ON TIMEBOARD

DAL → LGB on time

Dallas Love Field (Dallas, TX) to Long Beach (Long Beach, CA). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
70%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
1.2%
484 flights
Typical arrival
+2 min
median vs schedule
When late
+50 min
average delay
Flights / day
1
1 airline

70% of flights from Dallas to Long Beach arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is worse than the typical U.S. route. 9% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for DAL → LGB: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 59% of the time. About 1 in 13 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 242 three hours or more; 1.2% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 484 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Southwest Airlines48470%1.2%+2 min7.9%+50 minSouthwest Airlines

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at DAL). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%8 a.m. departures: too few flights (46 flights)8a9 a.m. departures: too few flights (21 flights)9a10 a.m. departures: too few flights10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights (38 flights)11anoon departures: too few flights (53 flights)12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights (21 flights)1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights (20 flights)2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (4 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights (76 flights)4p5 p.m. departures: too few flights (47 flights)5p6 p.m. departures: 47% on time (111 flights)476p7 p.m. departures: too few flights (28 flights)7p
DAL → LGB, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

Last flight of the day

On DAL → LGB, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 1.7% of the time, against 0.8% for its earlier flights (2.0× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 0.8% of the time (earlier flights: 0.0%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
Southwest Airlines6:10 p.m.1.7%0.8%0.8%first flight 2:50 p.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in LGB tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: March (88%). Worst: May (60%).

40%70%100%Jan: 84% on time (148 flights)84JanFeb: 78% on time (130 flights)78FebMar: 88% on time (144 flights)88MarApr: 71% on time (142 flights)71AprMay: 60% on time (145 flights)60MayJun: 69% on time (144 flights)69JunJul: 64% on time (151 flights)64JulAug: 80% on time (142 flights)80AugSep: 79% on time (159 flights)79SepOct: 85% on time (160 flights)85OctNov: 84% on time (163 flights)84NovDec: 83% on time (173 flights)83Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday72——
Tuesday70——
Wednesday70——
Thursday69——
Friday69——
Saturday52——
Sunday82——

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Late inbound plane 51%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 41%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 7%Severe weather 1%

Cancellations: weather 6

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

Nearby airport alternatives

Other ways to make the same trip, using airports within 60 miles of Dallas or Long Beach. DFW → SNA has been 7 points more reliable.

RouteFlightsOn timeCancelled
DAL → LGB (this route)48470%1.2%
DFW → SNA Dallas/Fort Worth to Orange County John Wayne2,95677%2.4%
DFW → LAX Dallas/Fort Worth to Los Angeles LAX6,18472%2.1%
DAL → BUR Dallas Love Field to Hollywood Burbank39470%1.5%
DFW → ONT Dallas/Fort Worth to Ontario2,27470%2.2%
DAL → SNA Dallas Love Field to Orange County John Wayne36870%0.8%
DAL → LAX Dallas Love Field to Los Angeles LAX1,48568%1.0%

Questions

How often are flights from DAL to LGB on time?

70% of 484 scheduled flights from Dallas, TX to Long Beach, CA arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 1.2% were cancelled.

What month has the most delays from DAL to LGB?

May (60% on time). The best month is March (88%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from DAL to LGB more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last DAL–LGB flight of the day was cancelled 1.7% of the time over the past year, against 0.8% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.