San Francisco (SFO) to San Diego (SAN): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly SFO to SAN matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 83% on-time in January 2025 to just 50% in July 2026. Across the full period the route averages 69% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (75% vs 66%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 69%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 19 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.0%
- Flights/day
- 18
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 38m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 447 mi
Best airline from SFO to SAN
5 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlinesmost reliable | 85% | 9 min | 0.7% | 749 |
| United Airlines | 78% | 13 min | 0.4% | 5,293 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 66% | 21 min | 1.7% | 3,499 |
| Frontier Airlines | 59% | 30 min | 3.0% | 638 |
| Southwest Airlines | 58% | 27 min | 1.0% | 3,680 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SFO to SAN
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (88% on-time); avoid 10 a.m. departures (52%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 65% | 21 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 80% | 11 min |
| Wednesday | 73% | 16 min |
| Thursday | 63% | 25 min |
| Friday | 62% | 25 min |
| Saturday | 80% | 13 min |
| Sunday | 66% | 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 aircraft49%
- Airline operations18%
- National airspace system30%
- Weather3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SFO to SAN delayed?
- 31% of SFO–SAN 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 SAN?
- Alaska Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 85%, based on 749 flights. 5 airlines flew SFO–SAN frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SFO to SAN?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (88% on-time), while departures around 10 a.m. have the worst (52%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SFO to SAN?
- The scheduled SFO–SAN flight time averages 1h 38m over 447 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 31% of the time.
- How often are SFO to SAN flights cancelled?
- 1% 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 SAN?
- July 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 50% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 83%. If your dates are flexible, that 33-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 13,859 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.