Philadelphia (PHL) to Salt Lake City (SLC): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on PHL–SLC. October 2024 flights landed on schedule 98% of the time, but December 2025 dropped to 53% — a gap of 45 points. Across the full period the route averages 76% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (84% vs 68%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 76%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 20 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.5%
- Flights/day
- 2.2
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 5h 1m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,927 mi
Best airline from PHL to SLC
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Linesmost reliable | 80% | 15 min | 1.7% | 1,242 |
| American Airlines | 62% | 38 min | 5.4% | 372 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from PHL to SLC
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (84% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (50%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 77% | 16 min |
| Tuesday | 77% | 20 min |
| Wednesday | 78% | 21 min |
| Thursday | 72% | 25 min |
| Friday | 75% | 20 min |
| Saturday | 73% | 18 min |
| Sundaybest | 79% | 21 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft23%
- Airline operations45%
- National airspace system22%
- Weather9%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from PHL to SLC delayed?
- 24% of PHL–SLC flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 20 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from PHL to SLC?
- Delta Air Lines has the best on-time record on this route at 80%, based on 1,242 flights. 2 airlines flew PHL–SLC frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from PHL to SLC?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (84% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (50%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from PHL to SLC?
- The scheduled PHL–SLC flight time averages 5h 1m over 1,927 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 24% of the time.
- How often are PHL to SLC flights cancelled?
- 2.5% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from PHL to SLC?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 53% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 98%. If your dates are flexible, that 45-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,614 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.