ON TIMEBOARD

MIA → SAN on time

Miami (Miami, FL) to San Diego (San Diego, CA). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
75%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
1.0%
680 flights
Typical arrival
−8 min
median vs schedule
When late
+57 min
average delay
Flights / day
2
1 airline

75% of flights from Miami to San Diego arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is worse than the typical U.S. route. The 9 a.m. departures ran on time 89% of the time; the 7 p.m. ones 58%. 7% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for MIA → SAN: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 56% of the time. About 1 in 18 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 85 three hours or more; 1.0% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 680 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
American Airlines68075%1.0%−8 min5.6%+57 minAmerican Airlines

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at MIA). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%8 a.m. departures: 88% on time (140 flights)888a9 a.m. departures: 89% on time (175 flights)899a10 a.m. departures: too few flights10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights11anoon departures: too few flights12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights4p5 p.m. departures: too few flights5p6 p.m. departures: too few flights6p7 p.m. departures: 58% on time (224 flights)587p8 p.m. departures: 72% on time (128 flights)728p
MIA → SAN, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

Last flight of the day

On MIA → SAN, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 1.3% of the time, against 0.9% for its earlier flights (1.3× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 1.9% of the time (earlier flights: 0.6%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
American Airlines8:12 p.m.1.3%1.9%0.9%first flight 8:55 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in SAN tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: August (78%). Worst: May (54%).

40%70%100%Jan: 65% on time (192 flights)65JanFeb: 75% on time (170 flights)75FebMar: 68% on time (186 flights)68MarApr: 76% on time (179 flights)76AprMay: 54% on time (132 flights)54MayJun: 58% on time (120 flights)58JunJul: 60% on time (124 flights)60JulAug: 78% on time (124 flights)78AugSep: too few flights (90 flights)SepOct: 75% on time (119 flights)75OctNov: 78% on time (147 flights)78NovDec: 71% on time (163 flights)71Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday99——
Tuesday97——
Wednesday96——
Thursday97——
Friday97——
Saturday97——
Sunday97——

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Late inbound plane 37%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 30%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 29%Severe weather 4%

Cancellations: weather 4 · airline 2 · air traffic/airport 1

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

Questions

How often are flights from MIA to SAN on time?

75% of 680 scheduled flights from Miami, FL to San Diego, CA arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 1.0% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly MIA to SAN?

Flights scheduled to leave at 9 a.m. were the most reliable (89% on time). The 7 p.m. departures were the least (58%).

What month has the most delays from MIA to SAN?

May (54% on time). The best month is August (78%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from MIA to SAN more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last MIA–SAN flight of the day was cancelled 1.3% of the time over the past year, against 0.9% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.