SAN → SJC Flight Reliability

Right now

Origin · SANNo disruption reported

Aviation weather is not currently a factor.

Updated 08:51 UTC

San Diego airport profile →

Destination · SJCNo disruption reported

Aviation weather is not currently a factor.

Updated 08:53 UTC

San Jose airport profile →

Route reliability

July 2023 – July 2026

Route Reliability Score

71/ 100Good

Better than 64% of comparable major US routes (4,598 compared)

Calculated from 16,699 flights. How this is calculated

On-time arrivals

78.1%

12,929 of 16,549

Cancellation rate

0.87%

146 cancelled

Median arrival delay

-4 min

Average 5.6 min

Severe delays

5.9%

60+ minutes late

Delay when late

52 min

Average, when 15+ min late

Flights analyzed

16,699

3 carriers

SAN → SJC arrives on time 78.1% of the time; the return trip, SJC → SAN, arrives on time 76.5% of the time.

SAN → SJC spends 22.7 minutes on the ground on a 417-mile trip: 18.5 minutes from pushback to wheels-up at SAN and 4.2 minutes from touchdown to gate at SJC.

Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026

What stands out

Which day you fly matters unusually much here, a wider weekday spread than 91% of 4,467 comparable routes.

85.8% on time on a typical Tuesday, against 71.9% on a Friday.

Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Ranked against every other route with the same kind of figure and at least 4,467 in the comparison.

Why SAN → SJC flights are cancelled

July 2023 – July 2026

SAN → SJC cancelled 146 of 16,699 scheduled flights — about 1 in every 114. The reason filed most often was extreme weather, 52.7% of the cancellations coded on this route — about 1 in every 217 scheduled flights.

Share of cancellations

Weather52.7%

Airline36.3%

Air traffic11.0%

Security0.0%

Of 146 cancelled departures carrying a reason code.

What each reason means

Extreme weather1 in 217

Conditions the carrier judged severe enough to stop the flight: a blizzard, a hurricane, a line of thunderstorms.

77 cancellations, 52.7% of the total.

The airline1 in 315

Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.

53 cancellations, 36.3% of the total.

The air traffic system1 in 1,044

Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.

16 cancellations, 11.0% of the total.

Security—

A terminal evacuation, a security breach, screening equipment failure, or screening queues over 29 minutes.

0 cancellations, 0.0% of the total.

Reason codes are the operating airline’s own filing with US DOT, not an independent finding of fault. Ordinary bad weather is filed under air traffic, so weather’s full share is larger than its bar.

146 coded cancellations were recorded on SAN → SJC; the section appears from 50.

When it goes wrong

July 2023 – July 2026

One arrival in ten is worse than

40 min late

against a median of 4 min early

Arrived an hour or more late5.9%

Typical delay when late52 min

Cancelled0.87%

Landed somewhere else0.02%

Percentiles over 16,699 operations; cancelled and diverted flights are counted separately.

Will your connection be tight enough?

Layovers at SJC after arriving from SAN.

Connection buffer and chance of missing by layover length, SAN → SJC arrivals
Connection time	Chance of missing	Reads as
30 min	39%	Likely to miss
45 min	21%	High risk
60 min	13%	Some risk
90 min	5.7%	Some risk
120 min	2.9%	Low risk

This is one leg of a connection. Gate changes and the next flight's own schedule matter too. And a connection can fail before delay is even the question — this route cancels 0.87% of the time and diverts 0.02% of the time, which a late arrival never shows up in.

Chance of missing is the share of 16,549 arrivals on this route that landed later than the connection time less 30 minutes to reach the next gate.

The worst tenth of arrivals on this route land at least 40 minutes late (90th-percentile gate arrival delay), over 16,699 operations.

Any other layover length: connection checker.

Best time to fly

SAN → SJC flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 91.1% of the time, against 67.9% for 9 PM–5 AM departures, a gap of 23.2 percentage points.

By day and hour

On-time arrival rate for each weekday and scheduled departure hour, in local time at the departure airport (SAN).

Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 8.5 points from the route-wide rate, weekday averages 5.5 points.

On-time arrival rate for SAN to SJC by weekday and scheduled departure hour, local time. Each button reads out one slot.
Hour	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
6 AM–7 AM
7 AM–8 AM
8 AM–9 AM
9 AM–10 AM
10 AM–11 AM
11 AM–12 PM
12 PM–1 PM
1 PM–2 PM
2 PM–3 PM
3 PM–4 PM
4 PM–5 PM
5 PM–6 PM
6 PM–7 PM
7 PM–8 PM
8 PM–9 PM
9 PM–10 PM

On-time rate, % · stronger color, fewer on time

40–49
50–59
60–69
70–79
80–89
90–99

Fewer than 120 flights, not scored

Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · On time is arrival within 15 minutes of schedule. Cells round to whole percentages; the table shows one decimal.

