Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Los Angeles (LAX): On-Time Performance
Data through May 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 73% in August 2024. Across the full period the route averages 84% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (90% vs 78%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 84%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 13 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.6%
- Flights/day
- 2.2
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 5h 33m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,239 mi
Best airline from RDU to LAX
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Linesmost reliable | 87% | 9 min | 0.7% | 756 |
| American Airlines | 81% | 18 min | 0.6% | 722 |
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 (69%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 84% | 18 min |
| Tuesday | 83% | 11 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 86% | 12 min |
| Thursday | 84% | 15 min |
| Friday | 85% | 12 min |
| Saturday | 85% | 8 min |
| Sunday | 84% | 16 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft44%
- Airline operations41%
- National airspace system12%
- Weather3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from RDU to LAX delayed?
- 16% of RDU–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 13 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from RDU to LAX?
- Delta Air Lines has the best on-time record on this route at 87%, based on 756 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 (69%). 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 33m over 2,239 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 16% of the time.
- How often are RDU to LAX flights cancelled?
- 0.6% 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 RDU to LAX?
- August 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 73% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2025 at 93%. If your dates are flexible, that 20-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,478 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.