How to Check If Your Flight Is Usually Late

You can check whether a flight is usually late in about a minute by looking up its route, airline, or flight number on FlightRecord, which is built from 14.1 million US flights from June 2024 through May 2026 of US DOT on-time data.

Three steps to check any flight

• 1. Search the route or flight number from the FlightRecord home page (for example, JFK to LAX, or a specific airline).
• 2. Read the on-time rate — the share of flights that arrive within 15 minutes of schedule. Compare it with the national average of about 78%.
• 3. Check the details — the best departure hour, the day-of-week pattern, and how each airline on the route performs.

What the numbers mean

On-time means arriving fewer than 15 minutes late — the same DOT 15-minute rule every airline is measured against. A rate above the mid-80s is excellent; below about 70% is a flight to watch.

Compare before you book

Use the most reliable airlines and most reliable airports rankings, then browse by airport or airline. If two flights work for your schedule, the historical record is a good tiebreaker.

Not sure which airline to fly yet? See which carrier has the best on-time rate at your specific departure airport — regional partners like SkyWest, Envoy Air, and Republic Airways often outperform the majors' own mainline flights from the same hub. Once you've picked an airline, come back here and check whether your specific flight is usually on time.

One nuance worth knowing before you check: departure and arrival on-time rates can differ meaningfully at the same airport — see departure delay vs. arrival delay: why they're not the same for why, and which one actually matters.

Frequently asked questions

Can I tell if a specific flight number is usually delayed?

Yes — search the airline and flight number to see its historical on-time rate and typical delay, where the flight has enough history to report.

How many flights of history does FlightRecord use?

Two years — about 14 million flights — so the patterns reflect a full range of seasons and weather.

Distance alone isn't a reliable shortcut — see whether flight distance affects delays for why the route's specific history matters more than how far it flies.