Austin (AUS) to San Francisco (SFO): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly AUS to SFO matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 91% on-time in April 2025 to just 53% in May 2026. Across the full period the route averages 77% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (82% vs 69%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 77%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 17 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.6%
- Flights/day
- 7.7
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 55m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,504 mi
Best airline from AUS to SFO
5 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 81% | 15 min | 0.7% | 3,289 |
| Alaska Airlines | 76% | 15 min | 0.5% | 1,023 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 74% | 21 min | 0.0% | 72 |
| Delta Air Lines | 67% | 23 min | 0.9% | 528 |
| Southwest Airlines | 60% | 23 min | 0.5% | 398 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from AUS to SFO
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (95% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (59%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 75% | 20 min |
| Tuesday | 82% | 14 min |
| Wednesday | 76% | 15 min |
| Thursday | 74% | 18 min |
| Friday | 76% | 16 min |
| Saturdaybest | 83% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 72% | 22 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft33%
- Airline operations23%
- National airspace system42%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from AUS to SFO delayed?
- 23% of AUS–SFO flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 17 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from AUS to SFO?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 81%, based on 3,289 flights. 5 airlines flew AUS–SFO frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from AUS to SFO?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (95% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (59%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from AUS to SFO?
- The scheduled AUS–SFO flight time averages 3h 55m over 1,504 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 23% of the time.
- How often are AUS to SFO flights cancelled?
- 0.6% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from AUS to SFO?
- May 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 53% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2025 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 38-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 5,310 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.