Is American Airlines usually on time?

About 77% of American Airlines flights land on time. When they're late, you're usually looking at around a 40-minute wait.

What do passengers complain about most with American Airlines?

For every 100,000 passengers, American Airlines gets about 7.9 formal complaints. The biggest issue people report is baggage.

How does American Airlines compare to other airlines?

American Airlines ranks #4 out of 6 major U.S. airlines for on-time performance, with 77% of flights arriving on time.

Is American Airlines more reliable than Delta Air Lines?

Delta Air Lines has an on-time rate of 80%, while American Airlines is at 77%. Delta Air Lines has a slight edge in reliability.

AA

American Airlines

American Airlines has an overall on-time arrival rate of 77%. The most common passenger complaint is baggage. American Airlines ranks #4 out of 6 U.S. airlines for reliability.

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated March 2026.

Lands on time

77%

When late

~40 min

Cancelled

2.0%

Flights tracked

80,286

American Airlines is middle of the pack — not bad, but delays happen. About 77% of their flights land on time. When they don't, you're usually waiting around 40 minutes. The biggest reason? carrier.

About 7.9 out of every 100k passengers file a formal complaint. The thing people complain about most: baggage.