JFK to SEA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport · 2,422 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at JFK or SEA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from New York (JFK) to Seattle (SEA) arrived on time 70% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.2% were cancelled, and 9% arrived an hour or more late.
- Delta Air Lines was the most punctual airline here (73% on time); Alaska Airlines was the least (68%).
- Departures scheduled around 11am did best (80% on time); around 6pm did worst (52%).
- Wednesday was the most reliable day to fly (72% on time) and Sunday the least (65%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was air traffic control & airport congestion (39%).
Which airline is most on time from JFK to SEA?
Ranked by on-time arrival rate. Regional airlines fly under their partner's brand (e.g. SkyWest for Delta Connection or United Express).
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | 1 hr+ late | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 73% | 3.1% | 17 min | 7.0% | 1,338 |
| JetBlue | 70% | 4.2% | 23 min | 13.8% | 166 |
| Alaska Airlines | 68% | 3.2% | 22 min | 10.1% | 1,402 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 7am71%723 flights
- 11am80%490 flights
- 1pm84%71 flights
- 4pm71%730 flights
- 5pm67%121 flights
- 6pm52%426 flights
- 7pm78%230 flights
- 8pm65%80 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday71%3.6% cancelled
- Tuesday71%3.6% cancelled
- Wednesday72%1.2% cancelled
- Thursday69%2.7% cancelled
- Friday71%1.9% cancelled
- Saturday72%4.9% cancelled
- Sunday65%4.6% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Air traffic control & airport congestion39%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)30%
- Late-arriving aircraft22%
- Extreme weather7%
- Security1%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather56%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)29%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion15%
- Security0%
JFK to SEA: common questions
- How often are JFK to SEA flights on time?
- 70% of flights arrived less than 15 minutes late in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, compared with 78% for all US flights.
- How often are flights from New York to Seattle cancelled?
- 3.2% of scheduled flights were cancelled (93 of 2,906).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 20 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 62 min behind schedule on average, and 8.9% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at JFK?
- Flights on this route spent 31 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: SEA to JFK — 77% on time
More flights from New York
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: JFK → SEA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.