77% of flights leaving La Crosse (LSE) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 2 points better than the national average of 76%. About 3 flights leave LSE on a typical day; 4.4% were cancelled. 76% pushed back from the gate on time, so most of the lateness is already there when the flight leaves the gate.
At a glance
- Best month: February (85%). Worst: July (70%).
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (49% of delay minutes).
How late?
The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for flights leaving LSE: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 44% of the time. About 1 in 11 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 58 three hours or more; 4.4% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early77%
- 15–30 min late4.2%
- 30–60 min late5.2%
- 1–2 hours late4.8%
- 2–3 hours late2.3%
- 3+ hours late1.7%
- Diverted0.2%
- Cancelled4.4%
Share of all 1,151 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of LSE
Not enough flights at each hour to compare times of day reliably.
Hour × month
Each cell: on-time rate for that departure hour in that calendar month, 2023–2026. Find your travel month, then look along the row for the greenest hour.
Best and worst months
July is the hardest month at LSE, with 70% of flights on time across 2023–2026; February is the best at 85%. Summer (June–August) runs 8 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 3 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in March (6.4% of flights).
Airlines at LSE
American Airlines runs 92% of departures from LSE, so LSE is effectively its hub. When American Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 1,061 | 77% | 76% | 4.8% | −13 min |
Why flights are late at LSE
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At LSE, 49% of delay minutes came from late-arriving aircraft: the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Next is the air traffic system at 28%. That's why the first flight of the morning is the safest bet: it has no earlier flight to inherit a delay from. Of the 51 cancellations, 57% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 12 minutes, shorter than at most large U.S. airports.
Month by month
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from LSE, each airline's final departure was cancelled 7.0% of the time, against 3.7% for its earlier flights (1.9× as often). Late in the day crews run short on duty hours, aircraft arrive late from elsewhere, and with no later flight to fold passengers into, cancelling is easier for the airline. 1.7% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Chicago (7.0% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 5:26 p.m. | 7.0% | 1.7% | 68% |
Each airline's last scheduled departure of the day on a route, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Riskiest first.
Tips for flying out of LSE
- Traveling in July? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of LSE; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at LSE come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from LSE
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago | 1,061 | 77% | 4.8% | −13 min |
Flights into LSE
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into La Crosse, least reliable first. The weakest is from Chicago (71% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago | 1,061 | 71% | 4.7% |
Questions about LSE delays
What month has the most flight delays at LSE?
July (70% on time). February is the best month (85%).
Why are flights delayed at LSE?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (49% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the air traffic system (28%).
How often are flights cancelled at LSE?
4.4% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in March at 6.4%.
Hours are scheduled local departure times. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes late at the destination; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Method.