Lihue (LIH) to San Francisco (SFO): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly LIH to SFO matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 100% on-time in April 2025 to just 77% in December 2025. Across the full period the route averages 89% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 89%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 7 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.8%
- Flights/day
- 2.2
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 5h 15m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,446 mi
Best airline from LIH to SFO
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 92% | 5 min | 0.7% | 1,151 |
| Alaska Airlines | 68% | 19 min | 1.7% | 180 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from LIH to SFO
Aim for departures around 10 p.m. (96% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (62%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 84% | 8 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 95% | 9 min |
| Wednesday | 84% | 9 min |
| Thursday | 92% | 6 min |
| Friday | 86% | 8 min |
| Saturday | 93% | 3 min |
| Sunday | 91% | 10 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft43%
- Airline operations37%
- National airspace system19%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from LIH to SFO delayed?
- 11% of LIH–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 7 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from LIH to SFO?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 92%, based on 1,151 flights. 2 airlines flew LIH–SFO frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from LIH to SFO?
- Departures around 10 p.m. have the best record (96% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (62%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from LIH to SFO?
- The scheduled LIH–SFO flight time averages 5h 15m over 2,446 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 11% of the time.
- How often are LIH to SFO flights cancelled?
- 0.8% 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 LIH to SFO?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 77% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2025 at 100%. If your dates are flexible, that 23-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Based on 1,331 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.