Best Time to Fly SAN to SFO: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
San Diego International → San Francisco International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 62.5% of San Diego (SAN) to San Francisco (SFO) flights arrived on time (6,660 scheduled flights). That is 15.1 points below the national average of 77.6%.
United Airlines was the most punctual of the 5 airlines on the route at 69.0%, while Frontier Airlines trailed at 42.9%.
January has been the best month (81% on time) and Friday the weakest day of the week (60%).
1.3% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
SAN 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 69.0% | 59 min | 0.5% | 2,633 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 65.2% | 64 min | 1.9% | 1,517 |
| Southwest Airlines | 55.4% | 60 min | 1.2% | 2,001 |
| Alaska Airlines | 51.8% | 53 min | 1.3% | 303 |
| Frontier Airlines | 42.9% | 77 min | 7.3% | 206 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SAN to SFO
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 13,363 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6am–7am | 93.8% | 0.8% | 1,259 |
| 7am–8am | 62.9% | 0.5% | 943 |
| 8am–9am | 55.4% | 0.9% | 965 |
| 9am–10am | 62.3% | 1.8% | 662 |
| 10am–11am | 66.1% | 0.1% | 891 |
| 11am–12pm | 62.7% | 0.5% | 791 |
| 12pm–1pm | 71.9% | 0.2% | 601 |
| 1pm–2pm | 66.6% | 0.9% | 1,011 |
| 2pm–3pm | 60.2% | 0.6% | 341 |
| 3pm–4pm | 63.1% | 0.9% | 449 |
| 4pm–5pm | 77.0% | 0.5% | 1,208 |
| 5pm–6pm | 71.0% | 1.8% | 993 |
| 6pm–7pm | 60.4% | 0.6% | 528 |
| 7pm–8pm | 54.5% | 1.5% | 1,364 |
| 8pm–9pm | 54.8% | 1.5% | 824 |
| 9pm–10pm | 46.8% | 4.6% | 345 |
| 10pm–11pm | 73.1% | 3.2% | 188 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on SAN 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) | 75.4% | +6.0 pts | 0.0% | 252 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 48.4% | -21.0 pts | 3.8% | 475 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 55.5% | -13.9 pts | 1.2% | 2,441 |
| All other days | 69.4% | — | 0.9% | 10,195 |
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).