In Time vs. On Time – What’s the Difference? On time means at the scheduled time—not late, not early. "The train arrived on time." (It arrived exactly as planned.) "My boss likes meetings to start on time." (At the correct time, not late.) In time means early enough for something. "We got to the airport in time for our flight." (Early enough to catch the flight.) "I ran to the shop and got there just in time before it closed." (Almost too late, but not quite!) Now, try this: "We arrived at the c