No slot is named best or worst: too few reach 500 flights. Departures after 10 PM (51 flights) are not drawn: no slot in those hours has enough flights to score.

View as tableHide table

On-time arrival rate (%) with flights beneath, by scheduled departure hour and weekday for SAN to SJC. A dash means fewer than 120 flights, which are not scored.
Hour	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
6 AM–7 AM	96.4% on time140 flights	113 flights, too few to score	115 flights, too few to score	96.4% on time139 flights	95.7% on time142 flights	52 flights, too few to score	81 flights, too few to score
7 AM–8 AM	97.8% on time138 flights	114 flights, too few to score	112 flights, too few to score	94.9% on time137 flights	91.4% on time140 flights	94.5% on time129 flights	92.7% on time151 flights
8 AM–9 AM	82.4% on time213 flights	92.0% on time199 flights	91.0% on time201 flights	87.4% on time215 flights	81.4% on time212 flights	84.9% on time187 flights	83.6% on time227 flights
9 AM–10 AM	81.3% on time195 flights	84.8% on time171 flights	89.3% on time170 flights	88.7% on time188 flights	83.2% on time191 flights	89.0% on time128 flights	88.8% on time164 flights
10 AM–11 AM	83.3% on time157 flights	93.6% on time127 flights	118 flights, too few to score	83.3% on time157 flights	72.0% on time161 flights	87.8% on time123 flights	83.8% on time142 flights
11 AM–12 PM	81.5% on time131 flights	79 flights, too few to score	80 flights, too few to score	78.4% on time137 flights	75.2% on time135 flights	66 flights, too few to score	74.4% on time134 flights
12 PM–1 PM	75.3% on time198 flights	81.9% on time227 flights	80.8% on time218 flights	77.4% on time200 flights	69.5% on time198 flights	85.3% on time173 flights	73.1% on time225 flights
1 PM–2 PM	70.2% on time179 flights	84.9% on time121 flights	88.5% on time126 flights	70.0% on time184 flights	69.7% on time180 flights	78 flights, too few to score	68.7% on time136 flights
2 PM–3 PM	70.1% on time202 flights	85.7% on time142 flights	80.7% on time140 flights	72.6% on time199 flights	73.8% on time203 flights	110 flights, too few to score	76.5% on time164 flights
3 PM–4 PM	65.4% on time131 flights	88.4% on time148 flights	82.1% on time149 flights	76.4% on time127 flights	62.8% on time130 flights	74 flights, too few to score	66.2% on time137 flights
4 PM–5 PM	69.6% on time183 flights	81.9% on time149 flights	77.8% on time154 flights	69.9% on time178 flights	66.7% on time181 flights	103 flights, too few to score	65.5% on time166 flights
5 PM–6 PM	68.8% on time191 flights	82.1% on time151 flights	82.1% on time146 flights	67.9% on time185 flights	59.4% on time199 flights	77.7% on time139 flights	69.1% on time205 flights
6 PM–7 PM	63.9% on time155 flights	80.4% on time153 flights	74.3% on time154 flights	67.3% on time158 flights	61.1% on time157 flights	96 flights, too few to score	70.9% on time129 flights
7 PM–8 PM	70.1% on time147 flights	72 flights, too few to score	83 flights, too few to score	52.6% on time137 flights	55.6% on time144 flights	101 flights, too few to score	48.5% on time137 flights
8 PM–9 PM	66.4% on time156 flights	75.4% on time193 flights	83.2% on time186 flights	68.8% on time158 flights	66.4% on time151 flights	111 flights, too few to score	60.7% on time215 flights
9 PM–10 PM	68.5% on time130 flights	54 flights, too few to score	49 flights, too few to score	61.0% on time128 flights	65.0% on time139 flights	67 flights, too few to score	54.5% on time148 flights

By departure window

5–9 AM91.1%

9 AM–12 PM83.9%

12–3 PM76.6%

3–6 PM72.8%

6–9 PM68.9%

9 PM–5 AM67.9%

By departure hour

12 AM

3 AM

6 AM

9 AM

12 PM

3 PM

6 PM

9 PM

Why SAN → SJC runs late

July 2023 – July 2026

Late-arriving aircraft67.3%

the inbound aircraft was late, so this flight started late

The airline18.8%

crew, maintenance, boarding and fueling, all within the carrier’s control

Air traffic control12.5%

airspace and airport capacity, including weather-driven flow control

Weather1.0%

weather severe enough to stop this flight specifically

Security0.3%

screening or terminal security incidents

Share of the delay minutes US DOT attributed to each cause for SAN → SJC. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.

Late-arriving aircraft is the largest cause on SAN → SJC, at 67.3%: flights here mostly leave late because the plane came in late, and the day shows it: 5–9 AM departures arrived on time 91.1% of the time and 9 PM–5 AM departures 67.9%.

