Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Los Angeles (LAX): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly RDU to LAX matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 93% on-time in October 2025 to just 71% in July 2026. Across the full period the route averages 83% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (90% vs 77%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 83%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 15 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.6%
- Flights/day
- 2.2
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 5h 32m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,239 mi
Best airline from RDU to LAX
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Linesmost reliable | 86% | 10 min | 0.6% | 787 |
| American Airlines | 80% | 19 min | 0.6% | 795 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from RDU to LAX
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 8 a.m. departures (63%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 82% | 23 min |
| Tuesday | 81% | 11 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 86% | 11 min |
| Thursday | 84% | 14 min |
| Friday | 84% | 13 min |
| Saturday | 82% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 83% | 18 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft42%
- Airline operations38%
- National airspace system12%
- Weather7%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from RDU to LAX delayed?
- 17% of RDU–LAX 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 15 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from RDU to LAX?
- Delta Air Lines has the best on-time record on this route at 86%, based on 787 flights. 2 airlines flew RDU–LAX frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from RDU to LAX?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 8 a.m. have the worst (63%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from RDU to LAX?
- The scheduled RDU–LAX flight time averages 5h 32m over 2,239 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 17% of the time.
- How often are RDU to LAX flights cancelled?
- 0.6% 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 RDU to LAX?
- July 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 71% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2025 at 93%. If your dates are flexible, that 22-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,582 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.