San Diego (SAN) to Phoenix (PHX): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly SAN to PHX matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 87% on-time in January 2025 to just 62% in July 2026. Across the full period the route averages 76% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (86% vs 68%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 76%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 18 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.4%
- Flights/day
- 16
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 25m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 304 mi
Best airline from SAN to PHX
5 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlinesmost reliable | 80% | 22 min | 0.6% | 3,630 |
| Alaska Airlines | 78% | 12 min | 1.8% | 217 |
| Southwest Airlines | 76% | 14 min | 1.5% | 6,645 |
| Frontier Airlines | 71% | 28 min | 2.0% | 1,043 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 66% | 20 min | 5.3% | 507 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SAN to PHX
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (65%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 75% | 20 min |
| Tuesday | 83% | 10 min |
| Wednesday | 83% | 15 min |
| Thursday | 71% | 21 min |
| Friday | 70% | 21 min |
| Saturdaybest | 85% | 13 min |
| Sunday | 72% | 21 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft63%
- Airline operations24%
- National airspace system11%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SAN to PHX delayed?
- 24% of SAN–PHX 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 18 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SAN to PHX?
- American Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 80%, based on 3,630 flights. 5 airlines flew SAN–PHX frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SAN to PHX?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (65%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SAN to PHX?
- The scheduled SAN–PHX flight time averages 1h 25m over 304 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 24% of the time.
- How often are SAN to PHX flights cancelled?
- 1.4% 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 PHX?
- July 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 62% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 87%. If your dates are flexible, that 25-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 12,042 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.