Orlando (MCO) to San Francisco (SFO): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on MCO–SFO. April 2025 flights landed on schedule 90% of the time, but July 2025 dropped to 65% — a gap of 24 points. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (88% vs 69%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 78%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 16 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.8%
- Flights/day
- 4.1
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 6h 3m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,446 mi
Best airline from MCO to SFO
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 83% | 13 min | 0.7% | 1,939 |
| Frontier Airlines | 75% | 14 min | 1.5% | 136 |
| Alaska Airlines | 66% | 23 min | 1.1% | 747 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from MCO to SFO
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (64%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 77% | 20 min |
| Tuesday | 83% | 12 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 83% | 10 min |
| Thursday | 76% | 17 min |
| Friday | 75% | 14 min |
| Saturday | 81% | 15 min |
| Sunday | 73% | 22 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft39%
- Airline operations23%
- National airspace system30%
- Weather8%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from MCO to SFO delayed?
- 22% of MCO–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 16 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from MCO to SFO?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 83%, based on 1,939 flights. 3 airlines flew MCO–SFO frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from MCO to SFO?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 8 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 MCO to SFO?
- The scheduled MCO–SFO flight time averages 6h 3m over 2,446 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are MCO 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 MCO to SFO?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 65% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2025 at 90%. If your dates are flexible, that 24-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,822 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.