St. Louis (STL) to Los Angeles (LAX): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly STL to LAX matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 95% on-time in October 2024 to just 54% in April 2026. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (84% vs 63%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 78%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 15 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.6%
- Flights/day
- 2.8
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 5m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,592 mi
Best airline from STL to LAX
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlinesmost reliable | 87% | 11 min | 1.8% | 333 |
| Southwest Airlines | 77% | 13 min | 0.3% | 1,366 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 73% | 26 min | 0.6% | 350 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from STL to LAX
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (53%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 70% | 17 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 83% | 18 min |
| Wednesday | 78% | 11 min |
| Thursday | 79% | 12 min |
| Friday | 79% | 18 min |
| Saturday | 81% | 12 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 aircraft32%
- Airline operations52%
- National airspace system10%
- Weather6%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from STL to LAX delayed?
- 22% of STL–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 15 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from STL to LAX?
- American Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 87%, based on 333 flights. 3 airlines flew STL–LAX frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from STL to LAX?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 9 p.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 STL to LAX?
- The scheduled STL–LAX flight time averages 4h 5m over 1,592 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are STL to LAX flights cancelled?
- 0.6% 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 STL to LAX?
- April 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 54% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 95%. If your dates are flexible, that 40-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,049 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.