Best Time to Fly SEA to SBA: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Seattle/Tacoma International → Santa Barbara Municipal
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 82.2% of Seattle (SEA) to Santa Barbara (SBA) flights arrived on time (363 scheduled flights). That is 4.5 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Alaska Airlines was the only reporting airline with regular flights on this route.
September has been the best month (88% on time) and Thursday the weakest day of the week (75%).
0.8% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
SEA to SBA 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 | 81.8% | 53 min | 0.9% | 344 |
| SkyWest Airlines | Limited data | 19 | ||
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SEA to SBA
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 799 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7am–8am | 92.7% | 1.4% | 69 |
| 8am–9am | Limited data | 28 | |
| 11am–12pm | 82.6% | 1.4% | 70 |
| 1pm–2pm | 76.3% | 0.0% | 38 |
| 2pm–3pm | 85.5% | 0.0% | 55 |
| 3pm–4pm | 84.8% | 0.5% | 187 |
| 4pm–5pm | 74.7% | 0.8% | 352 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on SEA to SBA
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) | Limited data | 12 | ||
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | Limited data | 29 | ||
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 75.3% | -7.9 pts | 1.1% | 184 |
| All other days | 83.2% | — | 0.3% | 574 |
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).