FlightRecord

Baltimore (BWI) to San Diego (SAN): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

When you fly BWI to SAN matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 88% on-time in November 2024 to just 58% in July 2024. Across the full period the route averages 75% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (86% vs 67%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
75%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
14 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.0%
Flights/day
3.1
last 12 months
Duration
5h 37m
scheduled
Distance
2,295 mi

Best airline from BWI to SAN

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

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Spirit Airlinesmost reliable83%14 min0.0%93
Southwest Airlines75%14 min1.0%1,995

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for BWI to SAN flights50%75%100%June 2024: 71% on-time (113 flights)71Jun 2024July 2024: 58% on-time (120 flights)58August 2024: 81% on-time (119 flights)81September 2024: 75% on-time (87 flights)75Sep 2024October 2024: 81% on-time (64 flights)81November 2024: 88% on-time (56 flights)88December 2024: 69% on-time (61 flights)69Dec 2024January 2025: 80% on-time (59 flights)80February 2025: 65% on-time (54 flights)65March 2025: 82% on-time (84 flights)82Mar 2025April 2025: 67% on-time (75 flights)67May 2025: 72% on-time (76 flights)72June 2025: 71% on-time (82 flights)71Jun 2025July 2025: 69% on-time (88 flights)69August 2025: 87% on-time (84 flights)87September 2025: 81% on-time (82 flights)81Sep 2025October 2025: 75% on-time (101 flights)75November 2025: 88% on-time (97 flights)88December 2025: 66% on-time (102 flights)66Dec 2025January 2026: 83% on-time (90 flights)83February 2026: 82% on-time (80 flights)82March 2026: 80% on-time (105 flights)80Mar 2026April 2026: 66% on-time (103 flights)66May 2026: 78% on-time (106 flights)78

Best time to fly from BWI to SAN

Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (88% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (39%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, BWI to SAN6 a.m.: 87% on-time (323 flights)67 a.m.: 88% on-time (192 flights)78 a.m.: 85% on-time (144 flights)89 a.m.: 84% on-time (215 flights)911 a.m.: 80% on-time (78 flights)1112 p.m.: 79% on-time (87 flights)121 p.m.: 76% on-time (42 flights)132 p.m.: 62% on-time (123 flights)143 p.m.: 54% on-time (90 flights)154 p.m.: 60% on-time (92 flights)165 p.m.: 58% on-time (26 flights)176 p.m.: 77% on-time (149 flights)187 p.m.: 66% on-time (249 flights)198 p.m.: 67% on-time (232 flights)209 p.m.: 39% on-time (33 flights)21scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday75%15 min
Tuesdaybest78%11 min
Wednesday75%15 min
Thursday76%14 min
Friday76%14 min
Saturday75%14 min
Sunday70%16 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft36%
  • Airline operations40%
  • National airspace system20%
  • Weather3%
  • Security1%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from BWI to SAN delayed?
25% of BWI–SAN 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 14 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from BWI to SAN?
Spirit Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 83%, based on 93 flights. 2 airlines flew BWI–SAN frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from BWI to SAN?
Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (88% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (39%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from BWI to SAN?
The scheduled BWI–SAN flight time averages 5h 37m over 2,295 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 25% of the time.
How often are BWI to SAN flights cancelled?
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 BWI to SAN?
July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 58% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2024 at 88%. If your dates are flexible, that 30-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 2,088 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.