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Route · SAN → LAX · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Diego to Los Angeles

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SAN to LAX (San Diego to Los Angeles) ranks #1227 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

89.5%
On-time
+10.5 pts
vs US avg
82 min
Delay when late
9,556
Flights
#1227 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.6%

Best Month

Jul 2025 93%

Worst Month

Oct 2024 78%

Distance

109 mi

Carriers

6

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 188 39 1 0 UA,OO
Nov 2025 193 27 17 0 OO,UA
Oct 2025 208 25 0 0 OO,UA
Sep 2025 209 22 2 0 UA,OO
Aug 2025 211 16 0 0 OO,UA
Jul 2025 209 14 0 0 OO
Jun 2025 205 25 0 0 OO
May 2025 229 16 0 0 OO,UA
Apr 2025 203 25 0 0 OO
Mar 2025 177 27 0 0 OO
Feb 2025 168 26 0 0 OO
Jan 2025 181 21 0 0 OO
Dec 2024 172 32 6 0 OO
Nov 2024 176 15 0 0 OO
Oct 2024 186 40 2 0 OO
Sep 2024 178 32 0 0 OO
Aug 2024 185 13 0 0 OO
Jul 2024 186 34 0 0 OO
Jun 2024 180 32 0 0 OO
May 2024 186 20 0 0 OO
Apr 2024 180 18 0 0 OO
Mar 2024 184 16 1 0 OO
Feb 2024 165 17 0 0 OO
Jan 2024 178 13 0 0 OO

SAN–LAX seasonal on-time pattern

Best: May (93.0%) · weakest: December (85.1%)

84%86%88%90%92%94% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 85.1%

Strongest calendar month

May

93.0% on-time · ~158 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

May

~158 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

85.1% on-time · ~131 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.6%

29 of 4,537 flights

Diversion Rate

0.0%

0 of 4,537 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SAN's stronger departures

SAN → LAX posts a 89.5% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 13 of 51 BTS-tracked routes leaving San Diego. The same hub also shows 34 mid-band and 4 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #190 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SAN to LAX

San Diego to Los Angeles (SAN to LAX) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 89.5% on-time rate across 9,556 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 82.0 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 109 miles and is served by 6 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 29 of 4,537 flights were cancelled (0.6%) and 0 diverted (0.0%).

Monthly performance varies moderately here: Jul 2025 was the strongest month at 93% on-time versus Oct 2024 at 78%, a 15-point difference.

On the multi-year calendar, SAN–LAX peaks in May at 93.0% on-time ; the softest month is December at 85.1%, a 7.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SAN to LAX rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SAN to LAX ranks #1227 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 SAN to LAX?
Flights from San Diego to Los Angeles have a 89.5% on-time rate based on 9,556 flights. The average delay is 82.0 minutes. The best recent month was Jul 2025 with 93% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SAN to LAX?
Over the last 24 months, 0.6% of flights on this route were cancelled (29 of 4,537 flights) and 0.0% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SAN to LAX?
The flight distance from San Diego (SAN) to Los Angeles (LAX) is approximately 109 miles. This route is served by 6 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SAN to LAX?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Jul 2025 (93% on-time). The worst was Oct 2024 (78% 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 SAN–LAX data

SAN–LAX runs 10.5 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SAN and LAX airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SAN airport
  • If your dates flex, May (93.0% on-time) beats December (85.1%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 89.5% 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.