Best Time to Fly DFW to SAN: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Dallas/Fort Worth International → San Diego International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 63.7% of Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to San Diego (SAN) flights arrived on time (3,669 scheduled flights). That is 13.9 points below the national average of 77.6%.
Among 3 airlines, Frontier Airlines led with 66.0% on time and Alaska Airlines was last with 56.7%.
Over 24 months, Tuesday was the most reliable day (69% on time) and June the worst month (51%).
The cancellation rate was 2.6% (US average 1.8%).
DFW 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Airlines | 66.0% | 85 min | 2.0% | 254 |
| American Airlines | 64.0% | 67 min | 2.8% | 3,213 |
| Alaska Airlines | 56.7% | 71 min | 0.5% | 202 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly DFW to SAN
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 7,072 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | Limited data | 3 | |
| 6am–7am | Limited data | 13 | |
| 7am–8am | 84.2% | 1.2% | 743 |
| 8am–9am | 81.9% | 2.4% | 534 |
| 9am–10am | 75.3% | 3.1% | 226 |
| 10am–11am | 71.6% | 2.9% | 69 |
| 11am–12pm | 67.8% | 1.5% | 660 |
| 12pm–1pm | 68.5% | 3.5% | 174 |
| 1pm–2pm | 63.6% | 1.2% | 584 |
| 2pm–3pm | 67.2% | 2.3% | 778 |
| 3pm–4pm | 61.8% | 0.0% | 56 |
| 4pm–5pm | 58.7% | 1.9% | 364 |
| 5pm–6pm | 68.5% | 2.4% | 507 |
| 6pm–7pm | 46.3% | 2.0% | 152 |
| 7pm–8pm | 56.7% | 3.0% | 734 |
| 8pm–9pm | 47.1% | 3.4% | 448 |
| 9pm–10pm | 47.3% | 4.1% | 435 |
| 10pm–11pm | 57.2% | 4.2% | 554 |
| 11pm–12am | 37.8% | 2.6% | 38 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on DFW 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) | 71.8% | +3.6 pts | 0.0% | 124 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 58.5% | -9.7 pts | 2.1% | 282 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 53.7% | -14.5 pts | 2.0% | 1,413 |
| All other days | 68.2% | — | 2.7% | 5,253 |
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).