Flight Stats: Where To Find Them And What To Do About Them

Key Takeaways

• DOT Air Traffic Consumer Reports provide detailed historical performance data that travelers may review when planning flights.
• Early departures generally show stronger on‑time performance trends compared to later flights.
• Travel protection may help provide support if an unexpected covered delay or other covered travel disruption occurs.

If you’re a traveler who lives in constant fear of missing their connection or having their flight delayed, the Air Traffic Consumer Reports (“ACTR”) is your one stop shop .

The ATCR is a monthly report from the U.S. Department of Transportation that provides detailed data on airline service quality, including on‑time performance and selected airport‑level summaries for major reporting airports. Let’s take a common situation: You’re flying from Waterloo, Iowa, to Yukatat, Alaska, and you want to know the chances of your flights being on time.

With the ATCR, you look at the on-time departure percentage for Waterloo (77.8%, in November 2025) and the on-time arrival percentage for Yakutat (86.2%), and there you have it: You stand a three-quarters chance of having both ends of your flight go off as planned assuming your connecting flights go uninterrupted. That’s really good by modern domestic air-travel standards!

It gets less reassuring with other major airports like LaGuardia. Having a 5 p.m. flight out of LGA pretty much guarantees you’ll be watching the Knicks game at a TGI Friday’s equivalent in Terminal C, nursing a weak whiskey sour and spilling ketchup on your tie.

Why? Because right there on page 20 of the ATCR it says that only 53.7% of the flights departing from LGA at 5 p.m. leave on time. So get ready to spend your evening cursing at Karl-Anthony Towns. And American Airlines.

And it doesn’t stop there. Late‑night departures out of Chicago Midway and Philadelphia are especially prone to delays, so you may want to book your hotel room now. It’s not all gloom-and-doom in the ATCR. Remember how you’ve been told to take the first flight out whenever you can? Here’s why: The data consistently show that early‑morning departures are the most punctual, and on‑time performance tends to slide later in the day. Want to improve your odds of arriving as planned? Book the first flight out.

Want to make it to your destination? Get up with the roosters.

Some Other Positive Notes From The ATCR:

• Many Sunbelt airports post strong on‑time rates in winter, and so do “snowbelt” airports such as Boston, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Minneapolis–St. Paul, which have robust winter operations.
• On-time departures are only half the story. For on‑time arrivals, earlier flights generally perform better, and several snowbelt airports often remain competitive during winter months.

How about top-performing airlines? The ATCR has this information as well.

You would think that the bigger and more reputable the airline, the better its on-time performance. And you would be … right-ish.

In the January 2026 report, which actually covers travel from November 2025, Delta had the highest percentage of on-time arrivals, followed by Hawaiian, Southwest, Alaska, and United. These rankings can vary, though Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines are generally near the top of the list by virtue of their more on-time-friendly routes.

For example, Hawaiian was the most on-time airline for 2025 through November, followed by Delta, Spirit , Southwest, and Alaska.

The Gap Between The Most Punctual Airline and The Least

The gap between the most punctual airline and the least is only about eight percentage points, but if you’re in that gap, it can make a real difference in your travel experience. And the ATCR has the scoop if you want to get even more granular and see which airline has the best on-time performance by airport. Skywest in Salt Lake City?

And that’s still not all. Remember the Waterloo-to-Yukatat itinerary we talked about earlier? The ATCR has the on-time performance, arrivals and departures, for every commercial airport in the U.S. You want stats for Williston, North Dakota, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Manhattan, Kansas, Pellston, Michigan, and even Pago Pago, American Samoa? They’re all here.

The ATCR has information on causes of delays, tarmac delays, and lost luggage. Everything a neurotic traveler needs is in this one PDF. And it comes out every month!  And it’s updated every month, so you can always stay informed.

Okay, now for a really important question: What productive things can you do with this information? How about using this information to book smarter? Don’t book flights that leave between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Book early flights. Even if it means spending an extra night in a hotel the tradeoff is more than worth it.

Similarly, choose alternate airports. White Plains instead of LaGuardia, Baltimore-Washington instead of Reagan National, San Jose instead of San Francisco, These are all good options.

Third, look for seasonality. Any snowbelt airport is going to have different on-time performances in summer and winter. Know the airports with the biggest differentials.

Next, choose your airline. As we noted, there’s no direct relationship between an airline’s on-time performance and its perception. Look at the reports and choose the airlines that consistently arrive and leave on time.

Finally, look at the mishandled luggage numbers but don’t obsess over them.

One Other Thing Reading The ATCR is Good For:

Convincing you that you need travel protection.

Travel insurance with assistance services from Generali Global Assistance helps protect your trip from covered flight-related delays and lost luggage, in addition to help covering travel medical emergencies and other covered mishaps that might cause you to cancel or interrupt your trip.

Get a quote today,  then browse the ATCR simply to enjoy its wonderfully ornate writing style.

Happy reading!

10872502603