Best Time to Fly SFO to SAN: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
San Francisco International → San Diego International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
6,621 flights were scheduled from San Francisco (SFO) to San Diego (SAN) in the last 12 months, and 64.9% of those that flew arrived on time, 12.8 points below the US average of 77.6%.
Among 5 airlines, Alaska Airlines led with 86.7% on time and Southwest Airlines was last with 50.5%.
Over 24 months, Saturday was the most reliable day (80% on time) and July the worst month (58%).
The cancellation rate was 1.2% (US average 1.8%).
SFO 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 | 86.7% | 49 min | 1.0% | 304 |
| United Airlines | 74.9% | 55 min | 0.4% | 2,633 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 63.5% | 57 min | 2.2% | 1,477 |
| Frontier Airlines | 52.0% | 84 min | 3.9% | 206 |
| Southwest Airlines | 50.5% | 63 min | 1.4% | 2,001 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SFO to SAN
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 13,320 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 83.6% | 0.0% | 67 |
| 6am–7am | 88.6% | 1.0% | 1,079 |
| 7am–8am | 88.3% | 0.7% | 1,029 |
| 8am–9am | 82.6% | 0.5% | 1,083 |
| 9am–10am | 77.8% | 0.7% | 444 |
| 10am–11am | 52.5% | 1.1% | 1,146 |
| 11am–12pm | 61.0% | 1.2% | 965 |
| 12pm–1pm | 59.3% | 1.5% | 337 |
| 1pm–2pm | 72.3% | 0.6% | 1,015 |
| 2pm–3pm | 58.5% | 0.0% | 579 |
| 3pm–4pm | 58.3% | 0.9% | 455 |
| 4pm–5pm | 63.5% | 0.5% | 1,133 |
| 5pm–6pm | 63.6% | 0.6% | 532 |
| 6pm–7pm | 61.5% | 1.7% | 689 |
| 7pm–8pm | 66.2% | 1.7% | 1,089 |
| 8pm–9pm | 61.3% | 1.4% | 442 |
| 9pm–10pm | 65.0% | 2.1% | 565 |
| 10pm–11pm | 76.1% | 1.3% | 671 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on SFO 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) | 69.8% | -2.5 pts | 0.0% | 253 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 47.7% | -24.6 pts | 3.1% | 476 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 61.2% | -11.0 pts | 1.0% | 2,431 |
| All other days | 72.3% | — | 0.9% | 10,160 |
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).