Seattle (SEA) to Anchorage (ANC): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly SEA to ANC matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 88% on-time in September 2025 to just 54% in December 2025. Across the full period the route averages 75% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 75%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 13 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.8%
- Flights/day
- 18
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 44m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,448 mi
Best airline from SEA to ANC
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Linesmost reliable | 81% | 12 min | 0.4% | 3,282 |
| Alaska Airlines | 73% | 13 min | 0.9% | 10,633 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 55% | 30 min | 1.2% | 161 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SEA to ANC
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (96% on-time); avoid 11 a.m. departures (62%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 72% | 15 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 77% | 11 min |
| Wednesday | 77% | 11 min |
| Thursday | 73% | 13 min |
| Friday | 72% | 15 min |
| Saturday | 76% | 13 min |
| Sunday | 75% | 14 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft28%
- Airline operations46%
- National airspace system24%
- Weather3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SEA to ANC delayed?
- 26% of SEA–ANC 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 13 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SEA to ANC?
- Delta Air Lines has the best on-time record on this route at 81%, based on 3,282 flights. 3 airlines flew SEA–ANC frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SEA to ANC?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (96% on-time), while departures around 11 a.m. have the worst (62%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SEA to ANC?
- The scheduled SEA–ANC flight time averages 3h 44m over 1,448 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 26% of the time.
- How often are SEA to ANC flights cancelled?
- 0.8% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from SEA to ANC?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 54% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 88%. If your dates are flexible, that 34-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
More routes from SEA
Based on 14,076 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.