Seattle (SEA) to Phoenix (PHX): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly SEA to PHX matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 87% on-time in January 2025 to just 69% in August 2024. Across the full period the route averages 79% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (84% vs 74%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 79%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 12 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.5%
- Flights/day
- 20
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 56m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,107 mi
Best airline from SEA to PHX
7 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlinesmost reliable | 85% | 12 min | 0.4% | 234 |
| Delta Air Lines | 85% | 10 min | 0.7% | 3,502 |
| Envoy Air | 84% | 12 min | 0.0% | 924 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 83% | 14 min | 0.2% | 1,527 |
| Alaska Airlines | 77% | 11 min | 0.5% | 5,881 |
| Southwest Airlines | 73% | 14 min | 0.4% | 2,080 |
| Frontier Airlines | 70% | 34 min | 2.1% | 485 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SEA to PHX
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (66%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 78% | 12 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 83% | 10 min |
| Wednesday | 82% | 12 min |
| Thursday | 76% | 13 min |
| Friday | 78% | 14 min |
| Saturday | 80% | 11 min |
| Sunday | 79% | 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 aircraft35%
- Airline operations46%
- National airspace system18%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SEA to PHX delayed?
- 21% of SEA–PHX 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 12 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SEA to PHX?
- American Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 85%, based on 234 flights. 7 airlines flew SEA–PHX frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SEA to PHX?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (66%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SEA to PHX?
- The scheduled SEA–PHX flight time averages 2h 56m over 1,107 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 21% of the time.
- How often are SEA to PHX flights cancelled?
- 0.5% 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 PHX?
- August 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 69% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 87%. If your dates are flexible, that 18-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Based on 14,633 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.