FlightRecord

Burbank (BUR) to San Francisco (SFO): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

When you fly BUR to SFO matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 86% on-time in January 2025 to just 31% in May 2026. Across the full period the route averages 72% on-time against a national 78%.

On-time
72%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
20 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.1%
Flights/day
8.3
last 12 months
Duration
1h 33m
scheduled
Distance
326 mi

Best airline from BUR to SFO

4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable73%19 min1.3%3,179
United Airlines73%20 min0.9%2,678
Frontier Airlines57%31 min1.8%109
Southwest Airlines44%33 min2.0%251

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for BUR to SFO flights50%75%100%June 2024: 66% on-time (198 flights)66Jun 2024July 2024: 85% on-time (273 flights)85August 2024: 82% on-time (271 flights)82September 2024: 73% on-time (262 flights)73Sep 2024October 2024: 75% on-time (276 flights)75November 2024: 67% on-time (296 flights)67December 2024: 69% on-time (296 flights)69Dec 2024January 2025: 86% on-time (260 flights)86February 2025: 75% on-time (229 flights)75March 2025: 69% on-time (265 flights)69Mar 2025April 2025: 79% on-time (281 flights)79May 2025: 73% on-time (281 flights)73June 2025: 77% on-time (248 flights)77Jun 2025July 2025: 69% on-time (245 flights)69August 2025: 78% on-time (238 flights)78September 2025: 77% on-time (225 flights)77Sep 2025October 2025: 71% on-time (254 flights)71November 2025: 69% on-time (261 flights)69December 2025: 68% on-time (257 flights)68Dec 2025January 2026: 77% on-time (215 flights)77February 2026: 77% on-time (216 flights)77March 2026: 86% on-time (310 flights)86Mar 2026April 2026: 45% on-time (271 flights)45May 2026: 31% on-time (289 flights)31

Best time to fly from BUR to SFO

Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (83% on-time); avoid 8 a.m. departures (52%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, BUR to SFO7 a.m.: 83% on-time (821 flights)78 a.m.: 52% on-time (611 flights)89 a.m.: 61% on-time (222 flights)910 a.m.: 76% on-time (548 flights)1011 a.m.: 73% on-time (243 flights)1112 p.m.: 64% on-time (253 flights)121 p.m.: 72% on-time (444 flights)132 p.m.: 69% on-time (447 flights)143 p.m.: 80% on-time (621 flights)154 p.m.: 63% on-time (128 flights)165 p.m.: 79% on-time (374 flights)176 p.m.: 70% on-time (659 flights)187 p.m.: 65% on-time (251 flights)198 p.m.: 74% on-time (590 flights)20scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday69%22 min
Tuesday81%14 min
Wednesday72%19 min
Thursday68%23 min
Friday67%26 min
Saturdaybest82%12 min
Sunday64%26 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft28%
  • Airline operations19%
  • National airspace system51%
  • Weather3%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from BUR to SFO delayed?
28% of BUR–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 20 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from BUR to SFO?
SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 73%, based on 3,179 flights. 4 airlines flew BUR–SFO frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from BUR to SFO?
Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (83% on-time), while departures around 8 a.m. have the worst (52%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from BUR to SFO?
The scheduled BUR–SFO flight time averages 1h 33m over 326 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 28% of the time.
How often are BUR to SFO flights cancelled?
1.1% 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 BUR to SFO?
May 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 31% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 86%. If your dates are flexible, that 55-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 6,217 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.