PlainFlights

Route · RDU → SEA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Raleigh/Durham to Seattle

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), RDU to SEA (Raleigh/Durham to Seattle) ranks #2579 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.9%
On-time
+4.9 pts
vs US avg
64 min
Delay when late
4,706
Flights
#2579 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.9%

Best Month

Oct 2024 94%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 49%

Distance

2,354 mi

Carriers

3

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 73 37 1 1 DL,AS
Nov 2025 66 10 1 0 AS,DL
Oct 2025 65 11 1 0 AS,DL
Sep 2025 77 5 0 2 DL,AS
Aug 2025 88 20 3 0 AS,DL
Jul 2025 93 27 0 0 AS,DL
Jun 2025 90 19 0 0 AS,DL
May 2025 93 16 0 1 AS,DL
Apr 2025 68 10 0 0 AS,DL
Mar 2025 62 9 1 0 AS,DL
Feb 2025 52 11 1 0 AS,DL
Jan 2025 60 11 0 0 AS,DL
Dec 2024 75 14 0 0 AS,DL
Nov 2024 58 6 0 0 AS,DL
Oct 2024 62 4 0 0 AS,DL
Sep 2024 90 16 0 1 AS,DL
Aug 2024 93 20 0 1 AS,DL
Jul 2024 93 15 2 0 AS,DL
Jun 2024 90 33 0 0 AS,DL
May 2024 86 28 0 0 AS,DL
Apr 2024 67 20 0 2 AS,DL
Mar 2024 62 13 0 0 AS,DL
Feb 2024 56 6 0 0 AS,DL
Jan 2024 59 10 6 0 AS,DL

RDU–SEA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: November (88.9%) · weakest: December (77.1%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 77.1%

Strongest calendar month

November

88.9% on-time · ~58 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~80 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

77.1% on-time · ~64 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.9%

16 of 1,778 flights

Diversion Rate

0.4%

8 of 1,778 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

RDU - Raleigh/Durham

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Raleigh/Durham, NC.

RDU 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 RDU and SEA side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare RDU vs SEA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among RDU departures

From RDU, this corridor sits with 25 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 35 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (9 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Seattle · fleet on-time rank #1631 of 4927.

What the Data Says About RDU to SEA

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Raleigh/Durham to Seattle (RDU to SEA) running a 83.9% on-time rate over 4,706 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 64.4 minutes. The 2,354-mile corridor is served by 3 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.9% of 1,778 flights were cancelled, 0.4% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 49% - a 44-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, RDU–SEA peaks in November at 88.9% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~80 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 77.1%, a 11.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does RDU to SEA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, RDU to SEA ranks #2579 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 RDU to SEA? ▼
Flights from Raleigh/Durham to Seattle have a 83.9% on-time rate based on 4,706 flights. The average delay is 64.4 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for RDU to SEA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (16 of 1,778 flights) and 0.4% were diverted.
How far is the flight from RDU to SEA? ▼
The flight distance from Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Seattle (SEA) is approximately 2,354 miles. This route is served by 3 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from RDU to SEA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (94% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (49% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

RDU Airport

Raleigh/Durham
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 RDU–SEA data

RDU–SEA runs 4.9 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare RDU and SEA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. RDU airport
  • If your dates flex, November (88.9% on-time) beats December (77.1%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.9% 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.