ON TIMEBOARD

PLN → DTW on time

Pellston of Emmet (Pellston, MI) to Detroit Metro (Detroit, MI). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
71%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
14.0%
659 flights
Typical arrival
−18 min
median vs schedule
When late
+118 min
average delay
Flights / day
2
1 airline

71% of flights from Pellston to Detroit arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is worse than the typical U.S. route. The 10 a.m. departures ran on time 85% of the time; the 2 p.m. ones 59%. 22% 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 PLN → DTW: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 38% of the time. About 1 in 12 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 44 three hours or more; 14.0% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 659 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Delta Air Lines65971%14.0%−18 min8.2%+118 minSkyWest

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 PLN). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%10 a.m. departures: 85% on time (151 flights)8510a11 a.m. departures: too few flights11anoon departures: too few flights12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights1p2 p.m. departures: 59% on time (191 flights)592p3 p.m. departures: too few flights3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights4p5 p.m. departures: 71% on time (317 flights)715p
PLN → DTW, 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 PLN → DTW, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 13.3% of the time, against 12.9% for its earlier flights, about the same. It arrived 3+ hours late 2.0% of the time (earlier flights: 2.7%). 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
Delta Air Lines5:49 p.m.13.3%2.0%12.9%first flight 10:31 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.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: September (91%). Worst: April (57%).

40%70%100%Jan: 62% on time (159 flights)62JanFeb: 75% on time (146 flights)75FebMar: 74% on time (161 flights)74MarApr: 57% on time (152 flights)57AprMay: 83% on time (185 flights)83MayJun: 84% on time (229 flights)84JunJul: 78% on time (237 flights)78JulAug: 83% on time (240 flights)83AugSep: 91% on time (193 flights)91SepOct: 88% on time (159 flights)88OctNov: 79% on time (156 flights)79NovDec: 75% on time (160 flights)75Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday10670%17.0%
Tuesday73——
Wednesday71——
Thursday10168%11.9%
Friday10373%14.6%
Saturday10276%10.8%
Sunday10364%19.4%

Why flights were late

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

Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 80%Severe weather 14%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 6%

Cancellations: weather 92

Month by month

60%80%100%Sep 2023Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026Jun 2024: 81% on time, 0.0% cancelledJul 2024: 78% on time, 0.9% cancelledAug 2024: 83% on time, 0.0% cancelled
Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)
PLN → DTW, 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
DL 43382:05 p.m.33671%14.3%−18 minSkyWest
DL 43355:50 p.m.31771%12.6%−17 minSkyWest

Questions

How often are flights from PLN to DTW on time?

71% of 659 scheduled flights from Pellston, MI to Detroit, MI arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 14.0% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly PLN to DTW?

Flights scheduled to leave at 10 a.m. were the most reliable (85% on time). The 2 p.m. departures were the least (59%).

What month has the most delays from PLN to DTW?

April (57% on time). The best month is September (91%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from PLN to DTW more likely to be cancelled?

Not much. Each airline's last PLN–DTW flight of the day was cancelled 13.3% of the time over the past year, against 12.9% 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.