Best Time to Fly SNA to DEN: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
John Wayne Airport-Orange County → Denver International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 83.5% of Santa Ana (SNA) to Denver (DEN) flights arrived on time (3,686 scheduled flights). That is 5.9 points above the national average of 77.6%.
United Airlines was the most punctual of the 3 airlines on the route at 87.2%, while Southwest Airlines trailed at 78.7%.
October has been the best month (89% on time) and Friday the weakest day of the week (80%).
0.4% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
SNA to DEN 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 | 87.2% | 63 min | 0.4% | 1,869 |
| Frontier Airlines | 85.7% | 92 min | 0.4% | 280 |
| Southwest Airlines | 78.7% | 55 min | 0.4% | 1,537 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SNA to DEN
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 7,285 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6am–7am | 90.2% | 0.2% | 565 |
| 7am–8am | 92.5% | 0.4% | 486 |
| 8am–9am | 92.0% | 0.2% | 787 |
| 9am–10am | 93.0% | 0.3% | 313 |
| 10am–11am | 90.5% | 0.2% | 412 |
| 11am–12pm | 87.8% | 0.2% | 874 |
| 12pm–1pm | 84.4% | 0.8% | 382 |
| 1pm–2pm | 79.0% | 0.0% | 942 |
| 2pm–3pm | 68.1% | 0.7% | 438 |
| 3pm–4pm | 59.1% | 0.7% | 295 |
| 4pm–5pm | 71.5% | 0.2% | 537 |
| 5pm–6pm | 82.8% | 0.8% | 117 |
| 6pm–7pm | 81.2% | 0.4% | 680 |
| 7pm–8pm | 72.9% | 0.7% | 420 |
| 8pm–9pm | 89.2% | 0.0% | 37 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on SNA to DEN
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) | 86.2% | +1.4 pts | 0.0% | 130 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 79.3% | -5.5 pts | 0.3% | 300 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 74.6% | -10.2 pts | 0.6% | 1,349 |
| All other days | 84.8% | — | 0.3% | 5,506 |
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).