What's the Best Time of Day to Fly to Avoid Delays?
The best time of day to fly to avoid delays is early morning. Flights scheduled to leave between 5 and 7 a.m. arrive on time about 90–92% of the time, while flights leaving…
The FlightRecord Blog
Plain-English guides to flight delays and on-time performance, backed by 14 million US DOT flight records — the best times to fly, why flights run late, and how to check any flight, route, or airport.
What Counts as a Delayed Flight? The DOT 15-Minute Rule
A flight counts as delayed when it arrives at the gate 15 minutes or more after its scheduled arrival time. A flight that arrives 14 minutes late is officially recorded as on…
Why Are Flights Delayed? The 5 Causes Airlines Report
US airlines report every delay in one of five official categories defined by the US DOT. Across 14.1 million US flights from June 2024 through May 2026, the single largest is…
Are Morning Flights Really Less Likely to Be Delayed?
Yes — morning flights are meaningfully less likely to be delayed. Departures in the 6 a.m. hour arrive on time about 92% of the time, compared with roughly 67% for 8 p.m…
Cancelled vs. Delayed Flight: What's the Difference?
A delayed flight still operates — it just arrives 15 minutes or more late. A cancelled flight does not operate at all. The two are counted and handled differently, and mixing them…
Which US Airports Have the Worst Flight Delays?
Among major US airports, Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) has the worst on-time record — only about 72% of departures leave on time — followed closely by Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and…