FlightRecord

Albany (ALB) to Chicago (ORD): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

When you fly ALB to ORD matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 91% on-time in March 2025 to just 63% in July 2025. Across the full period the route averages 76% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (85% vs 62%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
76%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
18 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.9%
Flights/day
6.3
last 12 months
Duration
2h 38m
scheduled
Distance
723 mi

Best airline from ALB to ORD

4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
United Airlinesmost reliable78%17 min1.5%1,383
Envoy Air77%17 min1.8%850
Republic Airways76%18 min3.6%783
SkyWest Airlines70%19 min0.6%508

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for ALB to ORD flights50%75%100%June 2024: 75% on-time (114 flights)75Jun 2024July 2024: 70% on-time (119 flights)70August 2024: 64% on-time (121 flights)64September 2024: 80% on-time (139 flights)80Sep 2024October 2024: 85% on-time (137 flights)85November 2024: 88% on-time (86 flights)88December 2024: 69% on-time (74 flights)69Dec 2024January 2025: 75% on-time (67 flights)75February 2025: 71% on-time (63 flights)71March 2025: 91% on-time (85 flights)91Mar 2025April 2025: 89% on-time (100 flights)89May 2025: 85% on-time (126 flights)85June 2025: 66% on-time (198 flights)66Jun 2025July 2025: 63% on-time (198 flights)63August 2025: 79% on-time (192 flights)79September 2025: 77% on-time (193 flights)77Sep 2025October 2025: 74% on-time (209 flights)74November 2025: 75% on-time (217 flights)75December 2025: 70% on-time (170 flights)70Dec 2025January 2026: 77% on-time (118 flights)77February 2026: 80% on-time (132 flights)80March 2026: 65% on-time (183 flights)65Mar 2026April 2026: 78% on-time (222 flights)78May 2026: 89% on-time (261 flights)89

Best time to fly from ALB to ORD

Aim for departures around 2 p.m. (87% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (59%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, ALB to ORD6 a.m.: 84% on-time (792 flights)67 a.m.: 87% on-time (317 flights)78 a.m.: 74% on-time (66 flights)89 a.m.: 96% on-time (26 flights)910 a.m.: 93% on-time (29 flights)1011 a.m.: 86% on-time (462 flights)1112 p.m.: 85% on-time (175 flights)121 p.m.: 83% on-time (180 flights)132 p.m.: 87% on-time (47 flights)143 p.m.: 67% on-time (63 flights)154 p.m.: 64% on-time (613 flights)165 p.m.: 59% on-time (301 flights)176 p.m.: 62% on-time (393 flights)187 p.m.: 82% on-time (60 flights)19scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday75%21 min
Tuesdaybest80%18 min
Wednesday78%14 min
Thursday75%15 min
Friday75%19 min
Saturday78%16 min
Sunday73%22 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft26%
  • Airline operations28%
  • National airspace system38%
  • Weather8%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from ALB to ORD delayed?
24% of ALB–ORD flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 18 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from ALB to ORD?
United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 78%, based on 1,383 flights. 4 airlines flew ALB–ORD frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from ALB to ORD?
Departures around 2 p.m. have the best record (87% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (59%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from ALB to ORD?
The scheduled ALB–ORD flight time averages 2h 38m over 723 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 24% of the time.
How often are ALB to ORD flights cancelled?
1.9% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from ALB to ORD?
July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 63% of arrivals on time. The best was March 2025 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 27-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 3,524 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.