Best Time to Fly SNA to SFO: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
John Wayne Airport-Orange County → San Francisco International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 67.8% of Santa Ana (SNA) to San Francisco (SFO) flights arrived on time (4,777 scheduled flights). That is 9.8 points below the national average of 77.6%.
Alaska Airlines was the most punctual of the 4 airlines on the route at 69.2%, while Frontier Airlines trailed at 60.4%.
January has been the best month (85% on time) and Sunday the weakest day of the week (63%).
1.6% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
SNA to SFO 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 | 69.2% | 56 min | 0.0% | 39 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 68.8% | 66 min | 1.8% | 3,575 |
| United Airlines | 65.3% | 63 min | 1.1% | 1,012 |
| Frontier Airlines | 60.4% | 94 min | 1.3% | 151 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SNA to SFO
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 9,229 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6am–7am | 94.0% | 3.0% | 526 |
| 7am–8am | 78.0% | 1.5% | 845 |
| 8am–9am | 60.5% | 0.5% | 220 |
| 9am–10am | 63.4% | 0.6% | 659 |
| 10am–11am | 75.8% | 0.2% | 587 |
| 11am–12pm | 71.7% | 0.8% | 527 |
| 12pm–1pm | 76.5% | 0.7% | 417 |
| 1pm–2pm | 73.3% | 0.3% | 587 |
| 2pm–3pm | 56.9% | 1.0% | 497 |
| 3pm–4pm | 80.8% | 0.7% | 736 |
| 4pm–5pm | 76.0% | 1.8% | 664 |
| 5pm–6pm | 78.0% | 0.8% | 711 |
| 6pm–7pm | 66.5% | 2.0% | 866 |
| 7pm–8pm | 63.0% | 1.5% | 934 |
| 8pm–9pm | 65.4% | 4.7% | 343 |
| 9pm–10pm | 71.0% | 9.1% | 110 |
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 SFO
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) | 83.7% | +9.7 pts | 0.0% | 190 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 59.1% | -14.8 pts | 7.3% | 357 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 66.6% | -7.4 pts | 1.1% | 1,582 |
| All other days | 74.0% | — | 1.2% | 7,100 |
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).