How this route holds up in bad weather

July 2023 – July 2026

The harder-hit end is the one the flight leaves from, where a cancellation keeps it from departing at all. Bad weather cancels 3.5 times the normal rate at SAN against 1.6 times at SJC. Cancelled in bad weather against normal hours: SAN 3.5% against 1.0%, SJC 1.0% against 0.6%. Flights that did leave SAN in bad weather arrived on time 66.7% of the time, against 78.4% in normal hours.

Bad weather and normal hours at the airports

Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026

Departures from SAN and SJC in hours of bad weather and in normal hours
Departures from	SAN	SJC
Cancelled in bad weather	3.5%	1.0%
Cancelled in normal hours	1.0%	0.6%
Arrived on time, bad weather	66.7%	87.4%
Arrived on time, normal hours	78.4%	83.5%
Departures in bad weather	19,707	4,322

Southwest Airlines (4.5% cancelled against 3.2% for the other carriers at SAN) and SkyWest Airlines (5.5% cancelled against 3.3% for the other carriers at SAN) cancelled more departures from SAN in bad weather than the other carriers there did in the same months. None of the route’s other carriers was clearly better. One more carrier flies this route but has too few bad-weather departures from SAN to compare.

This route’s airlines in bad weather at SAN

All departures from SAN

Cancellation rates in bad weather at SAN for the airlines that fly SAN to SJC, against the other carriers at SAN in the same months
Airline	Bad-weather departures	Cancelled	Other carriers
Southwest Airlines	6,793	4.5%above the others	3.2%
SkyWest Airlines	2,629	5.5%above the others	3.3%

These are airport figures, not route figures: every scheduled departure from SAN and SJC, to any destination, in hours the weather report called bad. The airline rows count each carrier’s departures from SAN on every route.

Weather source and limits. In full: SAN (airlines), SJC, What Weather Costs Each Airport, Who Cancels More When the Weather Turns, Airports That Change Places When Weather Turns.

Airlines on this route

Carriers with at least 200 flights, by the airline that operated each one.

Airlines on this route
Carrier	Flights	On time	Cancelled	Median delay	Severe
Southwest Airlines	11,960	77.4%	0.89%	-4 min	5.9%
SkyWest Airlines	3,562	79.9%	0.79%	-4 min	5.7%
Spirit Airlines	876	80.4%	0.91%	-9 min	8.1%

Southwest Airlines flew 72.9% of the 16,398 flights listed.

Spirit Airlines arrived on time 3.0 percentage points more often than Southwest Airlines on this route.

Other ways to fly San Diego to San Francisco

Airport pairs in the same two city markets, as the DOT defines them.

Other ways to fly San Diego to San Francisco
Route	Flights	On time	Cancelled	Median delay	Score
SAN→SFO San Diego to San Francisco	20,040	66.7%	1.14%	1 min	47
SAN→SJC this route San Diego to San Jose	16,699	78.1%	0.87%	-4 min	71
SAN→OAK San Diego to Oakland	10,639	76.7%	1.17%	-4 min	68

SAN → SJC is the most reliable pairing for this journey at 78.1% on time, against 66.7% for SAN → SFO.

Flights on this route

Flight numbers with at least 600 operations here and still on the schedule.

Flights on this route
Flight	Scheduled	Operations	On time
OO3359 SkyWest Airlines	8:01 AM	705	83.5%
OO3429 SkyWest Airlines	12:52 PM	674	77.7%

Weekly and seasonal patterns

By day of week

Mon75.5%

Tue85.8%

Wed84.8%

Thu76.0%

Fri71.9%

Sat84.5%

Sun72.8%

Tuesday is historically the most reliable day and Friday the least, a gap of 13.9 percentage points.

By month

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

July is historically the weakest month and January the strongest, a spread of 15.0 percentage points.

Reliability over time

July 2023 – July 2026

24

25

26

Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), on-time arrivals averaged 76.5% against 77.3% in the 12 months before — broadly unchanged.

Data and methodology

Calculated by FlyerIntel from 16,699 SAN → SJC flight records from the US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, covering July 2023 – July 2026. Late means 15 or more minutes past scheduled arrival; cancelled and diverted flights are left out of on-time rates.

Full methodology · Data sources · Report a problem

Analysis last recomputed September 26, 2026

SAN airport SJC airport Return direction SJC → SAN

SAN→SJC

Right now

Route reliability

What stands out

Why SAN → SJC flights are cancelled

Share of cancellations

What each reason means

When it goes wrong

Will your connection be tight enough?

Best time to fly

By day and hour

By departure window

By departure hour

Why SAN → SJC runs late

How this route holds up in bad weather

Bad weather and normal hours at the airports

This route’s airlines in bad weather at SAN

Airlines on this route

Other ways to fly San Diego to San Francisco

Flights on this route

Weekly and seasonal patterns

By day of week

By month

Reliability over time

Data and methodology