Flights Des Moines → Denver
DSM → DEN
Route overview
The flight route from Des Moines to Denver operates with an average on-time performance rate of 89%, with flights typically experiencing a mean delay of just 7 minutes. Over the past year, there have been 529 total flights on this route using aircraft such as Airbus A319 and Boeing 737 models, serving the busy Denver airport which opened in 1989 and handles approximately 82,358,744 passengers annually.
Your rights on this US flight (DOT)
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under the US DOT rules, if your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Amenities for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
US flight refund rules & checker →General information, not legal advice.
The Des Moines (DSM) → Denver (DEN) route is operated by Frontier Airlines, United Airlines. Across 717 flights monitored in recent months, 86% arrived on time (within 15 min of schedule), with an average delay of 10 minutes. The cancellation rate is 3.35%. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 23.9/100 (medium), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At Denver the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes (main cause: atfm). Departing from Des Moines the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes.
Heading to Denver: what to expect in this direction
Flying from Des Moines (DSM) to Denver (DEN) heads west for about 947 km, a flight time of roughly 1h 36m.
Departures from Des Moines on this leg cluster in the overnight window: about 50% of DSM-DEN flights take off then.
Air-traffic congestion: departing Des Moines the average ATFM delay is 2.0 min (atfm); arriving into Denver it is 2.0 min (atfm).
Across 717 tracked DSM-DEN flights, 86% left on time with an average delay of 10 min and a 3.4% cancellation rate.
Route facts
Flights on this route
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Airline punctuality on this route
| Airline | On-time | Average delay | Cancellations |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines (UA) | 74% | 10 min | 6.9% |
| Frontier Airlines (F9) | 74% | 15 min | 2.2% |
Airlines operating DSM-DEN
Airports
Frequently asked questions about DSM-DEN
On the Des Moines (DSM) -> Denver (DEN) route, on-time performance is 86% with an average delay of 10 minutes, based on 717 tracked flights.
The cancellation rate on Des Moines-Denver is 3.35% across 717 monitored flights.
The route is operated by 2 airlines: Frontier Airlines, United Airlines.
Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at Denver, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel, airline punctuality and recent trends.
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under US DOT rules, if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Meals or hotels for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
