Austin (AUS) to San Francisco (SFO): On-Time Performance
Data through May 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 79% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (83% vs 73%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 79%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 16 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.7%
- Flights/day
- 7.6
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 56m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,504 mi
Best airline from AUS to SFO
5 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 83% | 14 min | 0.7% | 3,105 |
| Alaska Airlines | 75% | 16 min | 0.5% | 1,083 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 73% | 23 min | 0.0% | 66 |
| Southwest Airlines | 67% | 17 min | 0.7% | 295 |
| Delta Air Lines | 66% | 23 min | 1.2% | 407 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from AUS to SFO
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (95% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (60%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 77% | 18 min |
| Tuesday | 83% | 13 min |
| Wednesday | 78% | 14 min |
| Thursday | 76% | 18 min |
| Friday | 78% | 15 min |
| Saturdaybest | 85% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 74% | 21 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft35%
- Airline operations24%
- National airspace system39%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from AUS to SFO delayed?
- 22% of AUS–SFO flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 16 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from AUS to SFO?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 83%, based on 3,105 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 5 a.m. have the best record (95% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (60%). 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 56m over 1,504 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are AUS to SFO flights cancelled?
- 0.7% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, 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 4,956 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.