Best Time to Fly DEN to SAN: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Denver International → San Diego International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
6,035 flights were scheduled from Denver (DEN) to San Diego (SAN) in the last 12 months, and 75.4% of those that flew arrived on time, 2.2 points below the US average of 77.6%.
Among 5 airlines, Alaska Airlines led with 83.6% on time and Southwest Airlines was last with 69.2%.
Over 24 months, Saturday was the most reliable day (81% on time) and July the worst month (65%).
The cancellation rate was 0.7% (US average 1.8%).
DEN to SAN 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | 83.6% | 54 min | 1.2% | 495 |
| Frontier Airlines | 80.8% | 65 min | 1.0% | 704 |
| United Airlines | 79.5% | 56 min | 0.4% | 2,074 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 70.9% | 46 min | 1.6% | 374 |
| Southwest Airlines | 69.2% | 54 min | 0.5% | 2,388 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly DEN to SAN
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 11,448 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 90.5% | 0.8% | 117 |
| 6am–7am | 89.9% | 0.6% | 470 |
| 7am–8am | 89.7% | 0.4% | 1,084 |
| 8am–9am | 85.9% | 0.3% | 708 |
| 9am–10am | 79.5% | 0.4% | 501 |
| 10am–11am | 80.6% | 0.9% | 432 |
| 11am–12pm | 78.4% | 0.1% | 1,123 |
| 12pm–1pm | 76.5% | 0.8% | 382 |
| 1pm–2pm | 85.1% | 0.6% | 1,014 |
| 2pm–3pm | 74.4% | 0.0% | 238 |
| 3pm–4pm | 79.5% | 0.3% | 657 |
| 4pm–5pm | 71.4% | 0.5% | 740 |
| 5pm–6pm | 64.4% | 0.9% | 344 |
| 6pm–7pm | 62.6% | 1.6% | 428 |
| 7pm–8pm | 62.0% | 1.0% | 1,184 |
| 8pm–9pm | 60.1% | 1.4% | 719 |
| 9pm–10pm | 62.8% | 1.1% | 735 |
| 10pm–11pm | 73.1% | 2.1% | 568 |
| 11pm–12am | Limited data | 4 | |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on DEN to SAN
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) | 77.5% | -1.1 pts | 0.0% | 227 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 63.9% | -14.8 pts | 2.0% | 488 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 64.8% | -13.9 pts | 1.0% | 1,980 |
| All other days | 78.7% | — | 0.6% | 8,753 |
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).