Santa Barbara (SBA) to Seattle (SEA): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly SBA to SEA matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 96% on-time in February 2026 to just 58% in June 2025. Across the full period the route averages 76% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 76%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 13 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.9%
- Flights/day
- 1.2
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 39m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 908 mi
Best airline from SBA to SEA
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable | 80% | 10 min | 0.9% | 115 |
| Alaska Airlines | 76% | 14 min | 0.9% | 689 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SBA to SEA
Aim for departures around 2 p.m. (91% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (69%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 74% | 12 min |
| Tuesday | 79% | 11 min |
| Wednesday | 78% | 12 min |
| Thursday | 70% | 17 min |
| Fridaybest | 82% | 11 min |
| Saturday | 82% | 12 min |
| Sunday | 71% | 19 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft54%
- Airline operations14%
- National airspace system31%
- Weather1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SBA to SEA delayed?
- 24% of SBA–SEA 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 SBA to SEA?
- SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 80%, based on 115 flights. 2 airlines flew SBA–SEA frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SBA to SEA?
- Departures around 2 p.m. have the best record (91% on-time), while departures around 7 p.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 SBA to SEA?
- The scheduled SBA–SEA flight time averages 2h 39m over 908 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 24% of the time.
- How often are SBA to SEA flights cancelled?
- 0.9% 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 SBA to SEA?
- June 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 58% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2026 at 96%. If your dates are flexible, that 38-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Based on 804 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.