Airline · UA · United StatesHow reliable is United Airlines?
United Airlines runs 87% on time across 7,914,796 flights of official airline-reported history. Here’s how it really performs — including when it’s late and on which routes.
Reliability score
on-time, cancellations & delays
Network reliability
United Airlines’s on-time record across its whole network
Source: BTS TranStats · data through 2026-06-25. On-time and cancellations are airline-controllable (cause-attributed). Advisory context, not a guarantee for any one flight.
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When flights run late
It’s not just if United Airlines is late — it’s how late
Of every 100 United Airlines flights, how they actually land — on time, or in each lateness band. A short delay is a nuisance; a 2-hour delay misses connections.
Routes
Where United Airlines shines — and where it struggles
Its most and least reliable routes by on-time rate (routes with a meaningful sample). Tap an airport for its full profile.
The read on United Airlines
What the record actually tells you about flying United Airlines
United Airlines runs about 87% on time across 7,914,796 flights of official airline-controllable history — one of the better on-time records in the data. On cancellations, cancellations are rare here, at roughly 0.4%. Worth noting, its on-time rate has slipped recently — down about 0.8 points versus the prior year.
It's not just whether a flight is late, but how late. When United Airlines runs behind, the typical delay lands around 11 minutes, and only a small slice — about 2.4% — slip two hours or more, so the worst-case tail is relatively contained.
Reliability isn't uniform across United Airlines's map. Its strongest route in the data is ABI–IAH, running around 98% on time, while IAH–LHR is among its weakest at about 59%. That gap is the whole point: judge United Airlines on the route you're actually flying, not on its overall average.
A track record is the backdrop, not a verdict on your flight. To put it to work, score your actual United Airlines flight on reliability, weather, and connection safety, see how the PlaneSane Score works, and read are some airlines really more reliable and how to read on-time stats.
Common questions about United Airlines
- How often is United Airlines on time?
- United Airlines (UA) ran about 87% on time across 7,914,796 flights of official airline-reported history — one of the better on-time records in the data. Its cancellation rate is roughly 0.4%.
- Is United Airlines a reliable airline?
- On the numbers, United Airlines has one of the better on-time records in the data. Typical delays run around 11 minutes when flights are late. Reliability varies by route and time of day, so check your specific flight rather than the brand average. It's advisory context, not a guarantee for any one flight.
- Which routes does United Airlines fly most reliably?
- In our data, ABI–IAH is among United Airlines's most reliable routes at about 98% on time, while IAH–LHR is among its weakest near 59%. The same airline can perform very differently route to route.
Flying United Airlines?
Score your actual flight on reliability, weather, and connection safety before you book — United Airlines’s track record is just the start.