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Route · SBA → SEA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Santa Barbara to Seattle

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SBA to SEA (Santa Barbara to Seattle) ranks #3697 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.2%
On-time
+6.2 pts
vs US avg
58 min
Delay when late
2,214
Flights
#3697 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.7%

Best Month

Jul 2025 64%

Worst Month

Jun 2025 58%

Distance

908 mi

Carriers

7

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 30 5 1 0 AS
Oct 2025 31 6 0 0 AS
Aug 2025 48 20 0 0 OO,AS
Jul 2025 61 22 2 0 AS,OO
Jun 2025 60 25 0 0 AS,OO
May 2025 48 19 1 0 AS,OO
Jan 2025 31 9 0 0 AS
Dec 2024 31 9 0 0 AS
Oct 2024 31 2 0 0 AS
Sep 2024 30 3 0 0 AS
Aug 2024 31 5 0 0 AS
Jul 2024 31 5 0 0 AS
Jun 2024 30 6 0 0 AS,OO
May 2024 31 6 0 1 AS
Apr 2024 30 5 0 0 AS
Mar 2024 31 2 0 0 AS
Dec 2023 31 5 2 0 AS
Nov 2023 30 4 0 0 AS
Oct 2023 31 2 0 0 AS
Sep 2023 30 3 0 0 AS
Aug 2023 31 1 0 0 AS
Jul 2023 31 1 0 0 AS
Jun 2023 30 5 0 0 AS
May 2023 31 4 0 0 AS

SBA–SEA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (92.5%) · weakest: February (75.0%)

70%75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 75.3%

Strongest calendar month

September

92.5% on-time · ~37 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

February

~56 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

February

75.0% on-time · ~56 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.7%

6 of 830 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

1 of 830 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

SBA - Santa Barbara

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Santa Barbara, CA.

SBA on-time profile

SEA - Seattle

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Seattle, WA.

SEA on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See SBA and SEA side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare SBA vs SEA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SBA's stronger departures

SBA → SEA posts a 85.2% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 6 of 12 BTS-tracked routes leaving Santa Barbara. The same hub also shows 6 mid-band and 0 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1163 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SBA to SEA

Santa Barbara to Seattle (SBA to SEA) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.2% on-time rate across 2,214 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 57.7 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 908 miles and is served by 7 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 6 of 830 flights were cancelled (0.7%) and 1 diverted (0.1%).

Monthly performance varies moderately here: Jul 2025 was the strongest month at 64% on-time versus Jun 2025 at 58%, a 6-point difference.

On the multi-year calendar, SBA–SEA peaks in September at 92.5% on-time while February carries the heaviest traffic (~56 flights per month) ; the softest month is February at 75.0%, a 17.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SBA to SEA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SBA to SEA ranks #3697 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 SBA to SEA? ▼
Flights from Santa Barbara to Seattle have a 85.2% on-time rate based on 2,214 flights. The average delay is 57.7 minutes. The best recent month was Jul 2025 with 64% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SBA to SEA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (6 of 830 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SBA to SEA? ▼
The flight distance from Santa Barbara (SBA) to Seattle (SEA) is approximately 908 miles. This route is served by 7 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SBA to SEA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Jul 2025 (64% on-time). The worst was Jun 2025 (58% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SBA Airport

Santa Barbara
SEA Airport

Seattle
Data source

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

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Using SBA–SEA data

SBA–SEA runs 6.2 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SBA and SEA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SBA airport
  • If your dates flex, September (92.5% on-time) beats February (75.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.2% 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.