Best Time to Fly LAX to SAN: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Los Angeles International → San Diego International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 85.3% of Los Angeles (LAX) to San Diego (SAN) flights arrived on time (2,447 scheduled flights). That is 7.7 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Among 2 airlines, United Airlines led with 85.8% on time and SkyWest Airlines was last with 85.3%.
Over 24 months, Tuesday was the most reliable day (91% on time) and December the worst month (78%).
The cancellation rate was 0.9% (US average 1.8%).
LAX 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 85.8% | 47 min | 0.0% | 219 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 85.3% | 64 min | 1.0% | 2,228 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly LAX to SAN
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 4,716 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7am–8am | Limited data | 5 | |
| 8am–9am | 84.5% | 0.7% | 539 |
| 9am–10am | 84.0% | 0.8% | 877 |
| 12pm–1pm | 86.3% | 0.0% | 131 |
| 1pm–2pm | 89.6% | 0.0% | 48 |
| 2pm–3pm | 79.9% | 0.3% | 320 |
| 3pm–4pm | Limited data | 15 | |
| 4pm–5pm | 89.7% | 0.0% | 380 |
| 5pm–6pm | 82.7% | 0.6% | 169 |
| 6pm–7pm | 84.9% | 1.3% | 693 |
| 7pm–8pm | 84.1% | 0.7% | 152 |
| 8pm–9pm | 64.6% | 0.0% | 82 |
| 9pm–10pm | 84.2% | 0.6% | 357 |
| 10pm–11pm | 89.7% | 0.8% | 890 |
| 11pm–12am | 96.5% | 0.0% | 58 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on LAX 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) | 84.8% | -1.5 pts | 0.0% | 79 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 64.3% | -22.0 pts | 2.8% | 145 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 84.8% | -1.5 pts | 0.0% | 837 |
| All other days | 86.3% | — | 0.8% | 3,655 |
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).