → ORD 16:53UA 2426	52m Chicago	ORD 17:45 → DTW 20:22UA 5232 · flown by SkyWest	6h 45m	71%	38%

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

SEA · 1h 20m · leaves 07:00 7%

Afternoon and evening

DEN · 1h 17m · leaves 13:08 13%

ORD · 54m · leaves 14:10 41%

SEA · 48m · leaves 18:46 53%

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.

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