Best Time to Fly RDU to DEN: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Raleigh-Durham International → Denver International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 81.3% of Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Denver (DEN) flights arrived on time (1,745 scheduled flights). That is 3.7 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Among 3 airlines, United Airlines led with 86.9% on time and Southwest Airlines was last with 75.2%.
Over 24 months, Wednesday was the most reliable day (84% on time) and June the worst month (70%).
The cancellation rate was 0.9% (US average 1.8%).
RDU to DEN on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 86.9% | 89 min | 0.5% | 745 |
| Frontier Airlines | 82.1% | 75 min | 1.4% | 291 |
| Southwest Airlines | 75.2% | 54 min | 1.0% | 709 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly RDU to DEN
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 3,587 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 92.3% | 0.8% | 365 |
| 6am–7am | 90.9% | 0.0% | 66 |
| 7am–8am | 93.9% | 0.4% | 247 |
| 8am–9am | 89.7% | 0.8% | 877 |
| 10am–11am | 92.9% | 2.6% | 115 |
| 11am–12pm | Limited data | 18 | |
| 12pm–1pm | 91.9% | 1.0% | 101 |
| 1pm–2pm | 94.1% | 2.9% | 35 |
| 2pm–3pm | Limited data | 13 | |
| 4pm–5pm | 73.9% | 0.3% | 871 |
| 5pm–6pm | 66.0% | 0.4% | 454 |
| 6pm–7pm | 58.4% | 0.4% | 235 |
| 7pm–8pm | 66.2% | 0.7% | 146 |
| 8pm–9pm | Limited data | 23 | |
| 9pm–10pm | Limited data | 17 | |
| 10pm–11pm | Limited data | 4 | |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on RDU to DEN
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | 72.5% | -10.3 pts | 0.0% | 69 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 81.7% | -1.0 pts | 0.0% | 153 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 71.4% | -11.3 pts | 0.9% | 695 |
| All other days | 82.7% | — | 0.7% | 2,670 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).