Boston (BOS) to Los Angeles (LAX): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on BOS–LAX. January 2025 flights landed on schedule 88% of the time, but February 2025 dropped to 61% — a gap of 27 points. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (84% vs 69%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 78%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 19 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.9%
- Flights/day
- 13
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 6h 27m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,611 mi
Best airline from BOS to LAX
4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 79% | 15 min | 0.7% | 1,516 |
| JetBlue Airways | 79% | 15 min | 0.9% | 3,377 |
| Delta Air Lines | 77% | 20 min | 1.1% | 2,352 |
| American Airlines | 77% | 25 min | 0.8% | 2,160 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from BOS to LAX
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (63%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 74% | 25 min |
| Tuesday | 80% | 16 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 82% | 15 min |
| Thursday | 79% | 18 min |
| Friday | 78% | 19 min |
| Saturday | 79% | 17 min |
| Sunday | 75% | 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 aircraft38%
- Airline operations41%
- National airspace system19%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from BOS to LAX delayed?
- 22% of BOS–LAX 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 19 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from BOS to LAX?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 79%, based on 1,516 flights. 4 airlines flew BOS–LAX frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from BOS to LAX?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (63%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from BOS to LAX?
- The scheduled BOS–LAX flight time averages 6h 27m over 2,611 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are BOS to LAX flights cancelled?
- 0.9% 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 BOS to LAX?
- February 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 61% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 88%. If your dates are flexible, that 27-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 9,425 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.