Alaska vs American: On-Time Performance Compared
Last 12 months · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Alaska was more punctual than American over the last 12 months: 79.6% of its flights arrived on time, against 74.6%.
Alaska cancelled fewer flights (1.2% vs 2.2%), and late flights averaged 52 minutes late on Alaska vs 85 on American.
On the 42 routes both airlines fly regularly, Alaska had the better on-time record on 20 and American on 22.
Alaska vs American: key numbers
Last 12 months, all flights each airline operated.
AlaskaAmerican
On-time arrivals
On-time departures
Cancelled
Diverted
| Measure | Alaska | American |
|---|---|---|
| On-time arrivals | 79.6% | 74.6% |
| On-time departures | 79.9% | 73.6% |
| Avg delay when late | 52 min | 85 min |
| Cancelled | 1.2% | 2.2% |
| Diverted | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Scheduled flights | 301,435 | 987,645 |
Monthly on-time trend: Alaska vs American
On-time arrival % each month, last 24 months.
AlaskaAmerican
60%70%80%90%
Aug ’24Nov ’24Feb ’25May ’25Aug ’25Nov ’25Feb ’26May ’26
What delays each airline
Share of each airline’s reported delay minutes by cause, last 12 months.
AlaskaAmerican
Airline (carrier)
Weather
Air traffic system (NAS)
Security
Late-arriving aircraft
More comparisons
Alaska Airlines full stats · American Airlines full stats · All airline comparisons