Best Time to Fly BNA to SFO: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Nashville International → San Francisco International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 69.3% of Nashville (BNA) to San Francisco (SFO) flights arrived on time (1,158 scheduled flights). That is 8.4 points below the national average of 77.6%.
Among 2 airlines, United Airlines led with 75.5% on time and Southwest Airlines was last with 52.3%.
Over 24 months, Tuesday was the most reliable day (81% on time) and June the worst month (60%).
The cancellation rate was 0.7% (US average 1.8%).
BNA to SFO on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 75.5% | 58 min | 0.7% | 847 |
| Southwest Airlines | 52.3% | 57 min | 0.6% | 311 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly BNA to SFO
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 1,916 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6am–7am | 84.3% | 1.1% | 433 |
| 7am–8am | 85.6% | 2.5% | 157 |
| 8am–9am | 81.0% | 0.6% | 165 |
| 9am–10am | 81.1% | 0.0% | 37 |
| 11am–12pm | 61.5% | 0.0% | 39 |
| 12pm–1pm | 83.5% | 0.9% | 105 |
| 1pm–2pm | 55.7% | 0.0% | 61 |
| 2pm–3pm | 72.3% | 0.0% | 239 |
| 3pm–4pm | Limited data | 18 | |
| 4pm–5pm | 47.9% | 0.0% | 117 |
| 5pm–6pm | 56.7% | 0.0% | 165 |
| 6pm–7pm | 64.2% | 0.5% | 379 |
| 9pm–10pm | Limited data | 1 | |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on BNA to SFO
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | 74.4% | +0.8 pts | 0.0% | 39 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 57.8% | -15.8 pts | 0.0% | 65 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 69.9% | -3.7 pts | 1.7% | 416 |
| All other days | 73.6% | — | 0.4% | 1,396 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).