10 Airlines That Have the Best On-Time Arrival Rates

Whether you have a vacation waiting on the other end, are trying to get to a family holiday, or just want to make it home from a work trip, sitting in an airport watching your departure time get pushed back is endlessly frustrating.

While you can’t completely avoid delays, some airlines are more likely to depart on time than others.

According to the 2023 data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, these are the 10 North American airlines you should fly if you want to save money on travel by reducing flights with delays.

10. Air Canada

Air Canada kicks off the list. The airline flies to 52 U.S. airports with 400 daily flights. About two-thirds — or 63.17% — of its flights arrive on time.

Cancellations are a bit higher compared to other airlines on this list, with 96.29% of Air Canada’s flights being completed as booked.

9. JetBlue Airways

JetBlue serves 40 million customers annually via 1,000 daily flights, and 68.33% of those journeys arrive on time.

In addition, 98.17% of flights are completed successfully.

8. Frontier Airlines

Frontier offers more than 500 flights daily to more than 100 destinations, and 68.68% of those flights are on time.

Chances are good that whatever flight you book will end its journey as promised, as Frontier has a 98.34% completion factor.

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7. WestJet

WestJet is a smaller airline that flies an average of just 420 flights daily, and 69.29% of those flights arrive on time.

The flight completion rate is an admirable 98.22%.

6. Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines manages to keep 71.16% of its more than 500 flights daily on time.

The airline has a 99.03% completion percentage en route to more than 85 destinations.

5. Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines has a 76.26% on-time arrival rate across the airline’s more than 4,000 daily flights that serve 121 airports.

Southwest also has a completed-flight percentage of 99.38%, which is the highest on this list.

4. United Airlines

Flying 4,500 flights daily to more than 300 destinations means United Airlines has to run efficiently. The airline has an on-time arrival record of 80.04% and a completion record of 98.29%

That puts the airline in fourth place on the list of top-performing on-time airlines in North America.

3. American Airlines

American Airlines is one of the busiest airlines, with 6,700 daily flights to nearly 350 destinations worldwide.

Operating that many flights is a big feat, and American Airlines does it with an 80.61% on-time arrival record and a robust 98.93% completion rate.

2. Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines offers 1,300 flights daily to more than 115 destinations, and 46 million travelers use the airline annually.

The airline earns a 99.35% completed-flight record, and 82.25% of those flights are on-time arrivals.

1. Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines comes out on top of this list, even with 4,000 flights daily to more than 290 destinations.

That fact should make you feel good about using one of the top travel credit cards to book a flight with Delta.

The airline's on-time arrival percentage is 84.72%, and 98.82% of flights are completed. The findings are based on 1.6 million flights total throughout the year, so you know it’s a track record you can trust.

Bottom line

A flight delay is never ideal. Knowing which airlines to book can help keep you on track.

Although no airline has a perfect on-time record, the carriers on this list are great bets if you want to stop wasting money on flights that leave you delayed and grumpy before your vacation even gets underway.

Money tips that can work for everyone

No matter what your bank account balance is, there's always an opportunity to optimize and improve your finances. Here's a quick checklist of things you can look at today.

Focus on paying off your debt . Debt can hold you back from making progress with your overall financial well-being. Aside from cutting expenses, there are tools that can help you pay off debt faster like balance transfer credit cards and debt counseling.

Earning extra income can give you breathing room. If finances are tight, earning some extra money to supplement your income can make a huge difference. A new job is one option to consider, but if you're not ready to make a big change or already retired, a part-time side job could be a better choice.

Cut your expenses. It sounds painful and so not fun, but it doesn't have to be. Take a look at your biggest expenses because that's where you'll probably find the biggest savings. For example, auto insurance rates have been soaring so shopping around for a new insurance company can be the fastest way to cut your bill. Also, look for ways to cut your grocery bill (despite rising inflation).