Route Reliability

Route reliability

San Diego (SAN) to Sacramento (SMF): which airline is most on time?

On-time arrivals, cancellations and long delays for every airline that reported nonstop flights from San Diego, CA (SAN) to Sacramento, CA (SMF), September 2025 to August 2026.

Historical performance Official DOT data through August 2026 · Not live flight status

San Diego, CASacramento, CA

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Three-letter airport codes, nonstop U.S. domestic flights. One direction at a time.

Route at a glance · September 2025 to August 2026

SAN to SMF

San Diego, CA to Sacramento, CA

On time
73.8%vs 75.6% U.S. average Worse than average
Cancelled
0.9%vs 1.9% U.S. average Better than average
60+ min late
5.9%vs 8.1% U.S. average Better than average
Scheduled flights
5,181in 12 months3 airlines
Most reliable airline
SkyWest Airlines78.7% on time · 1,136 flights

On time less often than the U.S. average, with fewer cancellations.

Compared with all U.S. flights, September 2025 to August 2026. “About average” means within 1.5 points for on time, 0.3 for cancelled and 1 for 60+ minutes late.

Airlines on this route

Ranked by on-time arrival

Airlines from SAN to SMF, September 2025 to August 2026. Rates are shares of all scheduled flights.
Airline On time Cancelled 60+ min late Avg delay when late Diverted Flights
1. SkyWest Airlines Operating carrier; sold as United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle, Alaska Most reliable 78.7% 1.4% 5.2% 49 min 0.2% 1,136
2. Southwest Airlines 72.5% 0.6% 6.2% 46 min 0.0% 3,798
3. Alaska Airlines Small sample (under 300 flights) 71.7% 2.4% 6.1% 43 min 0.0% 247

On time = arrived within 15 minutes of schedule. Avg delay when late = average arrival delay of flights 15+ minutes late. "Most reliable" needs at least 300 flights in 12 months. Tap a heading to sort.

What this means

SkyWest Airlines has the strongest record on this route.

  • SkyWest Airlines had the best on-time record from San Diego (SAN) to Sacramento (SMF): 78.7% of its 1,136 scheduled flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, compared with 72.5% for Southwest Airlines.
  • 0.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (about 1 in 111), 1.0 points lower than the U.S. average of 1.9%.
  • 5.9% of flights, about 1 in 17, arrived an hour or more late. When a flight was late (15+ minutes), the average arrival delay was 47 min.
  • Overall, 73.8% of flights on this route arrived on time, 1.8 points lower than the U.S. average of 75.6%.
  • Over the last 3 years, January was the most reliable month on this route (81.6% on time) and July the least reliable (68.9%).
  • Flights scheduled to depart 6 am to 7 am were the most punctual (94.8% on time); flights scheduled to depart 9 pm to 10 pm were the least (60.4%).
  • In the other direction, Sacramento (SMF) to San Diego (SAN), 68.9% of flights were on time and 1.0% were cancelled. Compare airlines SMF to SAN.

Best and worst months to fly SAN to SMF

Jan 81.6%
Feb 81.1%
Mar 77.2%
Apr 79.8%
May 79.3%
Jun 69.3%
Jul 68.9%
Aug 72.5%
Sep 78.6%
Oct 74.4%
Nov 78.9%
Dec 75.1%
Share of scheduled flights on time 12-month average 73.8%
All airlines combined, by calendar month, September 2023 to August 2026 (3 years pooled). Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
January 81.6% 1,175
February 81.1% 1,125
March 77.2% 1,323
April 79.8% 1,330
May 79.3% 1,373
June 69.3% 1,373
July 68.9% 1,419
August 72.5% 1,392
September 78.6% 1,352
October 74.4% 1,376
November 78.9% 1,344
December 75.1% 1,296
Best and worst calendar month by airline, September 2023 to August 2026.
AirlineBest monthWorst month
SkyWest Airlines April (82.2%) July (69.3%)
Southwest Airlines January (82.6%) June (67.1%)

Month by month, last 12 months

Sep 80.3%
Oct 76.5%
Nov 73.7%
Dec 69.1%
Jan 81.1%
Feb 79.1%
Mar 80.8%
Apr 80.1%
May 74.0%
Jun 66.4%
Jul 66.2%
Aug 60.8%
Share of scheduled flights on time U.S. average 75.6%
All airlines combined, September 2025 to August 2026. Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
Sep 2025 80.3% 416
Oct 2025 76.5% 421
Nov 2025 73.7% 441
Dec 2025 69.1% 398
Jan 2026 81.1% 375
Feb 2026 79.1% 382
Mar 2026 80.8% 469
Apr 2026 80.1% 452
May 2026 74.0% 466
Jun 2026 66.4% 450
Jul 2026 66.2% 462
Aug 2026 60.8% 449

Best and worst departure times

6a 94.8%
7a 92.7%
8a 92.0%
9a 83.1%
10a 83.5%
11a 80.5%
12p 70.3%
1p 63.8%
2p 67.6%
3p 66.4%
4p 66.0%
5p 70.1%
6p 61.9%
7p 66.1%
8p 61.6%
9p 60.4%
10p 70.0%
Share of scheduled flights on time
By scheduled local departure hour at SAN, September 2025 to August 2026. Hours with no scheduled flights are omitted. Scale starts at zero.
Show as table
PeriodOn timeFlights
Departing 6 am to 7 am 94.8% 232
Departing 7 am to 8 am 92.7% 262
Departing 8 am to 9 am 92.0% 364
Departing 9 am to 10 am 83.1% 403
Departing 10 am to 11 am 83.5% 345
Departing 11 am to noon 80.5% 394
Departing noon to 1 pm 70.3% 370
Departing 1 pm to 2 pm 63.8% 257
Departing 2 pm to 3 pm 67.6% 216
Departing 3 pm to 4 pm 66.4% 345
Departing 4 pm to 5 pm 66.0% 300
Departing 5 pm to 6 pm 70.1% 394
Departing 6 pm to 7 pm 61.9% 260
Departing 7 pm to 8 pm 66.1% 333
Departing 8 pm to 9 pm 61.6% 224
Departing 9 pm to 10 pm 60.4% 432
Departing 10 pm to 11 pm 70.0% 50
Woman at an airport window watching a plane take off
Photo: Depositphotos (licensed stock, illustrative only). Credits

Sources & data dates

Source
U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance (1987-present)
Period
September 2025 to August 2026 (12 months); month-of-year patterns September 2023 to August 2026
Data through
August 2026
Processed
2026-11-03
Scope
Nonstop scheduled flights from San Diego, CA (SAN) to Sacramento, CA (SMF), one direction. Airlines that report to the DOT only.
Method
Rates use all scheduled flights as the denominator; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Figures based on fewer than 50 scheduled flights are suppressed. Full methodology.

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