Route on-time record

SFO to PHL: most on-time flights and the best time to fly

San Francisco (San Francisco International Airport) to Philadelphia (Philadelphia International Airport). 1,912 nonstop flights in Jun 2025 to May 2026, 85% arrived within 15 minutes and 1.4% were cancelled. The most reliable flight number was American 565 at 5:45 AM.

Flying on a specific date? We’ll adjust for the month, the weekday and the forecast.

SFO → PHL

San Francisco to Philadelphia: 1,912 nonstop flights a year

On time (12 months)

85%

Cancelled

1.4%

avg delay 13 min

Best time to leave

Before 9 AM

91% on time vs 76% 9 AM to noon

Most reliable airline

United

86% chance on time

Check SFO to PHL fares

Lowest nonstop fare seen in the next two months: $330 (American 2722 on 2026-10-28). Fares open on our travel partner (Aviasales). Pick the flight number you chose here.

Most reliable nonstop flights

Ranked by the chance the flight operates and arrives within 15 minutes of schedule, from Jun 2025 to May 2026 records.

#1 · American 565
5:45 AM → 2:20 PM5h 35m nonstop
Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-20.
94%
chance on time
On time (history)
100%
Cancelled
0.0%
Avg arrival delay
0 min
- Arrived on time 100% of the time (44 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
- Never cancelled in 44 scheduled flights.
- Leaves in this route's most on-time window (Before 9 AM: 91% on time; 9 AM to noon: 76%).
- Departs outside SFO's trouble window (7 AM to 1 PM, when 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started).
Limited track record · 44 flights
Find American 565 fares Opens this date on Aviasales
#2 · United 2367
8:24 AM → 4:59 PM5h 35m nonstop
Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-20.
90%
chance on time
On time (history)
90%
Cancelled
0.0%
Avg arrival delay
4 min
- Arrived on time 90% of the time (21 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
- Leaves in this route's most on-time window (Before 9 AM: 91% on time; 9 AM to noon: 76%).
- Departs inside SFO's trouble window: 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started between 7 AM and 1 PM.
- Lands inside PHL's trouble window: 72% of its 95 ground stops and delay programs started between 2 PM and 8 PM.
Limited track record · 21 flights
Find United 2367 fares Opens this date on Aviasales
#3 · United 1209
8:38 AM → 5:17 PM5h 39m nonstop
Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31.
89%
chance on time
On time (history)
90%
Cancelled
0.0%
Avg arrival delay
8 min
- Arrived on time 90% of the time (10 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
- Leaves in this route's most on-time window (Before 9 AM: 91% on time; 9 AM to noon: 76%).
- Departs inside SFO's trouble window: 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started between 7 AM and 1 PM.
- Lands inside PHL's trouble window: 72% of its 95 ground stops and delay programs started between 2 PM and 8 PM.
Limited track record · 10 flights
Find United 1209 fares Opens this date on Aviasales
#4 · American 2663
10:35 PM → 7:08 AM5h 33m nonstop
Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-18.
89%
chance on time
On time (history)
94%
Cancelled
2.8%
Avg arrival delay
3 min
- Arrived on time 94% of the time (35 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
- Departs outside SFO's trouble window (7 AM to 1 PM, when 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started).
Limited track record · 35 flights
Find American 2663 fares Opens this date on Aviasales
#5 · American 2161
6:01 AM → 2:35 PM5h 34m nonstop
Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31.
88%
chance on time
On time (history)
87%
Cancelled
0.0%
Avg arrival delay
16 min
- Arrived on time 87% of the time (154 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
- Never cancelled in 155 scheduled flights.
- Leaves in this route's most on-time window (Before 9 AM: 91% on time; 9 AM to noon: 76%).
- Departs outside SFO's trouble window (7 AM to 1 PM, when 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started).
Moderate track record · 154 flights
Find American 2161 fares Opens this date on Aviasales
#6 · United 2854
11:35 PM → 8:15 AM5h 40m nonstop
Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31.
85%
chance on time
On time (history)
86%
Cancelled
0.0%
Avg arrival delay
7 min
- Arrived on time 86% of the time (83 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
- Never cancelled in 83 scheduled flights.
- Departs outside SFO's trouble window (7 AM to 1 PM, when 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started).
Moderate track record · 83 flights
Find United 2854 fares Opens this date on Aviasales
#7 · American 2941
7:44 AM → 4:19 PM5h 35m nonstop
Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31.
85%
chance on time
On time (history)
90%
Cancelled
0.0%
Avg arrival delay
20 min
- Arrived on time 90% of the time (10 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
- Leaves in this route's most on-time window (Before 9 AM: 91% on time; 9 AM to noon: 76%).
- Departs inside SFO's trouble window: 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started between 7 AM and 1 PM.
- Lands inside PHL's trouble window: 72% of its 95 ground stops and delay programs started between 2 PM and 8 PM.
Limited track record · 10 flights
Find American 2941 fares Opens this date on Aviasales
#8 · United 2619
4:48 PM → 1:29 AM5h 41m nonstop
Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31.
82%
chance on time
On time (history)
63%
Cancelled
0.0%
Avg arrival delay
9 min
- Arrived on time 63% of the time (8 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
- Departs outside SFO's trouble window (7 AM to 1 PM, when 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started).
Limited track record · 8 flights
Find United 2619 fares Opens this date on Aviasales
#9 · American 2673
9:30 AM → 6:03 PM5h 33m nonstop
Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-18.
81%
chance on time
On time (history)
90%
Cancelled
0.0%
Avg arrival delay
38 min
- Arrived on time 90% of the time (30 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
- Never cancelled in 30 scheduled flights.
- Leaves in this route's least on-time window (9 AM to noon: 76% on time; Before 9 AM: 91%).
- Departs inside SFO's trouble window: 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started between 7 AM and 1 PM.
Limited track record · 30 flights
Find American 2673 fares Opens this date on Aviasales
#10 · American 2793
12:31 PM → 9:10 PM5h 39m nonstop
Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-20.
81%
chance on time
On time (history)
84%
Cancelled
0.0%
Avg arrival delay
16 min
- Arrived on time 84% of the time (44 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
- Never cancelled in 44 scheduled flights.
- Departs inside SFO's trouble window: 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started between 7 AM and 1 PM.
- 83% of its delay minutes came from the plane arriving late from an earlier flight.
Limited track record · 44 flights
Find American 2793 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

