Seattle (SEA) to New Orleans (MSY): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly SEA to MSY matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 97% on-time in February 2026 to just 54% in June 2025. Across the full period the route averages 77% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 77%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 10 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.7%
- Flights/day
- 1.7
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 36m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,086 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SEA to MSY
Aim for departures around 5 p.m. (88% on-time); avoid 9 a.m. departures (71%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 79% | 10 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 85% | 7 min |
| Wednesday | 78% | 11 min |
| Thursday | 72% | 10 min |
| Friday | 77% | 10 min |
| Saturday | 77% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 74% | 12 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft31%
- Airline operations46%
- National airspace system21%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SEA to MSY delayed?
- 23% of SEA–MSY 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 10 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SEA to MSY?
- Departures around 5 p.m. have the best record (88% on-time), while departures around 9 a.m. have the worst (71%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SEA to MSY?
- The scheduled SEA–MSY flight time averages 4h 36m over 2,086 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 23% of the time.
- How often are SEA to MSY flights cancelled?
- 0.7% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from SEA to MSY?
- June 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 54% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2026 at 97%. If your dates are flexible, that 43-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Related guides
Based on 1,353 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.