ON TIMEBOARD

SAN → MIA on time

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

On time
83%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
1.3%
680 flights
Typical arrival
−9 min
median vs schedule
When late
+173 min
average delay
Flights / day
2
1 airline

83% of flights from San Diego to Miami arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is better than the typical U.S. route. The 10 p.m. departures ran on time 85% of the time; the noon ones 80%. 8% 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 SAN → MIA: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 56% of the time. About 1 in 17 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 31 three hours or more; 1.3% 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 Airlines68083%1.3%−9 min6.0%+173 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 SAN). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%noon departures: 80% on time (224 flights)8012p1 p.m. departures: too few flights (91 flights)1p2 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: too few flights7p8 p.m. departures: too few flights8p9 p.m. departures: too few flights (1 flights)9p10 p.m. departures: 85% on time (364 flights)8510p
SAN → MIA, 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 SAN → MIA, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 1.6% of the time, against 1.3% for its earlier flights (1.3× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 4.4% of the time (earlier flights: 1.9%). 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 Airlines10:26 p.m.1.6%4.4%1.3%first flight 12:35 p.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 MIA tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: April (91%). Worst: March (69%).

40%70%100%Jan: 83% on time (191 flights)83JanFeb: 87% on time (170 flights)87FebMar: 69% on time (186 flights)69MarApr: 91% on time (179 flights)91AprMay: 87% on time (133 flights)87MayJun: 82% on time (120 flights)82JunJul: 77% on time (124 flights)77JulAug: 81% on time (124 flights)81AugSep: too few flights (90 flights)SepOct: 86% on time (119 flights)86OctNov: 90% on time (146 flights)90NovDec: 81% on time (163 flights)81Dec

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.

Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 56%Late inbound plane 32%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 7%Severe weather 5%

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

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

Questions

How often are flights from SAN to MIA on time?

83% of 680 scheduled flights from San Diego, CA to Miami, FL arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 1.3% were cancelled.

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

Flights scheduled to leave at 10 p.m. were the most reliable (85% on time). The noon departures were the least (80%).

What month has the most delays from SAN to MIA?

March (69% on time). The best month is April (91%), over 2023–2026.

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

Yes. Each airline's last SAN–MIA flight of the day was cancelled 1.6% of the time over the past year, against 1.3% 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.