Skip to content

All Products

Aviation Intelligence

Alerts & Airspace

Free Pilot Tools & Widgets

RC Aviation

Games & Learning

Weather Research & More

Pilot Resources

My Airports

Your shortcuts, saved on this device. Search to add an airport.

No airports saved yet. Add the fields you visit most.

Ask ATIS

Route on-time record

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

San Francisco (San Francisco International Airport) to Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara Municipal Airport). 1,580 nonstop flights in Jun 2025 to May 2026, 81% arrived within 15 minutes and 1.5% were cancelled. The most reliable flight number was United 1799 at 6:50 PM.

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

Find me the most reliable flights fromtoonreturning(optional)

SFO → SBA

San Francisco to Santa Barbara: 1,580 nonstop flights a year

On time (12 months)

81%

Cancelled

1.5%

avg delay 14 min

Best time to leave

9 AM to noon

85% on time vs 76% noon to 3 PM

Most reliable airline

United

82% chance on time

Check SFO to SBA fares

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. #1 · United 1799

    6:50 PM → 8:06 PM1h 16m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-19.

    91%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    100%
    Cancelled
    0.0%
    Avg arrival delay
    1 min
    • Arrived on time 100% of the time (40 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Never cancelled in 41 scheduled flights.
    • 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 · 40 flights

    Find United 1799 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  2. #2 · United 1578

    10:40 AM → 12:01 PM1h 21m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31.

    83%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    82%
    Cancelled
    0.5%
    Avg arrival delay
    9 min
    • Arrived on time 82% of the time (216 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Leaves in this route's most on-time window (9 AM to noon: 85% on time; Noon to 3 PM: 76%).
    • Departs inside SFO's trouble window: 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started between 7 AM and 1 PM.

    Strong track record · 216 flights

    Find United 1578 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  3. #3 · United 2866

    10:35 PM → 11:58 PM1h 22m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31.

    82%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    84%
    Cancelled
    0.9%
    Avg arrival delay
    14 min
    • Arrived on time 84% of the time (111 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).
    • 81% of its delay minutes came from the plane arriving late from an earlier flight.

    Moderate track record · 111 flights

    Find United 2866 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  4. #4 · SkyWest 5721 · sold as United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle or Alaska

    6:16 PM → 7:43 PM1h 27m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31.

    80%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    80%
    Cancelled
    9.1%
    Avg arrival delay
    7 min
    • Arrived on time 80% of the time (10 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 · 10 flights

    Find 6:16 PM flight fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  5. #5 · SkyWest 5545 · sold as United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle or Alaska

    8:55 PM → 10:24 PM1h 29m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-19.

    79%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    78%
    Cancelled
    2.0%
    Avg arrival delay
    10 min
    • Arrived on time 78% of the time (50 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 · 50 flights

    Find 8:55 PM flight fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  6. #6 · SkyWest 5862 · sold as United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle or Alaska

    4:10 PM → 5:37 PM1h 27m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31.

    77%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    88%
    Cancelled
    11.1%
    Avg arrival delay
    3 min
    • Arrived on time 88% 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 4:10 PM flight fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  7. #7 · SkyWest 5464 · sold as United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle or Alaska

    2:02 PM → 3:30 PM1h 28m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31.

    75%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    73%
    Cancelled
    3.7%
    Avg arrival delay
    11 min
    • Arrived on time 73% of the time (52 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Cancelled 3.7% of the time (2 of 54).
    • Leaves in this route's least on-time window (Noon to 3 PM: 76% on time; 9 AM to noon: 85%).
    • 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 · 52 flights

    Find 2:02 PM flight fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  8. #8 · United 1718

    4:26 PM → 5:53 PM1h 27m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-20.

    73%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    57%
    Cancelled
    0.0%
    Avg arrival delay
    19 min
    • Arrived on time 57% of the time (21 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).
    • 94% of its delay minutes came from the plane arriving late from an earlier flight.

    Limited track record · 21 flights

    Find United 1718 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

Airlines on this route

Season-adjusted chance of operating and arriving on time.

  • United Airlines82%

    1,031 flights · 83% on time as flown · 1.0% cancel

  • SkyWest Airlines (sold as United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle or Alaska)78%

    549 flights · 79% on time as flown · 2.5% cancel

On time by departure time

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

  • Before 9 AM81%

    146 flights · avg delay 15 min

  • 9 AM to noon85%

    365 flights · avg delay 7 min

  • Noon to 3 PM76%

    110 flights · avg delay 11 min

  • 3 to 6 PM78%

    291 flights · avg delay 14 min

  • 6 to 9 PM84%

    270 flights · avg delay 12 min

  • After 9 PM81%

    398 flights · avg delay 22 min

Best day: Tuesday (89%). Worst: Sunday (80%).

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.

J
82
F
78
M
82
A
84
M
82
J
89
J
83
A
88
S
88
O
85
N
83
D
80

What delays this route

  • Airline (crew, maintenance, boarding)42%
  • Late-arriving aircraft38%
  • Air traffic control and airport volume16%
  • Severe weather4%

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 SBA…

SFO to SBA questions

What time of day is best to fly SFO to SBA?
9 AM to noon: 85% of flights arrived on time, against 76% for departures noon to 3 PM.
Which airline is most on time from SFO to SBA?
United, with a season-adjusted 82% chance of operating and arriving on time over 1,031 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 SBA?
February (78% on time); the best was June (89%), 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.

More routes from SFO

Most on-time flights from SFO on every route →

Live status: FAA delays and ground stops