Best Time to Fly SMF to PSP: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Sacramento International → Palm Springs International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 87.7% of Sacramento (SMF) to Palm Springs (PSP) flights arrived on time (523 scheduled flights). That is 10.1 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Southwest Airlines was the only reporting airline with regular flights on this route.
July has been the best month (90% on time) and Thursday the weakest day of the week (76%).
0.2% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
SMF to PSP 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 87.7% | 59 min | 0.2% | 523 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SMF to PSP
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 938 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7am–8am | 96.9% | 0.0% | 98 |
| 8am–9am | 92.3% | 0.0% | 182 |
| 9am–10am | 94.0% | 0.0% | 84 |
| 10am–11am | Limited data | 10 | |
| 11am–12pm | 75.7% | 0.0% | 70 |
| 12pm–1pm | Limited data | 13 | |
| 1pm–2pm | Limited data | 9 | |
| 2pm–3pm | 86.8% | 2.6% | 39 |
| 3pm–4pm | 81.3% | 0.0% | 76 |
| 4pm–5pm | Limited data | 13 | |
| 5pm–6pm | Limited data | 17 | |
| 6pm–7pm | 77.9% | 0.0% | 95 |
| 7pm–8pm | 68.5% | 0.0% | 162 |
| 8pm–9pm | 68.2% | 0.0% | 63 |
| 9pm–10pm | Limited data | 6 | |
| 10pm–11pm | 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 SMF to PSP
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 | 19 | ||
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 64.9% | -18.3 pts | 2.6% | 38 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 84.8% | +1.6 pts | 0.0% | 105 |
| All other days | 83.2% | — | 0.0% | 776 |
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).