FlightRecord

Boston (BOS) to Los Angeles (LAX): On-Time Performance

Data through July 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 68%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
78%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
19 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.0%
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 2024-07 and 2026-07.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
United Airlinesmost reliable80%15 min0.6%1,578
JetBlue Airways78%16 min1.1%3,585
Delta Air Lines77%20 min1.2%2,478
American Airlines77%26 min0.9%2,285

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for BOS to LAX flights50%75%100%August 2024: 76% on-time (467 flights)76Aug 2024September 2024: 85% on-time (439 flights)85October 2024: 86% on-time (487 flights)86November 2024: 84% on-time (392 flights)84Nov 2024December 2024: 78% on-time (372 flights)78January 2025: 88% on-time (320 flights)88February 2025: 61% on-time (293 flights)61Feb 2025March 2025: 86% on-time (356 flights)86April 2025: 82% on-time (363 flights)82May 2025: 86% on-time (436 flights)86May 2025June 2025: 80% on-time (394 flights)80July 2025: 73% on-time (439 flights)73August 2025: 85% on-time (433 flights)85Aug 2025September 2025: 79% on-time (364 flights)79October 2025: 71% on-time (402 flights)71November 2025: 78% on-time (375 flights)78Nov 2025December 2025: 62% on-time (381 flights)62January 2026: 68% on-time (373 flights)68February 2026: 67% on-time (344 flights)67Feb 2026March 2026: 81% on-time (390 flights)81April 2026: 79% on-time (362 flights)79May 2026: 84% on-time (398 flights)84May 2026June 2026: 69% on-time (452 flights)69July 2026: 74% on-time (484 flights)74

Best time to fly from BOS to LAX

Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (60%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, BOS to LAX5 a.m.: 92% on-time (48 flights)56 a.m.: 87% on-time (1,125 flights)67 a.m.: 85% on-time (1,180 flights)78 a.m.: 84% on-time (1,271 flights)89 a.m.: 79% on-time (346 flights)910 a.m.: 85% on-time (763 flights)1011 a.m.: 78% on-time (275 flights)1112 p.m.: 81% on-time (337 flights)121 p.m.: 77% on-time (120 flights)132 p.m.: 74% on-time (314 flights)143 p.m.: 80% on-time (188 flights)154 p.m.: 75% on-time (527 flights)165 p.m.: 70% on-time (841 flights)176 p.m.: 71% on-time (1,404 flights)187 p.m.: 60% on-time (201 flights)198 p.m.: 66% on-time (832 flights)209 p.m.: 65% on-time (171 flights)21scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday75%25 min
Tuesday80%18 min
Wednesdaybest81%16 min
Thursday78%17 min
Friday78%19 min
Saturday78%16 min
Sunday75%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 aircraft39%
  • Airline operations40%
  • 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 2024-07 and 2026-07. 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 80%, based on 1,578 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 (60%). 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?
1% 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 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.

Based on 9,946 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.