RDU to SEA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport · 2,354 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at RDU or SEA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Seattle (SEA) arrived on time 77% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 1.5% were cancelled, and 5% arrived an hour or more late.
- Delta Air Lines was the most punctual airline here (83% on time); Alaska Airlines was the least (74%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (83% on time); around 7pm did worst (70%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (82% on time) and Monday the least (66%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (36%).
Which airline is most on time from RDU 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 | 83% | 1.4% | 10 min | 4.2% | 364 |
| Alaska Airlines | 74% | 1.6% | 14 min | 5.0% | 554 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am83%146 flights
- 7am80%442 flights
- 5pm71%73 flights
- 6pm71%156 flights
- 7pm70%101 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday66%2.2% cancelled
- Tuesday80%0.0% cancelled
- Wednesday78%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday79%0.8% cancelled
- Friday77%0.7% cancelled
- Saturday82%1.6% cancelled
- Sunday79%5.1% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)36%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion34%
- Late-arriving aircraft28%
- Extreme weather1%
- Security1%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)57%
- Extreme weather43%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion0%
- Security0%
RDU to SEA: common questions
- How often are RDU to SEA flights on time?
- 77% 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 Raleigh/Durham to Seattle cancelled?
- 1.5% of scheduled flights were cancelled (14 of 918).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 12 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 48 min behind schedule on average, and 4.7% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at RDU?
- Flights on this route spent 17 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: SEA to RDU — 80% on time
More flights from Raleigh/Durham
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: RDU → SEA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.