PlainFlights

Route · ORD → SAT · 2020–2025 BTS data

Chicago to San Antonio

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORD to SAT (Chicago to San Antonio) ranks #1450 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

78.5%
On-time
-0.5 pts
vs US avg
71 min
Delay when late
8,402
Flights
#1450 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.2%

Best Month

Oct 2024 93%

Worst Month

Jul 2024 57%

Distance

1,041 mi

Carriers

37

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 160 40 2 0 YX,AA,UA,OO
Nov 2025 160 25 7 0 OO,UA,AA
Oct 2025 179 29 0 0 AA,OO,UA,YX
Sep 2025 151 32 1 0 UA,OO,YX,AA
Aug 2025 155 38 5 0 AA,OO,UA
Jul 2025 167 51 5 0 AA,OO,UA
Jun 2025 168 55 2 1 AA,OO,UA
May 2025 171 42 1 2 AA,OO,UA
Apr 2025 168 49 1 0 OO,UA,AA
Mar 2025 136 25 1 1 AA,OO,UA
Feb 2025 100 22 0 0 AA,OO,UA,MQ
Jan 2025 109 31 1 0 AA,UA,YX,MQ
Dec 2024 119 23 1 0 AA,UA,YX
Nov 2024 113 24 0 2 UA,MQ,AA
Oct 2024 137 9 0 0 UA,OO,AA
Sep 2024 136 18 0 0 OO,UA,AA
Aug 2024 125 32 1 0 AA,OO,UA
Jul 2024 118 51 3 0 AA,UA
Jun 2024 116 40 2 0 AA,UA
May 2024 122 48 2 1 AA,UA
Apr 2024 116 35 0 0 AA,MQ,UA
Mar 2024 115 35 1 0 AA,MQ,UA
Feb 2024 104 19 0 0 AA,UA
Jan 2024 108 42 3 0 AA,UA

ORD–SAT seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (86.1%) · weakest: June (68.9%)

65%70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.3%

Strongest calendar month

September

86.1% on-time · ~123 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~128 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

68.9% on-time · ~113 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.2%

39 of 3,253 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

7 of 3,253 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among ORD departures

From ORD, this corridor sits with 147 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 168 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (10 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 11 below 75%). Destination: San Antonio · fleet on-time rank #3694 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ORD to SAT

8,402 tracked flights put the ORD to SAT pairing (Chicago to San Antonio) at a 78.5% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 71.2 minutes on average. Across the 1,041-mile route and its 37 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.2% cancelled and 0.2% diverted (3,253 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 93% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at just 57% - a 37-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ORD–SAT peaks in September at 86.1% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~128 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 68.9%, a 17.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ORD to SAT rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ORD to SAT ranks #1450 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from ORD to SAT?
Flights from Chicago to San Antonio have a 78.5% on-time rate based on 8,402 flights. The average delay is 71.2 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 93% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ORD to SAT?
Over the last 24 months, 1.2% of flights on this route were cancelled (39 of 3,253 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ORD to SAT?
The flight distance from Chicago (ORD) to San Antonio (SAT) is approximately 1,041 miles. This route is served by 37 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ORD to SAT?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (93% on-time). The worst was Jul 2024 (57% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Using ORD–SAT data

ORD–SAT is mid-pack at 78.5% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare ORD and SAT airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORD airport
  • If your dates flex, September (86.1% on-time) beats June (68.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 78.5% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.