San Diego (SAN) to Oakland (OAK): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly SAN to OAK matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 89% on-time in January 2025 to just 64% in June 2024. Across the full period the route averages 76% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (87% vs 63%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 76%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 14 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.3%
- Flights/day
- 8.7
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 36m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 446 mi
Best airline from SAN to OAK
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlinesmost reliable | 76% | 13 min | 1.2% | 6,092 |
| Spirit Airlines | 75% | 17 min | 2.2% | 403 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 68% | 19 min | 0.8% | 132 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SAN to OAK
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (97% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (57%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 72% | 15 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 87% | 7 min |
| Wednesday | 84% | 8 min |
| Thursday | 72% | 17 min |
| Friday | 67% | 19 min |
| Saturday | 85% | 9 min |
| Sunday | 69% | 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 aircraft69%
- Airline operations19%
- National airspace system11%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SAN to OAK delayed?
- 25% of SAN–OAK 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 14 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SAN to OAK?
- Southwest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 76%, based on 6,092 flights. 3 airlines flew SAN–OAK frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SAN to OAK?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (97% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (57%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SAN to OAK?
- The scheduled SAN–OAK flight time averages 1h 36m over 446 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 25% of the time.
- How often are SAN to OAK flights cancelled?
- 1.3% 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 SAN to OAK?
- June 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 64% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 89%. If your dates are flexible, that 25-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 6,627 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.