These are North America’s most reliable airlines of 2026 so far—and the No. 1 carrier beat Delta and United

New Cirium data found that more than 82 percent of the carrier’s flights arrived on schedule, outperforming every major North American airline.

When traveling, few things are as frustrating as delayed flights. The good news is, you can mitigate that headache by booking with a reliable airline. In North America, the most on-time carrier in the first half of 2026 was Alaska Airlines, according to data that aviation analytics company Cirium shared with Travel + Leisure. Flights on the airline arrived on or near schedule more than 80 percent of the time.

Between January and the end of June, flights on Alaska landed within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time 82.9 percent of the time. Additionally, it canceled or didn’t fly just 1.1 percent of all its flights. In total, it operated just over 238,000 flights during the first six months of the year—significantly less than other carriers (American Airlines flew more than 1.1 million, for example).

Named one of the best domestic airlines for 2026 by T+L readers, Alaska has been working to improve its flight experience for passengers. This spring, the carrier introduced its first-ever international business class, complete with lie‑flat suites and decadent in-flight sundaes from Salt & Straw. These seats are available on Alaska’s long-haul international flights to Europe and Asia. Additionally, the airline is rolling out high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet throughout the year.

Coming in at No. 2 for timeliness is Delta Air Lines, with an on-time rate of 81.7 percent through June, per Cirium. A much larger airline, Delta operated more than 905,000 flights in the first six months of the year, canceling or not flying only 2.2 percent of them. Delta was also the most punctual airline in the United States for the month of June, with an on-time arrival rate of more than 82.6 percent.

Delta’s performance comes as the carrier introduces its own new way to fly in style with discounted Basic fares for premium cabins, rolling out in September. These wallet-friendly fares don’t include perks like advance seat selection or lounge access, but once onboard, the experience will be the same as other premium fares.

At No. 3 was United Airlines, with an on-time rate of 79.9 percent for the first six months of 2026. In total, the airline operated just over 885,700 flights during that time period.

In April, United similarly announced its own Base business class tickets, offering passengers flying on that fare just one checked bag and access to United Clubs (but not its United Polaris Lounges).

American Airlines and low-cost carrier Sun Country Airlines rounded out the top five with on-time rates of 78 percent and 75.2 percent, respectively. 

Here are the rest of the top North American airlines and their on-time performances for the first six months of 2026:

1. Alaska Airlines: 82.89 percent
2. Delta Air Lines: 81.74 percent
3. United Airlines: 79.94 percent
4. American Airlines: 78.03 percent
5. Sun Country Airlines: 75.24 percent
6. Allegiant Air: 74.35 percent
7. JetBlue: 74.1 percent
8. Southwest Airlines: 73.79 percent
9. Frontier Airlines: 73.52 percent

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure