Seattle (SEA) to Santa Barbara (SBA): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
Seattle (SEA) to Santa Barbara (SBA) is a thinner route than most in this dataset — 363 departures over the past year, roughly 7 a week — so treat these numbers as indicative rather than definitive. Of the flights that did operate, 80% arrived on time.
- On-time
- 80%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 10 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.7%
- Flights/day
- 0.99
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 30m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 908 mi
Best airline from SEA to SBA
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable | 92% | 4 min | 1.0% | 97 |
| Alaska Airlines | 79% | 11 min | 0.7% | 733 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SEA to SBA
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (75%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 82% | 8 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 87% | 7 min |
| Wednesday | 80% | 10 min |
| Thursday | 75% | 15 min |
| Friday | 79% | 10 min |
| Saturday | 84% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 76% | 13 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft49%
- Airline operations37%
- National airspace system14%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SEA to SBA delayed?
- 20% of SEA–SBA 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 10 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SEA to SBA?
- SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 92%, based on 97 flights. 2 airlines flew SEA–SBA frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SEA to SBA?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (75%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SEA to SBA?
- The scheduled SEA–SBA flight time averages 2h 30m over 908 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
- How often are SEA to SBA flights cancelled?
- 0.7% 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 SEA to SBA?
- July 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 67% of arrivals on time. The best was May 2026 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 25-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 830 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.