Airport On Time Guide

Houston

George Bush Intercontinental Airport, where Continental has a big hub, is one of the nation’s best airports for connecting flights. Over the course of the day, 82 percent of flights are on time. And other than between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., when one in three flights run late, the airport is reliable.

Los Angeles

As major-city airports go, LAX is decent, with an on-time average of about 75 percent during the day. But avoid end-of-day arrivals; almost 40 percent of flights are late after 8 p.m.

Miami

American Airlines dominates Miami International, and many Latin American carriers fly here too. About 70 percent of the flights are on time during the day. And like most Florida airports, Miami is very, very good in the morning (more than 85 percent of flights on time before 11 a.m.) and very, very bad in the evening (about 50 percent of flights on time after 9 p.m.).

New York

It’s hard to overstate how bad things are at New York’s three major airports. Some experts say that a third of all the delays in the nation happen here. On average, just 57.6 percent of flights arrive on time at LaGuardia International. John F. Kennedy International (58.7 percent) and Newark Liberty (61.9 percent) are only slightly better. At LGA, there is no good time to arrive, although you’ll do least poorly if you can get in before 10 a.m. At JFK, you’ll do okay until noon (about 75 percent on time), before the transatlantic arrivals flood the airport. At Newark, you’re in decent shape until 1 p.m., but on-time performance begins plummeting toward 40 percent after 3 p.m.

Philadelphia

US Airways controls Philadelphia International, and it’s a mess—worse than New York’s airports, in fact, when you factor in US Airways’ alarming propensity for losing luggage. Just 61 percent of flights are on time, and unless you arrive before noon, you’re toast.

Phoenix

At Phoenix Sky Harbor International, which is blessed with good weather year-round, about 75 percent of flights are on time during the day. Try for an early flight; 85 percent of arrivals before noon are on time. After 6 p.m., though, one in three flights is tardy.

Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City International may be the best place in the country to change planes—Delta Air Lines has a hub here—because its on-time performance average is 80 percent. Just beware of arrivals after 8 p.m., since delays elsewhere around the Delta system mean Salt Lake City runs late too.

San Francisco

The fog that shrouds San Francisco International makes it a tricky place to keep to schedules, and an average of one in three planes run late during the day. But too much traffic arriving in the evening means the airport runs just 50-50 after 9 p.m. Things are better across the bay at Oakland International, where 77 percent of the planes arrive on time. Once again, however, the nighttime is not the right time, because arrivals after 8 p.m. run late about 40 percent of the time.

Seattle

Seattle is home to Alaska Airlines and to notoriously airline-unfriendly weather. Sea-Tac operates at about 68 percent on-time during the day. You’re okay if you can arrive before 10 a.m., but you’ll run late four times out of 10 after 7 p.m.

Washington

The three airports serving Washington—Baltimore-Washington International, Dulles International, and Reagan National—are all mediocre performers. Mornings are okay—about 80 to 85 percent of arrivals are on time—but evenings are a nightmare. On-time performance deteriorates rapidly after 4 p.m. Must to avoid: the last flights into Reagan National; on-time performance after 8 p.m. drops below 60 percent.

The Fine Print

If there’s a moral in the numbers, it’s this: Fly early in the day. Airlines run their aircraft into and out of connecting hubs, so when a flight arrives late, it affects that aircraft’s next scheduled departure. Delays subsequently cascade throughout the day. By the evening hours, aircraft are so far off schedule that flights have no chance of running punctually.

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Joe Brancatelli writes Portfolio.com’s business travel column, Seat 2B. Brancatelli is the former executive editor of Frequent Flyer magazine and has written about travel in numerous publications.