Philadelphia (PHL) to Tampa (TPA): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on PHL–TPA. September 2025 flights landed on schedule 83% of the time, but December 2025 dropped to 60% — a gap of 23 points. Across the full period the route averages 73% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (80% vs 60%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 73%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 22 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.5%
- Flights/day
- 7.1
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 47m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 920 mi
Best airline from PHL to TPA
4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Airlinesmost reliable | 84% | 13 min | 1.2% | 83 |
| Southwest Airlines | 76% | 14 min | 1.3% | 315 |
| American Airlines | 74% | 20 min | 2.2% | 3,247 |
| Frontier Airlines | 68% | 29 min | 3.2% | 1,604 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from PHL to TPA
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (85% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (53%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 72% | 28 min |
| Tuesday | 77% | 17 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 78% | 17 min |
| Thursday | 70% | 25 min |
| Friday | 72% | 21 min |
| Saturday | 74% | 19 min |
| Sunday | 67% | 28 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft49%
- Airline operations29%
- National airspace system20%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from PHL to TPA delayed?
- 27% of PHL–TPA 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 22 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from PHL to TPA?
- Spirit Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 84%, based on 83 flights. 4 airlines flew PHL–TPA frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from PHL to TPA?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (85% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (53%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from PHL to TPA?
- The scheduled PHL–TPA flight time averages 2h 47m over 920 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 27% of the time.
- How often are PHL to TPA flights cancelled?
- 2.5% 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 PHL to TPA?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 60% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 83%. If your dates are flexible, that 23-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 5,249 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.