ON TIMEBOARD

MKE → PHL on time

General Mitchell (Milwaukee, WI) to Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
74%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
6.4%
776 flights
Typical arrival
−14 min
median vs schedule
When late
+135 min
average delay
Flights / day
2
1 airline

74% of flights from Milwaukee to Philadelphia arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is worse than the typical U.S. route. The 6 a.m. departures ran on time 85% of the time; the 10 a.m. ones 73%. 16% 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 MKE → PHL: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 33% of the time. About 1 in 10 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 32 three hours or more; 6.4% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 776 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
American Airlines77674%6.4%−14 min9.9%+135 minPSA Airlines 60%, Piedmont Airlines 32%, American Airlines 7%, Republic Airways 0%

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

40%70%100%6 a.m. departures: 85% on time (226 flights)856a7 a.m. departures: too few flights (1 flights)7a8 a.m. departures: too few flights8a9 a.m. departures: too few flights9a10 a.m. departures: 73% on time (164 flights)7310a11 a.m. departures: too few flights (6 flights)11anoon departures: too few flights (95 flights)12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights (73 flights)1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights (34 flights)2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights (38 flights)4p5 p.m. departures: too few flights (63 flights)5p6 p.m. departures: too few flights (56 flights)6p
MKE → PHL, 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 MKE → PHL, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 8.0% of the time, against 6.1% for its earlier flights (1.3× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 2.3% of the time (earlier flights: 3.9%). 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
American Airlines6:00 p.m.8.0%2.3%6.1%first flight 6:00 a.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 PHL 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 (90%). Worst: July (57%).

40%70%100%Jan: 62% on time (115 flights)62JanFeb: too few flights (91 flights)FebMar: too few flights (93 flights)MarApr: 90% on time (128 flights)90AprMay: 79% on time (194 flights)79MayJun: 67% on time (304 flights)67JunJul: 57% on time (313 flights)57JulAug: 63% on time (291 flights)63AugSep: 76% on time (225 flights)76SepOct: 87% on time (255 flights)87OctNov: 84% on time (122 flights)84NovDec: 67% on time (128 flights)67Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday12176%8.3%
Tuesday11076%5.5%
Wednesday10073%2.0%
Thursday11472%10.5%
Friday11777%6.8%
Saturday10573%4.8%
Sunday10970%6.4%

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) 36%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 12%Severe weather 3%

Cancellations: weather 42 · airline 4 · air traffic/airport 4

Month by month

50%75%100%Sep 2023Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026Jun 2024: 72% on time, 3.5% cancelledJul 2024: 67% on time, 0.8% cancelledOct 2024: 85% on time, 0.0% cancelledJun 2025: 58% on time, 8.0% cancelledAug 2026: 66% on time, 15.8% cancelled
Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)
MKE → PHL, monthly on-time and cancellation rate.

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Aug 10, 202640%2
Jul 17, 202630%1
Jun 17, 202630%0
Aug 2, 202630%0
Jun 13, 202630%2

Questions

How often are flights from MKE to PHL on time?

74% of 776 scheduled flights from Milwaukee, WI to Philadelphia, PA arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 6.4% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly MKE to PHL?

Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. were the most reliable (85% on time). The 10 a.m. departures were the least (73%).

What month has the most delays from MKE to PHL?

July (57% on time). The best month is April (90%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from MKE to PHL more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last MKE–PHL flight of the day was cancelled 8.0% of the time over the past year, against 6.1% 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.