Houston (IAH) to San Diego (SAN): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly IAH to SAN matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 91% on-time in February 2026 to just 61% in June 2025. Across the full period the route averages 79% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (85% vs 72%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 79%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 14 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.0%
- Flights/day
- 4.6
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 28m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,303 mi
Best airline from IAH to SAN
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Airlinesmost reliable | 81% | 9 min | 6.3% | 63 |
| United Airlines | 79% | 14 min | 0.9% | 3,546 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IAH to SAN
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (87% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (64%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 79% | 14 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 84% | 10 min |
| Wednesday | 83% | 9 min |
| Thursday | 74% | 15 min |
| Friday | 77% | 20 min |
| Saturday | 81% | 17 min |
| Sunday | 77% | 14 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 operations32%
- National airspace system19%
- Weather13%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IAH to SAN delayed?
- 21% of IAH–SAN 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 14 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from IAH to SAN?
- Spirit Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 81%, based on 63 flights. 2 airlines flew IAH–SAN frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IAH to SAN?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (87% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (64%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from IAH to SAN?
- The scheduled IAH–SAN flight time averages 3h 28m over 1,303 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 21% of the time.
- How often are IAH to SAN 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 IAH to SAN?
- June 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 61% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2026 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 31-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Related guides
Based on 3,609 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.