Best Time to Fly SFO to LAX: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
San Francisco International → Los Angeles International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
11,235 flights were scheduled from San Francisco (SFO) to Los Angeles (LAX) in the last 12 months, and 72.8% of those that flew arrived on time, 4.9 points below the US average of 77.6%.
Among 7 airlines, United Airlines led with 78.5% on time and Southwest Airlines was last with 59.8%.
Over 24 months, Tuesday was the most reliable day (83% on time) and July the worst month (67%).
The cancellation rate was 0.8% (US average 1.8%).
SFO to LAX 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 | 78.5% | 47 min | 0.3% | 3,297 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 75.3% | 61 min | 1.1% | 2,568 |
| American Airlines | 73.9% | 105 min | 0.0% | 318 |
| Delta Air Lines | 72.1% | 64 min | 1.6% | 2,374 |
| Frontier Airlines | 68.5% | 83 min | 1.5% | 390 |
| Alaska Airlines | 68.1% | 48 min | 0.7% | 862 |
| Southwest Airlines | 59.8% | 60 min | 0.6% | 1,425 |
| Envoy Air | Limited data | 1 | ||
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SFO to LAX
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 22,593 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 98.0% | 0.8% | 251 |
| 6am–7am | 94.4% | 0.2% | 2,226 |
| 7am–8am | 88.7% | 0.1% | 1,341 |
| 8am–9am | 87.8% | 0.9% | 1,375 |
| 9am–10am | 87.5% | 1.1% | 1,344 |
| 10am–11am | 68.4% | 0.5% | 1,879 |
| 11am–12pm | 70.0% | 0.7% | 1,523 |
| 12pm–1pm | 67.5% | 0.7% | 1,057 |
| 1pm–2pm | 75.2% | 0.3% | 1,424 |
| 2pm–3pm | 74.4% | 0.5% | 1,011 |
| 3pm–4pm | 69.3% | 0.4% | 782 |
| 4pm–5pm | 71.2% | 0.3% | 1,774 |
| 5pm–6pm | 73.8% | 0.4% | 938 |
| 6pm–7pm | 79.0% | 0.6% | 2,022 |
| 7pm–8pm | 72.7% | 0.6% | 1,210 |
| 8pm–9pm | 64.2% | 0.8% | 1,061 |
| 9pm–10pm | 59.5% | 1.4% | 586 |
| 10pm–11pm | 74.4% | 0.6% | 722 |
| 11pm–12am | 76.1% | 0.0% | 67 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on SFO to LAX
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) | 83.2% | +4.1 pts | 0.0% | 454 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 62.4% | -16.7 pts | 0.9% | 807 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 70.2% | -8.9 pts | 0.4% | 3,996 |
| All other days | 79.1% | — | 0.6% | 17,336 |
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).