San Francisco (SFO) to Los Angeles (LAX): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SFO–LAX. January 2025 flights landed on schedule 87% of the time, but May 2026 dropped to 65% — a gap of 22 points. Across the full period the route averages 79% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (84% vs 74%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 79%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 14 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.7%
- Flights/day
- 30
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 33m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 337 mi
Best airline from SFO to LAX
7 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 82% | 10 min | 0.4% | 6,595 |
| American Airlines | 81% | 22 min | 0.2% | 1,022 |
| Delta Air Lines | 79% | 16 min | 1.1% | 4,735 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 79% | 13 min | 0.7% | 5,373 |
| Alaska Airlines | 77% | 13 min | 0.7% | 917 |
| Southwest Airlines | 71% | 19 min | 0.3% | 2,633 |
| Frontier Airlines | 70% | 26 min | 1.4% | 910 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SFO to LAX
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (98% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (64%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 76% | 16 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 85% | 10 min |
| Wednesday | 81% | 12 min |
| Thursday | 76% | 16 min |
| Friday | 75% | 17 min |
| Saturday | 83% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 75% | 17 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft56%
- Airline operations27%
- National airspace system16%
- Weather1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SFO to LAX delayed?
- 21% of SFO–LAX 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 SFO to LAX?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 82%, based on 6,595 flights. 7 airlines flew SFO–LAX frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SFO to LAX?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (98% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (64%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SFO to LAX?
- The scheduled SFO–LAX flight time averages 1h 33m over 337 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 21% of the time.
- How often are SFO to LAX flights cancelled?
- 0.7% 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 SFO to LAX?
- May 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 65% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 87%. If your dates are flexible, that 22-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 22,198 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.