San Francisco (SFO) to Phoenix (PHX): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly SFO to PHX matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 86% on-time in January 2025 to just 65% in June 2026. Across the full period the route averages 77% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (84% vs 72%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 77%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 19 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.6%
- Flights/day
- 13
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 3m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 651 mi
Best airline from SFO to PHX
6 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable | 89% | 8 min | 0.4% | 1,139 |
| United Airlines | 83% | 11 min | 0.4% | 2,999 |
| American Airlines | 77% | 27 min | 0.5% | 2,817 |
| Alaska Airlines | 75% | 13 min | 0.0% | 106 |
| Southwest Airlines | 69% | 19 min | 0.3% | 2,272 |
| Frontier Airlines | 61% | 37 min | 2.6% | 666 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SFO to PHX
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (96% on-time); avoid 10 p.m. departures (60%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 73% | 24 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 83% | 14 min |
| Wednesday | 81% | 17 min |
| Thursday | 74% | 20 min |
| Friday | 75% | 18 min |
| Saturday | 82% | 13 min |
| Sunday | 73% | 23 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft60%
- Airline operations31%
- National airspace system8%
- Weather1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SFO to PHX delayed?
- 23% of SFO–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 19 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SFO to PHX?
- SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 89%, based on 1,139 flights. 6 airlines flew SFO–PHX frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SFO to PHX?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (96% on-time), while departures around 10 p.m. have the worst (60%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SFO to PHX?
- The scheduled SFO–PHX flight time averages 2h 3m over 651 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 23% of the time.
- How often are SFO to PHX flights cancelled?
- 0.6% 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 SFO to PHX?
- June 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 65% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 86%. If your dates are flexible, that 22-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 9,999 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.