Atlanta to Boston Flight Delays
Sample size: 14,922 ATL–BOS flights, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS). 22.72% of Atlanta to Boston flights arrived at least 15 minutes late. That is 1.5 points better than the 24.2% median for those routes, making this one of the steadier pairings in the network. Departure time moves the odds more than anything else on this route: 08:00 departures run 10.63% late against 31.81% for 16:00. Tuesday is the calmest day at 18.42%, Sunday the worst at 27.8%. Cancellations (2024 to 2025) peak in July at 2.94% of scheduled flights and bottom out in May at 0%. Last updated: 2026-10-01.
These figures are historical US domestic rates, not a forecast for one departure. Use the free delay prediction for your trip before you book.
ATL airport delay guide · BOS airport delay guide · Predict a ATL to BOS flight
Best time to fly ATL to BOS
The best time to fly ATL to BOS is the 8 AM departure and fly on a Tuesday, not a Sunday (18.42% against 27.8%): 10.63% of 8 AM flights arrived 15+ minutes late, against 31.81% at 4 PM.
Lowest observed delay rates depart 06:00–08:00. The highest sit at 16:00, 20:00–21:00. Only departure hours with at least 100 recorded flights are listed, so sparse hours are blank rather than estimated.
| Departure hour | Delayed 15+ min | Flights observed |
|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 13.29% | 617 |
| 07:00 | 11.11% | 1,152 |
| 08:00 | 10.63% | 1,035 |
| 09:00 | 17.02% | 887 |
| 10:00 | 18.39% | 995 |
| 11:00 | 19.09% | 1,268 |
| 12:00 | 25.61% | 1,320 |
| 13:00 | 26.86% | 711 |
| 14:00 | 26.46% | 1,009 |
| 15:00 | 26.91% | 628 |
| 16:00 | 31.81% | 745 |
| 17:00 | 29.54% | 711 |
| 18:00 | 30.02% | 633 |
| 19:00 | 29.81% | 852 |
| 20:00 | 31.75% | 882 |
| 21:00 | 31.37% | 255 |
| 22:00 | 23.31% | 1,184 |
ATL to BOS flight time and distance
Scheduled gate-to-gate time from ATL to BOS is a median 2 h 36 min. Flights actually took a median 2 h 27 min gate to gate, including 2 h 2 min in the air. 1.3% ran 30 or more minutes over schedule and 78.3% arrived sooner than scheduled (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
ATL to BOS is 946 miles (BTS data).
| Airline | Scheduled (median) | Actual (median) | In the air (median) | 30+ min over schedule | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 2 h 37 min | 2 h 27 min | 2 h 2 min | 1.1% | 10,837 |
| JetBlue Airways | 2 h 35 min | 2 h 28 min | 2 h 3 min | 1.5% | 2,630 |
| Spirit Airlines (ceased operating May 2026) | 2 h 31 min | 2 h 25 min | 2 h 2 min | 2.6% | 1,089 |
| Frontier Airlines | 2 h 39 min | 2 h 33 min | 2 h 1 min | 2.7% | 366 |
How late, and why
When a ATL to BOS flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 67 minutes late (median 43). 8.0% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
Of the delay minutes on late ATL to BOS flights, 39.6% were caused by the airline (crew, maintenance, ground handling), 29.2% by a late incoming aircraft, 27.4% by the air-traffic system (volume, non-extreme weather, airport operations), 3.7% by extreme weather and 0.1% by security (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
| Cause | Share of delay minutes |
|---|---|
| airline | 39.6% |
| late incoming aircraft | 29.2% |
| air-traffic system | 27.4% |
| extreme weather | 3.7% |
| security | 0.1% |
BTS assigns causes to delay minutes on flights that arrived 15+ minutes late. "Air-traffic system" includes non-extreme weather that slows traffic.
