ON TIMEBOARD

SBP → SAN on time

San Luis (San Luis Obispo, CA) to San Diego (San Diego, CA). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
70%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
3.6%
723 flights
Typical arrival
+1 min
median vs schedule
When late
+60 min
average delay
Flights / day
2
1 airline

70% of flights from San Luis Obispo to San Diego arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is worse than the typical U.S. route. The 6 a.m. departures ran on time 79% of the time; the 5 p.m. ones 41%. 13% 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 SBP → SAN: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 54% of the time. About 1 in 11 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 80 three hours or more; 3.6% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 723 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Alaska Airlines72370%3.6%+1 min8.7%+60 minSkyWest 61%, Horizon Air 39%

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 SBP). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

30%65%100%6 a.m. departures: 79% on time (331 flights)796a7 a.m. departures: too few flights7a8 a.m. departures: too few flights8a9 a.m. departures: too few flights9a10 a.m. departures: too few flights10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights (1 flights)11anoon departures: too few flights (34 flights)12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights1p2 p.m. departures: 70% on time (114 flights)702p3 p.m. departures: 54% on time (101 flights)543p4 p.m. departures: too few flights (41 flights)4p5 p.m. departures: 41% on time (101 flights)415p
SBP → 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 SBP → SAN, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 0.8% of the time, against 6.4% for its earlier flights, so here the last flight is actually the safer one. It arrived 3+ hours late 1.1% of the time (earlier flights: 1.4%). 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
Alaska Airlines5:57 p.m.0.8%1.1%6.4%first flight 6:04 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.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: September (84%). Worst: July (69%).

40%70%100%Jan: 78% on time (141 flights)78JanFeb: 82% on time (131 flights)82FebMar: 78% on time (150 flights)78MarApr: 72% on time (150 flights)72AprMay: 74% on time (171 flights)74MayJun: 74% on time (180 flights)74JunJul: 69% on time (185 flights)69JulAug: 77% on time (186 flights)77AugSep: 84% on time (143 flights)84SepOct: 80% on time (137 flights)80OctNov: 80% on time (140 flights)80NovDec: 71% on time (150 flights)71Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday10467%2.9%
Tuesday10274%5.9%
Wednesday10274%0.0%
Thursday10369%2.9%
Friday10462%5.8%
Saturday10475%2.9%
Sunday10468%4.8%

Why flights were late

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

Late inbound plane 33%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 32%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 30%Severe weather 5%

Cancellations: weather 13 · air traffic/airport 9 · airline 4

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

Questions

How often are flights from SBP to SAN on time?

70% of 723 scheduled flights from San Luis Obispo, CA to San Diego, CA arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 3.6% were cancelled.

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

Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. were the most reliable (79% on time). The 5 p.m. departures were the least (41%).

What month has the most delays from SBP to SAN?

July (69% on time). The best month is September (84%), over 2023–2026.

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

No, the opposite. Each airline's last SBP–SAN flight of the day was cancelled 0.8% of the time over the past year, against 6.4% 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.