ON TIMEBOARD

SEA → FAT on time

Seattle-Tacoma (Seattle, WA) to Fresno Yosemite (Fresno, CA). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
82%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
0.7%
995 flights
Typical arrival
−5 min
median vs schedule
When late
+52 min
average delay
Flights / day
3
1 airline

82% of flights from Seattle to Fresno arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is about the typical U.S. route. The 8 a.m. departures ran on time 84% of the time; the 1 p.m. ones 80%. 5% 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 SEA → FAT: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 63% of the time. About 1 in 22 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 142 three hours or more; 0.7% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 995 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Alaska Airlines99582%0.7%−5 min4.6%+52 minSkyWest 47%, Alaska Airlines 42%, Horizon Air 11%

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

40%70%100%8 a.m. departures: 84% on time (140 flights)848a9 a.m. departures: too few flights (11 flights)9a10 a.m. departures: too few flights (50 flights)10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights (89 flights)11anoon departures: too few flights (39 flights)12p1 p.m. departures: 80% on time (133 flights)801p2 p.m. departures: too few flights2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (19 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights (47 flights)4p5 p.m. departures: too few flights (92 flights)5p6 p.m. departures: too few flights6p7 p.m. departures: 81% on time (266 flights)817p8 p.m. departures: too few flights (97 flights)8p
SEA → FAT, 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 SEA → FAT, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 0.8% of the time, against 0.5% for its earlier flights (1.7× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 1.1% of the time (earlier flights: 0.5%). 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 Airlines8:25 p.m.0.8%1.1%0.5%first flight 10:13 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 FAT tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: October (85%). Worst: August (74%).

40%70%100%Jan: 78% on time (174 flights)78JanFeb: 83% on time (160 flights)83FebMar: 78% on time (183 flights)78MarApr: 84% on time (205 flights)84AprMay: 83% on time (287 flights)83MayJun: 80% on time (300 flights)80JunJul: 81% on time (322 flights)81JulAug: 74% on time (320 flights)74AugSep: 85% on time (287 flights)85SepOct: 85% on time (258 flights)85OctNov: 85% on time (247 flights)85NovDec: 79% on time (207 flights)79Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday15077%0.0%
Tuesday13886%0.0%
Wednesday13880%0.0%
Thursday14684%0.0%
Friday14780%3.4%
Saturday13084%0.8%
Sunday14680%0.7%

Why flights were late

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

Late inbound plane 43%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 33%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 18%Severe weather 6%

Cancellations: weather 4 · airline 3

Month by month

60%80%100%Sep 2023Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026Jul 2024: 86% on time, 0.0% cancelledAug 2024: 74% on time, 0.9% cancelledMay 2025: 82% on time, 0.0% cancelledJun 2025: 74% on time, 1.7% cancelledJul 2025: 78% on time, 0.8% cancelledAug 2025: 80% on time, 0.8% cancelledSep 2025: 87% on time, 0.0% cancelledOct 2025: 87% on time, 1.9% cancelled
Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)
SEA → FAT, monthly on-time and cancellation rate.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

FlightDepartsFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrivalOperated by
AS 33437:50 p.m.34281%1.2%−5 minSkyWest

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Aug 24, 202630%0
Aug 21, 202630%0
Jul 16, 202630%0
Dec 24, 2025333%0
Dec 22, 2025333%0

Questions

How often are flights from SEA to FAT on time?

82% of 995 scheduled flights from Seattle, WA to Fresno, CA arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 0.7% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly SEA to FAT?

Flights scheduled to leave at 8 a.m. were the most reliable (84% on time). The 1 p.m. departures were the least (80%).

What month has the most delays from SEA to FAT?

August (74% on time). The best month is October (85%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from SEA to FAT more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last SEA–FAT flight of the day was cancelled 0.8% of the time over the past year, against 0.5% 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.