SAN to LAX flight delays
San Diego, CA (SAN) Los Angeles, CA (LAX) · 109 miles
2,441 flights · January 2025 – August 2026 · US Bureau of Transportation Statistics
89.21%
Arrived on time
Within 15 minutes of schedule
0.94%
Cancelled
Share of scheduled flights
77 min
When late, late by
Average across delayed arrivals
9 min
Delay per flight
Averaged over every flight flown
What the record says about this route
The shape of the lateness matters here. Flights on this route are not late often, but when they are late they are late by about 77 minutes — long enough to lose a connection or an evening. The on-time percentage looks reassuring and understates the consequence of being on the wrong flight.
This route does better than its own airport. Departures from SAN overall run 14 points less punctual than this particular one — so whatever congestion SAN has, this route is largely escaping it.
Flights from San Diego to Los Angeles are among the most dependable in the record. A route this punctual is usually a short hop between airports with slots to spare.
The 2 airlines here are separated by under 3 points — close enough to call a tie. Choose on price and departure time.
Which airline should you fly on this route?
Over January 2025 – August 2026, United Airlines arrived on time most often on SAN to LAX. SkyWest Airlines was late most often. Flights ran closest to schedule in April and worst in December.
Every airline on SAN to LAX
Ranked by how many flights each one operated. A carrier with fewer than 100 flights in the period is listed but not graded.
| Airline | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlines | 2,254 | 88.97% | 1.02% | 77 min | A |
| United Airlines | 187 | 91.98% | 0% | 63 min | A |
Month by month
Share of flights that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, by month flown.
The return leg
LAX to SAN Los Angeles back to San Diego 86.68% on time BOther routes from San Diego
Common questions
Are flights from San Diego to Los Angeles usually delayed?
89.21% of flights on the SAN to LAX route arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, so roughly 1 in every ten arrived late. That is better than the average route in this record.
Which airline is most on time from San Diego to Los Angeles?
United Airlines, at 91.98% on time across 187 flights. The least punctual on the route was SkyWest Airlines at 88.97%.
How often are SAN to LAX flights cancelled?
0.94% of scheduled flights did not operate — about 9 in every thousand. That is in the normal range.
What is the best month to fly San Diego to Los Angeles?
April, when 95.7% of flights arrived on time. The worst was December at 79.1%.
When SAN to LAX flights are late, how late are they?
About 77 minutes on average across the flights that arrived more than 15 minutes behind schedule.
What these figures do and do not tell you
Everything on this page is counted from the flights that actually operated on SAN to LAX during January 2025 – August 2026, as reported by the airlines to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "On time" is the federal definition: arriving at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.
A route's record is a description of the past, not a forecast. Weather, air traffic control and the aircraft's earlier flights that day drive most delays, and none of them are predictable from a historical rate. What the record does tell you is whether this route runs late more often than others, and which carrier on it has the better history — which is the part you can actually act on when you book.
Cancellations are counted separately from delays because they are a different problem for a traveller: a late flight still gets you there. How the grade is calculated →