San Diego (SAN) to Oakland (OAK): On-Time Performance
Data through July 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 65% in June 2026. Across the full period the route averages 76% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (88% vs 62%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 76%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 13 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.2%
- Flights/day
- 8.8
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 36m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 446 mi
Best airline from SAN to OAK
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable | 76% | 14 min | 1.1% | 262 |
| Southwest Airlines | 76% | 13 min | 1.2% | 6,284 |
| Spirit Airlines | 75% | 16 min | 2.1% | 374 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SAN to OAK
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (97% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (57%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 72% | 15 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 86% | 7 min |
| Wednesday | 83% | 9 min |
| Thursday | 71% | 17 min |
| Friday | 67% | 18 min |
| Saturday | 85% | 8 min |
| Sunday | 70% | 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 operations20%
- 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 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 13 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SAN to OAK?
- SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 76%, based on 262 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 9 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?
- 1.2% 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 SAN to OAK?
- June 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 65% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 89%. If your dates are flexible, that 23-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 6,920 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.