ON TIMEBOARD

SEA → ALW on time

Seattle-Tacoma (Seattle, WA) to Walla Walla (Walla Walla, WA). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
85%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
2.1%
729 flights
Typical arrival
−8 min
median vs schedule
When late
+42 min
average delay
Flights / day
2
1 airline

85% of flights from Seattle to Walla Walla arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is better than the typical U.S. route. The 10 p.m. departures ran on time 92% of the time; the 1 p.m. ones 73%. 5% 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 SEA → ALW: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 72% of the time. About 1 in 43 flights landed an hour or more late; 2.1% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 729 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Alaska Airlines72985%2.1%−8 min2.3%+42 minHorizon Air

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

40%70%100%11 a.m. departures: too few flights (55 flights)11anoon departures: too few flights (44 flights)12p1 p.m. departures: 73% on time (183 flights)731p2 p.m. departures: too few flights (82 flights)2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (1 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights4p5 p.m. departures: too few flights5p6 p.m. departures: too few flights6p7 p.m. departures: too few flights7p8 p.m. departures: too few flights8p9 p.m. departures: too few flights9p10 p.m. departures: 92% on time (173 flights)9210p11 p.m. departures: 87% on time (191 flights)8711p
SEA → ALW, 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 SEA → ALW, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 3.6% of the time, against 0.5% for its earlier flights (6.5× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 0.0% of the time (earlier flights: 0.0%). 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
Alaska Airlines10:50 p.m.3.6%0.0%0.5%first flight 1:39 p.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 ALW 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 (93%). Worst: August (73%).

40%70%100%Jan: 78% on time (186 flights)78JanFeb: 86% on time (170 flights)86FebMar: 90% on time (186 flights)90MarApr: 93% on time (180 flights)93AprMay: 85% on time (184 flights)85MayJun: 78% on time (180 flights)78JunJul: 76% on time (184 flights)76JulAug: 73% on time (186 flights)73AugSep: 82% on time (175 flights)82SepOct: 88% on time (185 flights)88OctNov: 89% on time (177 flights)89NovDec: 73% on time (184 flights)73Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday10688%0.0%
Tuesday10488%2.9%
Wednesday10484%2.9%
Thursday10377%1.9%
Friday10488%1.9%
Saturday10484%1.9%
Sunday10487%2.9%

Why flights were late

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

Late inbound plane 49%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 32%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 11%Severe weather 8%

Cancellations: weather 12 · airline 3

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

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
AS 21151:39 p.m.34981%0.9%−7 minHorizon Air
AS 224510:50 p.m.21089%3.8%−10 minHorizon Air

Nearby airport alternatives

Other ways to make the same trip, using airports within 60 miles of Seattle or Walla Walla. None has been clearly more reliable than SEA → ALW.

RouteFlightsOn timeCancelled
SEA → ALW (this route)72985%2.1%
SEA → PSC Seattle-Tacoma to Tri Cities2,66282%1.1%

Questions

How often are flights from SEA to ALW on time?

85% of 729 scheduled flights from Seattle, WA to Walla Walla, WA arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 2.1% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly SEA to ALW?

Flights scheduled to leave at 10 p.m. were the most reliable (92% on time). The 1 p.m. departures were the least (73%).

What month has the most delays from SEA to ALW?

August (73% on time). The best month is April (93%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from SEA to ALW more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last SEA–ALW flight of the day was cancelled 3.6% of the time over the past year, against 0.5% 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.