Airlines on this route

Season-adjusted chance of operating and arriving on time.

United Airlines86%
684 flights · 87% on time as flown · 0.7% cancel
American Airlines83%
1,228 flights · 85% on time as flown · 1.8% cancel

On time by departure time

All airlines, scheduled local departure, Jun 2025 to May 2026.

Before 9 AM91%
640 flights · avg delay 9 min
9 AM to noon76%
360 flights · avg delay 20 min
Noon to 3 PM81%
221 flights · avg delay 19 min
After 9 PM87%
665 flights · avg delay 10 min

Best day: Wednesday (86%). Worst: Sunday (82%).

On time by month

All airlines, Jun 2023 to May 2026. Several years per month, so one stormy season doesn't define a month. Travel-month estimates use this seasonal pattern.

What delays this route

Late-arriving aircraft49%
Airline (crew, maintenance, boarding)36%
Air traffic control and airport volume15%

Share of delay minutes by the cause airlines report to the US DOT.

Historical odds, not a guarantee. Built from the US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics on-time reports (Jun 2025 to May 2026), FAA ground stop and delay program advisories, and 20 years of airport weather observations. Covers US airlines that report to the DOT; schedules are flights operated recently, so confirm times when you book. ATIS Alerts is not affiliated with any airline. Fares are what Aviasales travelers saw in recent searches (USD, one way, 1 adult), not live quotes; the partner site shows the current price. Fare links go to our travel partner and may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Affiliate disclosure

Finding the most reliable connections from SFO to PHL…

SFO to PHL questions

What time of day is best to fly SFO to PHL?: Before 9 AM: 91% of flights arrived on time, against 76% for departures 9 AM to noon. Later flights inherit delays from earlier ones, so the first departures of the day usually run best.
Which airline is most on time from SFO to PHL?: United, with a season-adjusted 86% chance of operating and arriving on time over 684 flights. The adjustment compares each airline with what the route did in the months it flew, so a carrier that skipped a stormy month gets no free credit.
What is the worst month for delays on SFO to PHL?: June (73% on time); the best was October (91%), averaged over Jun 2023 to May 2026.
Is this a prediction for my flight?: No. These are historical odds from the US DOT on-time reports, FAA advisories and airport weather records. Check your flight status and the FAA delay board on the day you fly.

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