ATL to BOS delays by day of week
| Day | Delayed 15+ min | Flights observed |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 24.45% | 2,254 |
| Tue | 18.42% | 2,047 |
| Wed | 18.73% | 2,061 |
| Thu | 24.17% | 2,209 |
| Fri | 25.19% | 2,211 |
| Sat | 19.3% | 1,953 |
| Sun | 27.8% | 2,187 |
Month-by-month cancellation pattern
Share of scheduled ATL–BOS flights cancelled in each month, from BTS 2024–2025 on-time reporting. These are cancellations, not delays. Delay figures on this page cover January 2023 to December 2025.
| Month | Cancelled | Flights scheduled |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.5% | 721 |
| Feb | 0.75% | 663 |
| Mar | 0.13% | 797 |
| Apr | 0.82% | 853 |
| May | 0% | 877 |
| Jun | 0.59% | 841 |
| Jul | 2.94% | 849 |
| Aug | 0.81% | 868 |
| Sep | 0.46% | 877 |
| Oct | 0.33% | 912 |
| Nov | 0.92% | 873 |
| Dec | 2.25% | 888 |
Airlines on ATL to BOS: delays and cancellations
Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways and Frontier Airlines fly this route today. Spirit Airlines also appear in the history below but has ceased operations. Only carriers with at least 200 scheduled flights on the pairing are listed. Delay rates cover January 2023 to December 2025; cancellation rates cover 2024 to 2025.
| Airline | Share of flights | Delayed 15+ min | Cancelled | Flights scheduled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 72% | 20.6% | 0.78% | 7,222 |
| JetBlue Airways | 17% | 27.83% | 1.58% | 1,714 |
| Spirit Airlines (ceased operations 2 May 2026) | 7% | 27.27% | 1.13% | 705 |
| Frontier Airlines | 4% | 35.25% | 3.17% | 378 |
Related pages
- ATL delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- BOS delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- Boston to DC flights (BOS to DCA)
- DC to Boston flights (DCA to BOS)
- US airline cancellation rates
- Thanksgiving and Christmas 2026 flight delay guide
- Predict a ATL to BOS flight
Check your odds: Will my flight be delayed? · Will my flight be cancelled?
ATL vs BOS: airport conditions
Both ends of a route shape its delay profile. These are DelayGuard's operational scores for Atlanta and Boston.
| Measure | ATL (Atlanta) | BOS (Boston) |
|---|---|---|
| Congestion | high | high |
| Weather risk | moderate | moderate |
| NAS vulnerability | high | high |
| Average taxi-out | 18 min | 16 min |
| Runways | 5 | 6 |
ATL to BOS questions
- How long is the flight from Atlanta to Boston?
- Scheduled gate-to-gate time from ATL to BOS is a median 2 h 36 min, and flights actually took a median 2 h 27 min including 2 h 2 min in the air. 1.3% ran 30+ minutes over schedule (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
- How often do ATL to BOS flights get delayed?
- Across 14,922 recorded ATL–BOS departures, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS), 22.72% arrived at least 15 minutes late. Departure time matters most: 8:00 departures run 10.63% late against 31.81% for 16:00. Actual delay frequency varies by airline, time of day, and season.
- What is the best time of year to fly ATL to BOS?
- Atlanta (GA) sees its highest delays during June–September (convective/thunderstorm season). Boston (MA) peaks during December–February (winter weather) and June–August (summer storms). The dominant seasonal risk on this route sits at the destination (Boston) — use the DelayGuard predictor to check conditions for your specific travel date.
- Which airline is most reliable on ATL to BOS?
- On ATL→BOS, Delta Air Lines has the lowest measured delay rate at 20.6% of 10,837 flights, and Frontier Airlines the highest at 35.25% (BTS, January 2023 to December 2025). Delta Air Lines cancels the fewest at 0.78% (2024 to 2025). These are route-specific figures, not airline-wide averages.
- How late are ATL to BOS flights when they are delayed?
- When a ATL to BOS flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 67 minutes late (median 43). 8.0% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
- How accurate is DelayGuard's delay prediction for this route?
- DelayGuard's delay risk score comes from an ML model trained on BTS data (3.95 million US domestic flights, 2023 to mid-2025), with live weather data (within 5 days of departure) and FAA NAS advisories (within 6 hours) — a likelihood of delay, not a guarantee.
Delay figures reflect arrivals 15 or more minutes late in BTS on-time reporting. Cancellation figures are separate and count flights that never operated. Hours, days and months with fewer than 100 recorded flights are omitted rather than estimated.