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Route · SEA → SBA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Seattle to Santa Barbara

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SEA to SBA (Seattle to Santa Barbara) ranks #3698 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

86.1%
On-time
+7.1 pts
vs US avg
56 min
Delay when late
2,214
Flights
#3698 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.6%

Best Month

Jun 2025 75%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 74%

Distance

908 mi

Carriers

7

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 30 6 1 0 AS
Oct 2025 31 6 0 1 AS
Aug 2025 48 10 0 0 OO,AS
Jul 2025 61 16 2 0 AS,OO
Jun 2025 60 15 0 0 AS,OO
May 2025 48 11 1 0 AS,OO
Jan 2025 31 7 0 1 AS
Dec 2024 31 4 0 0 AS
Oct 2024 31 3 0 0 AS
Sep 2024 30 3 0 0 AS
Aug 2024 31 8 0 0 AS
Jul 2024 31 6 0 0 AS
Jun 2024 30 4 0 0 AS,OO
May 2024 31 6 0 0 AS
Apr 2024 30 7 0 1 AS
Mar 2024 31 3 0 0 AS
Dec 2023 31 4 1 1 AS
Nov 2023 30 1 0 0 AS
Oct 2023 31 3 0 0 AS
Sep 2023 30 2 0 0 AS
Aug 2023 31 5 0 0 AS
Jul 2023 31 4 0 0 AS
Jun 2023 30 5 0 0 AS
May 2023 31 5 0 0 AS

SEA–SBA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (92.5%) · weakest: December (74.0%)

70%75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 74%

Strongest calendar month

September

92.5% on-time · ~37 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

February

~56 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

74.0% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.6%

5 of 830 flights

Diversion Rate

0.5%

4 of 830 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

SEA - Seattle

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

SEA on-time profile

SBA - Santa Barbara

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

SBA on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare SEA vs SBA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SEA's stronger departures

SEA → SBA posts a 86.1% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 25 of 89 BTS-tracked routes leaving Seattle. The same hub also shows 63 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #889 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SEA to SBA

Seattle to Santa Barbara (SEA to SBA) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 86.1% on-time rate across 2,214 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 55.5 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 908 miles and is served by 7 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 5 of 830 flights were cancelled (0.6%) and 4 diverted (0.5%).

Monthly on-time rates stay fairly consistent on this route, ranging from 74% in Jul 2025 to 75% in Jun 2025 - only a 1-point spread.

On the multi-year calendar, SEA–SBA peaks in September at 92.5% on-time while February carries the heaviest traffic (~56 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 74.0%, a 18.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SEA to SBA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SEA to SBA ranks #3698 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 SEA to SBA? ▼
Flights from Seattle to Santa Barbara have a 86.1% on-time rate based on 2,214 flights. The average delay is 55.5 minutes. The best recent month was Jun 2025 with 75% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SEA to SBA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.6% of flights on this route were cancelled (5 of 830 flights) and 0.5% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SEA to SBA? ▼
The flight distance from Seattle (SEA) to Santa Barbara (SBA) is approximately 908 miles. This route is served by 7 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SEA to SBA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Jun 2025 (75% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (74% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SEA Airport

Seattle
SBA Airport

Santa Barbara
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 SEA–SBA data

SEA–SBA runs 7.1 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SEA and SBA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SEA airport
  • If your dates flex, September (92.5% on-time) beats December (74.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 86.1% 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.