Best Time to Fly BNA to ORD: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Nashville International → Chicago O'Hare International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
5,029 flights were scheduled from Nashville (BNA) to Chicago (ORD) in the last 12 months, and 71.6% of those that flew arrived on time, 6.1 points below the US average of 77.6%.
Among 7 airlines, Southwest Airlines led with 79.7% on time and SkyWest Airlines was last with 67.1%.
Over 24 months, Wednesday was the most reliable day (79% on time) and July the worst month (64%).
The cancellation rate was 2.9% (US average 1.8%).
BNA to ORD on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 79.7% | 58 min | 1.6% | 307 |
| Frontier Airlines | 74.2% | 85 min | 3.1% | 64 |
| Envoy Air | 73.8% | 86 min | 3.8% | 869 |
| Republic Airways | 73.1% | 76 min | 2.6% | 546 |
| United Airlines | 73.0% | 94 min | 2.3% | 1,438 |
| American Airlines | 69.0% | 105 min | 1.2% | 321 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 67.1% | 102 min | 3.8% | 1,461 |
| PSA Airlines | Limited data | 3 | ||
| Spirit Airlines | Limited data | 20 | ||
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly BNA to ORD
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 9,904 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 85.9% | 2.5% | 568 |
| 6am–7am | 87.4% | 1.4% | 832 |
| 7am–8am | 71.1% | 2.1% | 971 |
| 8am–9am | 81.4% | 1.4% | 436 |
| 9am–10am | 86.2% | 1.9% | 699 |
| 10am–11am | 84.9% | 1.3% | 1,056 |
| 11am–12pm | 81.1% | 1.9% | 523 |
| 12pm–1pm | 83.7% | 1.2% | 865 |
| 1pm–2pm | 73.4% | 2.3% | 174 |
| 2pm–3pm | 66.2% | 1.5% | 541 |
| 3pm–4pm | 67.6% | 2.6% | 911 |
| 4pm–5pm | 54.9% | 2.4% | 788 |
| 5pm–6pm | 53.4% | 1.7% | 580 |
| 6pm–7pm | 58.5% | 3.6% | 413 |
| 7pm–8pm | 50.3% | 7.3% | 354 |
| 8pm–9pm | 83.4% | 1.2% | 165 |
| 9pm–10pm | Limited data | 26 | |
| 10pm–11pm | Limited data | 2 | |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on BNA to ORD
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | 67.4% | -8.5 pts | 8.0% | 187 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 74.6% | -1.3 pts | 0.0% | 311 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 66.4% | -9.5 pts | 2.1% | 1,687 |
| All other days | 75.9% | — | 2.0% | 7,719 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).