Southwest Airlines has an overall on-time arrival rate of 78%. The most common passenger complaint is baggage. Southwest Airlines ranks #3 out of 6 U.S. airlines for reliability.
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated March 2026.WN
Southwest Airlines
Lands on time
78%
When late
~40 min
Cancelled
2.0%
Flights tracked
89,373
Southwest Airlines is middle of the pack — not bad, but delays happen. About 78% of their flights land on time. When they don't, you're usually waiting around 40 minutes. The biggest reason? carrier.
About 1.5 out of every 100k passengers file a formal complaint. The thing people complain about most: baggage.
Busiest Southwest Airlines routes
DFW → DENDallas – Denver
78%on time
SFO → DFWSan Francisco – Dallas
76%on time
DEN → ATLDenver – Atlanta
77%on time
JFK → LASNew York – Las Vegas
80%on time
SEA → PDXSeattle – Portland
78%on time
ATL → MIAAtlanta – Miami
77%on time
DFW → PHXDallas – Phoenix
79%on time
JFK → DFWNew York – Dallas
78%on time
LAX → PHXLos Angeles – Phoenix
80%on time
JFK → LAXNew York – Los Angeles
76%on time
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Data last updated March 2026. Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics.