FlightRecord

Buffalo (BUF) to Los Angeles (LAX): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

Buffalo (BUF) to Los Angeles (LAX) is a thinner route than most in this dataset — 137 departures over the past year, roughly 3 a week — so treat these numbers as indicative rather than definitive. Of the flights that did operate, 66% arrived on time, noticeably below the national average of 78%.

On-time
66%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
29 min
completed flights
Cancelled
0.7%
Flights/day
0.38
last 12 months
Duration
5h 24m
scheduled
Distance
2,218 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for BUF to LAX flights50%75%100%June 2024: 60% on-time (30 flights)60Jun 2024July 2024: 48% on-time (31 flights)48October 2024: 65% on-time (17 flights)65November 2024: 56% on-time (9 flights)56Nov 2024December 2024: 71% on-time (17 flights)71January 2025: 67% on-time (6 flights)67April 2025: 100% on-time (1 flights)100Apr 2025May 2025: 94% on-time (31 flights)94June 2025: 73% on-time (30 flights)73July 2025: 68% on-time (31 flights)68Jul 2025August 2025: 68% on-time (31 flights)68September 2025: 100% on-time (2 flights)100November 2025: 80% on-time (11 flights)80Nov 2025December 2025: 27% on-time (16 flights)27January 2026: 0% on-time (5 flights)0May 2026: 91% on-time (11 flights)91May 2026

Best time to fly from BUF to LAX

Aim for departures around 10 a.m. (94% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (50%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, BUF to LAX10 a.m.: 94% on-time (33 flights)106 p.m.: 60% on-time (147 flights)187 p.m.: 72% on-time (50 flights)198 p.m.: 50% on-time (38 flights)20scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday65%18 min
Tuesdaybest77%7 min
Wednesdaybest77%18 min
Thursday66%29 min
Friday56%46 min
Saturday71%17 min
Sunday55%58 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft59%
  • Airline operations28%
  • National airspace system11%
  • Weather3%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from BUF to LAX delayed?
34% of BUF–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 29 minutes.
What is the best time of day to fly from BUF to LAX?
Departures around 10 a.m. have the best record (94% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (50%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from BUF to LAX?
The scheduled BUF–LAX flight time averages 5h 24m over 2,218 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 34% of the time.
How often are BUF to LAX 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 day of the week is most reliable for BUF to LAX?
Tuesday flights have the best record at 77% on-time. Day-of-week differences on this route are meaningful — Sunday trails at 55%.

Based on 279 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.