PlainFlights

Route · MSY → SEA · 2020–2025 BTS data

New Orleans to Seattle

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MSY to SEA (New Orleans to Seattle) ranks #3308 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

79.4%
On-time
+0.4 pts
vs US avg
61 min
Delay when late
2,980
Flights
#3308 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.0%

Best Month

Feb 2024 93%

Worst Month

Jul 2024 55%

Distance

2,086 mi

Carriers

3

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 54 18 0 0 AS
Nov 2025 59 18 1 0 AS
Oct 2025 53 19 1 0 AS
Sep 2025 48 10 1 0 DL,AS
Aug 2025 57 19 0 0 AS
Jul 2025 61 18 0 0 AS
Jun 2025 60 27 1 0 AS
May 2025 62 17 0 0 AS
Apr 2025 60 12 0 0 AS
Mar 2025 46 9 0 0 AS,DL
Feb 2025 44 13 0 0 AS,DL
Jan 2025 62 12 5 0 AS
Dec 2024 55 13 0 0 AS
Nov 2024 56 10 0 0 AS
Oct 2024 54 7 0 0 AS
Sep 2024 48 7 1 0 AS
Aug 2024 56 14 1 0 AS
Jul 2024 62 28 2 0 AS
Jun 2024 60 16 0 1 AS
May 2024 62 18 0 0 AS
Apr 2024 60 18 0 0 AS
Mar 2024 62 11 0 1 AS
Feb 2024 58 4 0 0 AS
Jan 2024 70 18 1 0 AS,DL

MSY–SEA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (86.8%) · weakest: July (72.2%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 75.1%

Strongest calendar month

September

86.8% on-time · ~41 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

May

~53 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

72.2% on-time · ~49 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.0%

14 of 1,369 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

2 of 1,369 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

MSY - New Orleans

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for New Orleans, LA.

MSY on-time profile

SEA - Seattle

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Seattle, WA.

SEA on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See MSY and SEA side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare MSY vs SEA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among MSY departures

From MSY, this corridor sits with 28 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 34 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (5 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Seattle · fleet on-time rank #3378 of 4927.

What the Data Says About MSY to SEA

2,980 tracked flights put the MSY to SEA pairing (New Orleans to Seattle) at a 79.4% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 61.1 minutes on average. Across the 2,086-mile route and its 3 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.0% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (1,369 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 93% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at just 55% - a 38-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MSY–SEA peaks in September at 86.8% on-time while May carries the heaviest traffic (~53 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 72.2%, a 14.6-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MSY to SEA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MSY to SEA ranks #3308 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from MSY to SEA? ▼
Flights from New Orleans to Seattle have a 79.4% on-time rate based on 2,980 flights. The average delay is 61.1 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 93% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MSY to SEA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.0% of flights on this route were cancelled (14 of 1,369 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MSY to SEA? ▼
The flight distance from New Orleans (MSY) to Seattle (SEA) is approximately 2,086 miles. This route is served by 3 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from MSY to SEA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (93% on-time). The worst was Jul 2024 (55% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

MSY Airport

New Orleans
SEA Airport

Seattle
Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Using MSY–SEA data

MSY–SEA is mid-pack at 79.4% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare MSY and SEA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MSY airport
  • If your dates flex, September (86.8% on-time) beats July (72.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 79.4% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.