Oakland (OAK) to Los Angeles (LAX): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly OAK to LAX matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 94% on-time in January 2026 to just 77% in December 2025. Across the full period the route averages 84% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (93% vs 75%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 84%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 9 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.9%
- Flights/day
- 5.8
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 26m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 337 mi
Best airline from OAK to LAX
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Airlinesmost reliable | 84% | 10 min | 0.7% | 276 |
| Southwest Airlines | 84% | 9 min | 0.9% | 4,579 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from OAK to LAX
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (98% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (67%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 83% | 11 min |
| Tuesday | 89% | 6 min |
| Wednesday | 89% | 6 min |
| Thursday | 83% | 10 min |
| Friday | 79% | 12 min |
| Saturdaybest | 89% | 5 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 aircraft54%
- Airline operations33%
- National airspace system12%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from OAK to LAX delayed?
- 16% of OAK–LAX 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 9 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from OAK to LAX?
- Spirit Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 84%, based on 276 flights. 2 airlines flew OAK–LAX frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from OAK to LAX?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (98% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (67%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from OAK to LAX?
- The scheduled OAK–LAX flight time averages 1h 26m over 337 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 16% of the time.
- How often are OAK to LAX flights cancelled?
- 0.9% 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 OAK to LAX?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 77% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2026 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 17-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 4,857 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.