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

No nonstop, and no clear pattern: the best connection reaches Houston on time 82% of the time.

Best connections, one ticket

Ranked by chance you reach Houston on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included (Houston is 2 h ahead of Santa Ana). Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


Southwest Details →	SNA 06:45 → SJC 08:15WN 3858	1h 05m San Jose	SJC 09:20 → HOU 15:10WN 3673	6h 25m	100%	82%
Southwest Details →	SNA 07:00 → DEN 10:25WN 4011	2h 05m Denver	DEN 12:30 → HOU 16:05WN 1544	7h 05m	100%	79%
Southwest Details →	SNA 07:45 → LAS 09:05WN 4296	2h 20m Las Vegas	LAS 11:25 → HOU 16:35WN 4724	6h 50m	100%	76%
Southwest Details →	SNA 06:45 → SMF 08:25WN 2669	2h 35m Sacramento	SMF 11:00 → HOU 16:45WN 3782	8h 00m	100%	71%
American Details →	SNA 06:46 → DFW 12:02AA 1382	2h 20m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 14:22 → HOU 15:44AA 5002 · flown by SkyWest	6h 59m	98%	68%
Southwest Details →	SNA 07:05 → PHX 08:30WN 3887	1h 55m Phoenix	PHX 10:25 → HOU 15:05WN 3067	6h 00m	100%	67%
American Details →	SNA 14:24 → DFW 19:44AA 2684	3h 00m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 22:44 → HOU 23:59AA 3394 · flown by Envoy	7h 35m	96%	66%
Southwest Details →	SNA 06:45 → DAL 11:55WN 4320	3h 35m Dallas	DAL 15:30 → HOU 16:50WN 37	8h 05m	100%	63%
Tight connection: often missed
Delta Details →	SNA 06:45 → ATL 14:19DL 721	52m Atlanta	ATL 15:11 → HOU 16:23DL 2381	7h 40m	72%	56%
American Details →	SNA 16:34 → DFW 21:49AA 2688	49m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 22:38 → HOU 23:56AA 5465 · flown by PSA	5h 22m	57%	25%

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

SJC · 1h 05m · leaves 06:45 0%

Afternoon and evening

ATL · 54m · leaves 12:18 19%

DFW · 49m · leaves 16:34 43%

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.


United UA 513 SNA 06:45 → DEN Southwest WN 1544 DEN 12:30 → HOU Connection details →	2h 14m	7h 20m	98%	76%
American AA 628 SNA 06:46 → PHX Southwest WN 3067 PHX 10:25 → HOU Connection details →	2h 06m	6h 19m	94%	62%
Delta DL 1521 SNA 12:18 → ATL Southwest WN 207 ATL 22:50 → HOU Connection details →	3h 09m	9h 47m	95%	59%

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