San Diego (SAN) to Newark (EWR): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SAN–EWR. April 2026 flights landed on schedule 94% of the time, but May 2025 dropped to 63% — a gap of 31 points. Across the full period the route averages 80% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 80%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 17 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.2%
- Flights/day
- 4.3
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 5h 25m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,425 mi
Best airline from SAN to EWR
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 80% | 17 min | 2.0% | 2,597 |
| Alaska Airlines | 76% | 20 min | 2.9% | 681 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SAN to EWR
Aim for departures around 10 p.m. (91% on-time); avoid 9 a.m. departures (63%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 77% | 17 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 86% | 9 min |
| Wednesday | 83% | 15 min |
| Thursday | 77% | 24 min |
| Friday | 79% | 18 min |
| Saturday | 81% | 15 min |
| Sunday | 75% | 23 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft23%
- Airline operations14%
- National airspace system51%
- Weather12%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SAN to EWR delayed?
- 21% of SAN–EWR 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 17 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SAN to EWR?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 80%, based on 2,597 flights. 2 airlines flew SAN–EWR frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SAN to EWR?
- Departures around 10 p.m. have the best record (91% on-time), while departures around 9 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 SAN to EWR?
- The scheduled SAN–EWR flight time averages 5h 25m over 2,425 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 21% of the time.
- How often are SAN to EWR flights cancelled?
- 2.2% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from SAN to EWR?
- May 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 63% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2026 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 31-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
More routes from SAN
Other ways to fly to Newark (EWR)
Related guides
Based on 3,278 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.