Frontier 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 73.1% for Frontier.

Southwest cancelled fewer flights (0.9% vs 1.9%), and late flights averaged 83 minutes late on Frontier vs 53 on Southwest.

On the 268 routes both airlines fly regularly, Frontier had the better on-time record on 150 and Southwest on 118.

Frontier vs Southwest: key numbers

Last 12 months, all flights each airline operated.

FrontierSouthwest

On-time arrivals73.1%76.4%

On-time departures73.6%71.8%

Cancelled1.9%0.9%

Diverted0.2%0.2%

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

FrontierSouthwest

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.

FrontierSouthwest

Airline (carrier)26.1%28.4%

Weather2.8%2.3%

Air traffic system (NAS)19.5%17.9%

Security0.0%0.3%

Late-arriving aircraft51.6%51.1%

268 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	Frontier on time	Southwest on time	Frontier flights	Southwest flights
DEN → PHX	77.6%	72.3%	1,469	3,964
PHX → DEN	79.6%	72.7%	1,464	3,937
DEN → LAS	76.4%	72.4%	1,598	3,143
LAS → DEN	77.8%	71.0%	1,595	3,119
LAS → PHX	79.6%	76.6%	859	3,449
PHX → LAS	81.0%	77.3%	855	3,451
MCO → BWI	74.9%	76.8%	594	3,587
BWI → MCO	71.5%	77.0%	592	3,575
LAS → SAN	68.5%	61.1%	374	3,765
SAN → LAS	66.3%	73.9%	374	3,747
LAS → SMF	77.4%	77.5%	228	3,452
SMF → LAS	77.3%	78.8%	228	3,444
LAS → RNO	75.6%	78.6%	305	3,317
RNO → LAS	68.8%	82.6%	305	3,315
PHX → SAN	74.5%	70.3%	389	3,219
SAN → PHX	70.3%	73.2%	388	3,197
LAS → SJC	79.6%	78.2%	192	3,275
SJC → LAS	75.3%	80.8%	192	3,247
BUR → LAS	72.9%	80.9%	157	3,213
MCO → SJU	75.3%	69.0%	1,291	2,062
SJU → MCO	78.9%	79.8%	1,290	2,062
LAS → BUR	81.3%	77.4%	157	3,179
DEN → SLC	82.2%	72.8%	1,023	2,307
SLC → DEN	79.2%	72.8%	1,023	2,306
DEN → SAN	80.8%	69.2%	704	2,388