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 3 in 4 on time.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


Delta	SNA	JFK	5h 23m	89%	5.8%	86	Flying now
American	SNA	JFK	5h 31m	74%	2.1%	376	Flying now

Best connections, any airlines

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

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


Alaska + Deltatwo ticketsDetails →	SNA 18:09 → PDX 20:31AS 589	2h 04m Portland	PDX 22:35 → JFK 06:55 +1DL 2139	9h 46m	99%	88%
United + Alaskatwo ticketsDetails →	SNA 16:12 → SFO 17:50UA 5351 · flown by SkyWest	3h 40m San Francisco	SFO 21:30 → JFK 06:20 +1AS 211	11h 08m	99%	88%
Delta Details →	SNA 17:03 → SLC 19:59DL 1277	4h 00m Salt Lake City	SLC 23:59 → JFK 06:23 +1DL 705	10h 20m	100%	86%
United + Deltatwo ticketsDetails →	SNA 18:26 → DEN 21:47UA 2656	2h 12m Denver	DEN 23:59 → JFK 05:48 +1DL 758	8h 22m	92%	86%
Southwest + Deltatwo ticketsDetails →	SNA 17:15 → PHX 18:35WN 4514	4h 00m Phoenix	PHX 22:35 → JFK 06:27 +1DL 548	10h 12m	98%	86%
American Details →	SNA 16:30 → PHX 17:56AA 2659	3h 54m Phoenix	PHX 21:50 → JFK 05:47 +1AA 1587	10h 17m	97%	84%
Southwest + Americantwo ticketsDetails →	SNA 18:00 → LAS 19:15WN 2307	3h 31m Las Vegas	LAS 22:46 → JFK 07:00 +1AA 556	10h 00m	100%	83%
Alaska Details →	SNA 07:00 → PDX 09:24AS 750	1h 23m Portland	PDX 10:47 → JFK 19:23AS 18	9h 23m	100%	81%
Tight connection: often missed
American Details →	SNA 19:32 → PHX 20:57AA 2685	53m Phoenix	PHX 21:50 → JFK 05:47 +1AA 1587	7h 15m	67%	58%
American Details →	SNA 13:24 → PHX 14:50AA 3171	1h 01m Phoenix	PHX 15:51 → JFK 23:58AA 832	7h 34m	74%	56%
Alaska Details →	SNA 10:50 → SFO 12:27AS 3486 · flown by SkyWest	1h 11m San Francisco	SFO 13:38 → JFK 22:26AS 42	8h 36m	58%	39%

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

PHX · 58m · leaves 06:46 13%

Afternoon and evening

ATL · 49m · leaves 12:18 24%

PHX · 53m · leaves 19:32 33%

DTW · 1h 04m · leaves 11:44 36%

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