JetBlue vs Southwest: On-Time Performance Compared

Last 12 months · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026

Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026

Over the last 12 months 76.4% of Southwest flights arrived on time, compared with 72.3% for JetBlue.

Southwest cancelled fewer flights (0.9% vs 3.1%), and late flights averaged 75 minutes late on JetBlue vs 53 on Southwest.

On the 50 routes both airlines fly regularly, JetBlue had the better on-time record on 31 and Southwest on 19.

JetBlue vs Southwest: key numbers

Last 12 months, all flights each airline operated.

JetBlueSouthwest

On-time arrivals72.3%76.4%

On-time departures73.3%71.8%

Cancelled3.1%0.9%

Diverted0.3%0.2%

On-time arrival % each month, last 24 months.

JetBlueSouthwest

60%70%80%90%

Aug ’24Nov ’24Feb ’25May ’25Aug ’25Nov ’25Feb ’26May ’26

Share of each airline’s reported delay minutes by cause, last 12 months.

JetBlueSouthwest

Airline (carrier)27.4%28.4%

Weather2.6%2.3%

Air traffic system (NAS)25.4%17.9%

Security0.2%0.3%

Late-arriving aircraft44.4%51.1%

50 routes where each airline had at least 100 completed flights in the last 12 months; the 25 busiest are shown. Better on-time rate in bold.

Route	JetBlue on time	Southwest on time	JetBlue flights	Southwest flights
MCO → SJU	75.6%	69.0%	2,176	2,062
SJU → MCO	75.8%	79.8%	2,174	2,062
DCA → MCO	71.1%	73.0%	944	1,093
MCO → DCA	64.4%	67.6%	942	1,093
FLL → SJU	69.5%	64.8%	1,677	248
SJU → FLL	76.4%	73.7%	1,676	248
BNA → BOS	71.2%	59.6%	874	1,000
BOS → BNA	73.2%	65.5%	874	999
DCA → FLL	68.3%	59.8%	1,367	365
FLL → DCA	68.6%	66.0%	1,368	364
BDL → MCO	71.9%	78.4%	1,019	642
MCO → BDL	73.2%	73.0%	1,017	642
DEN → BOS	67.9%	58.4%	686	914
BOS → DEN	70.9%	65.8%	685	914
PVD → MCO	75.3%	77.6%	696	896
MCO → PVD	68.2%	76.0%	693	897
BUF → MCO	78.3%	75.1%	544	949
MCO → BUF	66.0%	65.6%	542	950
LAS → MCO	86.0%	72.8%	439	982
MCO → LAS	89.8%	76.5%	439	949
PBI → ISP	76.8%	73.9%	573	580
ISP → PBI	73.5%	71.3%	571	581
TPA → SJU	77.2%	67.6%	645	471
SJU → TPA	76.5%	79.4%	645	470
ISP → MCO	75.5%	73.2%	392	668