Flight Data
We analyse flight data from various third-party services to identify patterns in reliability and punctuality.
Our goal is simple: to explore which airlines historically offer the most dependable service. While every airline has its own standards, we look at the real world impact, identifying which carriers are statistically less likely to cause a hiccup in your travel plans.
Status
Our charts use the following statuses to summarise performance.
Status | What it means | Impact |
|---|---|---|
Early | Arrived at least 15 minutes or more before scheduled | Early holiday start - nice bonus! |
On-time | Arrived within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time | Perfect |
Late | Arrived 15 minutes to 1 hour late | Annoying, but shouldn’t have too much of an impact |
Very Late | ||
Extremely Late | ||
Diverted | The flight was diverted | Disaster |
Cancelled | The flight was cancelled | Disaster |
Unknown | We know there was a scheduled flight but don’t have the outcome yet - this could be delayed data or a gap in coverage which is waiting on manual resolution. |
What flights and airlines are monitored?
Our aim is to cover the primary routes used by tourists between the UK and central Florida, as long as we are able to get the data from the airports involved (not all airports have the coverage we require to get reliable information).
Heathrow
Manchester
Gatwick
Orlando
Tampa
Miami
Currently this involves flights operated by:
Virgin Atlantic
British Airways
American Airlines
Norse Atlantic
This may vary throughout the year as we also add coverage for additional seasonal flights when possible.
For Information Only
The reports and reliability scores provided on this page are for informational and entertainment purposes only. They are intended to show historical trends and should not be taken as a guarantee of future performance.
No Legal Standing
This data is not official and carries no legal weight. It cannot be used as evidence in legal proceedings, compensation claims (such as UK/EU 261), or insurance disputes. For official punctuality statistics, please refer to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) or the specific airline’s own reported data.
Third-Party Data & Accuracy
Our insights are built using data feeds from third-party providers - not directly from airlines or airports. While we strive for accuracy, Riding the Magic cannot guarantee that the information is error free, complete, or up to date. Flight data is complex and subject to change as we receive new updates from our sources, historical scores and trends may be adjusted without notice.
Risk vs. Reality
Our "Reliability" metrics are our own subjective interpretations of data patterns. A "High Reliability" score does not mean a flight will never be delayed, and a "Low Reliability" score does not mean a flight is guaranteed to be late. Travel involves many variables: weather, air traffic control and operational issues which are beyond the scope of historical reporting.