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Route · PHL → BOS · 2020–2025 BTS data

Philadelphia to Boston

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PHL to BOS (Philadelphia to Boston) ranks #187 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

82%
On-time
+3 pts
vs US avg
78 min
Delay when late
26,321
Flights
#187 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.9%

Best Month

Nov 2024 89%

Worst Month

Sep 2025 62%

Distance

280 mi

Carriers

24

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 365 87 6 0 B6,YX,F9,AA
Nov 2025 407 73 11 0 F9,AA,B6,YX
Oct 2025 462 161 7 0 AA,B6,YX,F9
Sep 2025 427 164 10 0 YX,F9,AA,B6
Aug 2025 406 92 6 0 AA,YX,F9,B6
Jul 2025 420 128 28 0 AA,B6,YX,F9
Jun 2025 411 117 11 0 AA,B6,YX,F9
May 2025 446 137 5 0 AA,B6,YX
Apr 2025 460 83 3 1 F9,YX,AA,B6
Mar 2025 456 72 5 0 AA,B6,YX,F9
Feb 2025 371 96 13 1 AA,B6,YX,F9
Jan 2025 388 66 6 0 AA,B6,YX,F9
Dec 2024 395 82 6 0 AA,B6,F9,YX
Nov 2024 463 49 0 0 YX,B6,F9,AA
Oct 2024 508 69 0 0 YX,F9,B6,AA
Sep 2024 464 98 0 0 YX,AA,B6,F9
Aug 2024 505 173 31 0 AA,B6,F9,YX
Jul 2024 496 151 8 0 AA,B6,F9,YX
Jun 2024 459 120 18 2 AA,B6,F9,YX
May 2024 489 146 2 1 AA,B6,F9,YX
Apr 2024 424 81 4 0 AA,B6,F9,YX
Mar 2024 387 67 3 0 AA,B6,F9,YX
Feb 2024 337 56 2 0 AA,B6,F9,YX
Jan 2024 337 88 7 0 AA,B6,F9,YX

PHL–BOS seasonal on-time pattern

Best: November (87.3%) · weakest: July (75.0%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 83.2%

Strongest calendar month

November

87.3% on-time · ~367 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~422 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

75.0% on-time · ~373 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.9%

192 of 10,283 flights

Diversion Rate

0.0%

5 of 10,283 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

PHL - Philadelphia

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Philadelphia, PA.

PHL on-time profile

BOS - Boston

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Boston, MA.

BOS on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See PHL and BOS side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare PHL vs BOS

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among PHL departures

From PHL, this corridor sits with 60 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 65 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (4 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Boston · fleet on-time rank #2363 of 4927.

What the Data Says About PHL to BOS

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Philadelphia to Boston (PHL to BOS) running a 82% on-time rate over 26,321 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 78.2 minutes. The 280-mile corridor is served by 24 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.9% of 10,283 flights were cancelled, 0.0% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Nov 2024 posted the strongest performance at 89% on-time, while Sep 2025 came in at just 62% - a 28-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PHL–BOS peaks in November at 87.3% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~422 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 75.0%, a 12.3-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PHL to BOS rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PHL to BOS ranks #187 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 PHL to BOS? ▼
Flights from Philadelphia to Boston have a 82% on-time rate based on 26,321 flights. The average delay is 78.2 minutes. The best recent month was Nov 2024 with 89% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PHL to BOS? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (192 of 10,283 flights) and 0.0% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PHL to BOS? ▼
The flight distance from Philadelphia (PHL) to Boston (BOS) is approximately 280 miles. This route is served by 24 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PHL to BOS? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Nov 2024 (89% on-time). The worst was Sep 2025 (62% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

PHL Airport

Philadelphia
BOS Airport

Boston
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 PHL–BOS data

PHL–BOS runs 3 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare PHL and BOS airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PHL airport
  • If your dates flex, November (87.3% on-time) beats July (75.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 82% 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.