SEA to JFK flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport · 2,422 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at SEA or JFK right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Seattle (SEA) to New York (JFK) arrived on time 77% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 2.9% were cancelled, and 6% arrived an hour or more late.
- Delta Air Lines was the most punctual airline here (80% on time); JetBlue was the least (74%).
- Departures scheduled around 7am did best (89% on time); around 2pm did worst (64%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (81% on time) and Sunday the least (74%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (39%).
Which airline is most on time from SEA to JFK?
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 | 80% | 3.1% | 15 min | 6.0% | 1,337 |
| Alaska Airlines | 75% | 2.6% | 14 min | 6.5% | 1,403 |
| JetBlue | 74% | 4.8% | 37 min | 10.1% | 166 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 7am89%591 flights
- 8am84%110 flights
- 9am76%80 flights
- 10am84%112 flights
- 11am67%414 flights
- 1pm69%122 flights
- 2pm64%373 flights
- 3pm82%99 flights
- 4pm67%110 flights
- 9pm85%183 flights
- 10pm76%416 flights
- 11pm84%244 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday77%3.1% cancelled
- Tuesday81%2.7% cancelled
- Wednesday79%0.7% cancelled
- Thursday75%1.0% cancelled
- Friday78%3.3% cancelled
- Saturday78%3.9% cancelled
- Sunday74%5.8% 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)39%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion36%
- Late-arriving aircraft21%
- Extreme weather3%
- Security1%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather56%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)32%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion12%
- Security0%
SEA to JFK: common questions
- How often are SEA to JFK 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 Seattle to New York cancelled?
- 2.9% of scheduled flights were cancelled (85 of 2,906).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 16 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 64 min behind schedule on average, and 6.5% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at SEA?
- Flights on this route spent 22 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: JFK to SEA — 70% on time
More flights from Seattle
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: SEA → JFK, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.