San Francisco (SFO) to San Diego (SAN): On-Time Performance
Data through May 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 56% in May 2026. Across the full period the route averages 71% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 71%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 18 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 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlinesmost reliable | 85% | 9 min | 0.3% | 744 |
| United Airlines | 80% | 13 min | 0.5% | 4,916 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 67% | 20 min | 1.7% | 3,353 |
| Frontier Airlines | 62% | 26 min | 2.3% | 608 |
| Southwest Airlines | 61% | 24 min | 0.8% | 3,410 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SFO to SAN
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (89% on-time); avoid 10 a.m. departures (53%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 68% | 19 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 82% | 10 min |
| Wednesday | 75% | 15 min |
| Thursday | 66% | 23 min |
| Friday | 64% | 23 min |
| Saturday | 80% | 12 min |
| Sunday | 66% | 20 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft48%
- Airline operations19%
- National airspace system30%
- Weather4%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SFO to SAN delayed?
- 29% of SFO–SAN 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 18 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 744 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 (89% on-time), while departures around 10 a.m. have the worst (53%). 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 29% of the time.
- How often are SFO to SAN flights cancelled?
- 1% 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 SAN?
- May 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 56% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 83%. If your dates are flexible, that 27-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 13,031 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.