ON TIMEBOARD

PHL → ALB on time

Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) to Albany (Albany, NY). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
79%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
2.2%
1,570 flights
Typical arrival
−12 min
median vs schedule
When late
+89 min
average delay
Flights / day
4
1 airline

79% of flights from Philadelphia to Albany arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is about the typical U.S. route. The 9 a.m. departures ran on time 86% of the time; the 7 p.m. ones 77%. 11% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for PHL → ALB: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 43% of the time. About 1 in 12 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 39 three hours or more; 2.2% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 1,570 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
American Airlines1,57079%2.2%−12 min8.1%+89 minPiedmont Airlines

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at PHL). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%8 a.m. departures: too few flights (67 flights)8a9 a.m. departures: 86% on time (216 flights)869a10 a.m. departures: too few flights (59 flights)10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights (7 flights)11anoon departures: too few flights12p1 p.m. departures: 79% on time (183 flights)791p2 p.m. departures: 80% on time (121 flights)802p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (46 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights (94 flights)4p5 p.m. departures: too few flights (79 flights)5p6 p.m. departures: too few flights (7 flights)6p7 p.m. departures: 77% on time (355 flights)777p8 p.m. departures: too few flights8p9 p.m. departures: 78% on time (336 flights)789p
PHL → ALB, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

Last flight of the day

On PHL → ALB, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 3.6% of the time, against 1.8% for its earlier flights (2.0× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 1.4% of the time (earlier flights: 2.9%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
American Airlines9:50 p.m.3.6%1.4%1.8%first flight 8:50 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in ALB tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: April (92%). Worst: August (69%).

40%70%100%Jan: 70% on time (268 flights)70JanFeb: 80% on time (266 flights)80FebMar: 85% on time (278 flights)85MarApr: 92% on time (297 flights)92AprMay: 83% on time (344 flights)83MayJun: 75% on time (401 flights)75JunJul: 71% on time (415 flights)71JulAug: 69% on time (444 flights)69AugSep: 87% on time (321 flights)87SepOct: 87% on time (324 flights)87OctNov: 87% on time (252 flights)87NovDec: 73% on time (256 flights)73Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday24076%3.3%
Tuesday20782%1.0%
Wednesday22286%0.4%
Thursday23177%3.0%
Friday23182%1.7%
Saturday20578%1.0%
Sunday23476%4.7%

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Late inbound plane 56%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 16%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 15%Severe weather 13%

Cancellations: weather 34 · air traffic/airport 1

Month by month

50%75%100%Sep 2023Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026Jun 2024: 88% on time, 1.7% cancelledJul 2024: 81% on time, 0.8% cancelledAug 2024: 76% on time, 0.0% cancelledSep 2024: 90% on time, 0.0% cancelledOct 2024: 88% on time, 0.0% cancelledMay 2025: 68% on time, 0.8% cancelledJun 2025: 56% on time, 2.2% cancelledJul 2025: 62% on time, 3.5% cancelledAug 2025: 73% on time, 0.7% cancelledSep 2025: 86% on time, 0.0% cancelledOct 2025: 85% on time, 0.0% cancelledNov 2025: 83% on time, 0.0% cancelledDec 2025: 67% on time, 1.7% cancelledJan 2026: 77% on time, 3.3% cancelledFeb 2026: 78% on time, 5.5% cancelledMar 2026: 84% on time, 1.7% cancelledApr 2026: 96% on time, 0.0% cancelledMay 2026: 90% on time, 0.0% cancelledJun 2026: 83% on time, 1.4% cancelledJul 2026: 71% on time, 4.1% cancelledAug 2026: 61% on time, 7.4% cancelled
Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)
PHL → ALB, monthly on-time and cancellation rate.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

FlightDepartsFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrivalOperated by
AA 61067:40 p.m.12579%4.0%−14 minPiedmont Airlines
AA 58779:35 p.m.31579%3.2%−11 minPiedmont Airlines

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Aug 27, 202660%4
Jul 6, 202650%0
Jan 18, 202640%0
Mar 12, 202640%0
Jan 26, 202640%0

Questions

How often are flights from PHL to ALB on time?

79% of 1,570 scheduled flights from Philadelphia, PA to Albany, NY arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 2.2% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly PHL to ALB?

Flights scheduled to leave at 9 a.m. were the most reliable (86% on time). The 7 p.m. departures were the least (77%).

What month has the most delays from PHL to ALB?

August (69% on time). The best month is April (92%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from PHL to ALB more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last PHL–ALB flight of the day was cancelled 3.6% of the time over the past year, against 1.8% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.